The Lewis Latimer House Museum is hosting an opening reception on Saturday, April 2, for a new spring exhibition featuring works from Flushing native and artist Dario Mohr.
The reception for “Blood is Thicker than the Water that Separated U.S.” will begin at 6 p.m. at the Lewis Latimer House Museum, located at 34-41 137th St.
Inspired by family migration, Black excellence, and Lewis Latimer’s contributions to science through light, “Blood is Thicker than the Water that Separated U.S.” is Mohr’s solo exhibition that features a series of darkroom, projection and LED light inspired works.
“We are thrilled to feature Dario Mohr for a solo exhibition at the Lewis Latimer House Museum in 2022 spring. The show amplifies the artist’s lineage and vision in a way that plays with light and thus connects to the history of the museum and Black inventor Lewis Latimer’s story,” said Ran Yan, executive director of Latimer House Museum. “Its theme in exploring one’s ancestry, family migration, identity and pride will resonate with the diverse Queens and NYC communities today.”
According to Mohr, who refers to Latimer as a hero, the inventor was a successful Black Renaissance man at a time when people of color had fewer opportunities.
“Like him, I have a lot of creative interests and also grew up in Flushing, Queens, not far from his residence,” Mohr said.
Mohr’s artwork draws on his own challenges to connect with his West African heritage and identity as a first-generation Grenadian American.
“This series is in honor of my heritage that my recent ancestors lost recollection of,” Mohr said.
Through his work, Mohr seeks to address the gap that exists between those who were historically held captive and other U.S. citizens, while representing the plight of many African Americans and Caribbean American people who have assimilated to European culture out of survival.
“I hope that this project engages my BIPOC audience members who may be in a similar situation, and inspires them to uncover family myths and blind spots, providing a sense of closure for the reclamation of ancestral identity,” Mohr said.
The exhibition will remain on view during museum hours through July 3. The museum plans to also host an artist talk with Mohr, to provide the audience with a deep dive into his creative process, at a date to be announced.
The exhibition is made possible in part by the Queens Council on the Arts and by public funds from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
