Join us at the gallery for the February edition of our monthly series with One Breath Rising. Author Breena Clark will read from her novels and fiction—a mingling of spoken word among the artwork of painter Joy Makon currently on exhibit at the gallery. Breena writes with depth and clarity about grief. Her work is marked by compassion and magnificent use of language. Fascinated by the vast array of small and insignificant objects that contain finely detailed denigrating images of African-Americans, Breena is a passionate collector of Black Memorabilia. Her three novels, Angels Make Their Hope Here (2014), Stand the Storm (2008) and River, Cross My Heart (1999) have received accolades from the Washington Post Book Review and Oprah’s Book Club among others. Clarke is an advisor to the board of A Room Of Her Own Foundation, is co-organizer of the Hobart Book Village Festival of Women Writers and is on the faculty of Stonecoast MFA University of Southern Maine.

One Breath Rising at 440 Gallery is 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.