Philadelphia Black art gallery The Colored Girls Museum (TCGM) has collaborated with fellow local art collective Slought to create The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, a sacred space for Black women and girls to bask and reflect on their "girlhood" experiences.

The exhibition, which is set up like a one-room schoolhouse and designed to honor Women’s History month, is backed by a $175,000 grant from The Knight Foundation, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

As a Black woman-founded organization, the museum prides itself as a resource to support and provide a sanctuary for Black women. According to a Slought release, the art series is envisioned as a traveling experience and emphasizes the importance of Black girls and women expanding their horizons while also speaking their truth of the danger that comes with such resilience.

The series is highlighted by six paintings by Black female artists ranging in ages from 10 to 18 years old and blends elements of painting and multimedia. The installment is centered around a portrait series, "The first time, ever I saw your face," which was commissioned by the museum and inspired by Roberta Flack's popular 1972 song of the same name.

Posted by The Colored Girls Museum on Tuesday, February 9, 2021

“For many Black girls, girlhood is a neglected space,” Vashti DuBois, founder and executive director of Germantown’s The Colored Girls Museum, said. “People were pushing us toward womanhood for our own protection and the cost was our childhood. We didn’t get to play. Crying was a sign of weakness.”

With special attention to the portrait element of the display, DuBois employed a special method to help inspire the artists. She asked the six artists to choose a muse, get close to her and try to bring her essence to life using the artistic lens.

“The idea was for these portraits to come out of a place of care and love,” DuBois said. “We asked the artist to take the time to look at the girl and really see her. And as we become engrossed in seeing her, we begin to remember our own childhood and see the little girl in ourselves."

Inquirer columnist Elizabeth Wellington described the portraits as “darling and resplendent.” In one portrait, a girl poses with a pen, an illustration of her idea to write her way to fame and accolades. In another, an 18-year-old Tyjanea Williams sports a jacket with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, tattoos on her forearms and baggy jeans.

It is an important portrayal of the Black girl experience, Dubois said, because “a lot of times we can only accept Black girlhood if it appears a certain way. But all girlhood is complex and all of our experiences matter.”

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face is set up to invite patrons to a quiet space for meditation and reflection. In the atmosphere of the experience, Flack's song resonates softly, as videos on flat screens show Black girls happily hopping, skipping, playing and dancing without a care in the world. The Inquirer reported that the experience also features rocking chairs ranging in sizes throughout the gallery space to add to the calming environment.

The gallery experience is on display through April 30. Admission is free, but visitors are required to schedule via Eventbrite. Visits are limited to an hour as well as subjected to COVID-19 precautions.

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