Black History Month Exhibit at Gallery 120

CLOVER S.C.- Gallery 120 is wrapping up its showcase of their Black History Month exhibit with feature artist, Tanya Murphy, a fine artist from NoDa who highlights and honors black history through art.

“When you go to gallery 120 you’re going to see a lot more of the presence of what I call my travelers and those are people that I cut and carve and then I placed them in the landscape,” said Murphy.

Mari Matamoros is the curator of gallery 120. Being a part of this gallery since 2015, she knows how to find perfect artists to fit the profile of each monthly exhibit.

Matamoros found Murphy in NoDa at the Charlotte Art League and was instantly drawn to her work.  “I liked her work and her stories and how she approaches the art,” She said.

Her greatest influence is the childhood she remembers being raised in right here in the Carolinas.

“The south happens to be a big inspiration for me, because I spend a lot of time growing up here, actually in South Carolina,” Murphy said.  “So returning home was a big part of me growing up or evolving as an artist.”

When it comes art and its ties to African American culture and history, Murphy hopes to be a role model for the next generation.

“When I’m asked to participate in a black history month show my first response is black history for me every day of the year,” she said.

“For young people of color, I think it’s important to see yourself in a particular place, because that’s not something that I saw a lot of as myself in this category. I just hope that that I’m inspiring someone just because they might see a little bit of themselves in me maybe in my story.”