One Breath Rising is pleased to present poet Yesenia Montilla in a reading of original works at 440 Gallery. Montilla, a native New Yorker and the daughter of immigrants, is an Afro Latina poet. She lists Translator, Editor, Educator and Dreamer, Top Chef (maybe) as part of her bio. The Pink Box, her first collection, was published by Aquarius Press in 2015. “The poems of The Pink Box record the mind as it makes difficult and intimate discoveries about race, family and history,” wrote author Patrick Rosal. Join us for an intriguing afternoon of spoken word mingled with the artwork of painter Joy Makon currently on exhibit at the gallery.

One Breath Rising at 440 Gallery us a monthly program that is dedicated to providing opportunities for diverse artists working in the African American tradition to collaborate, present and document their work. In conjunction with the art on exhibit at the gallery, OBR’s visiting artists present thought-provoking, challenging and entertaining mixtures of art meets spoken word and music.