Queens Public Library invites community artists to participate in our Black History Month 2025 exhibition, A Labor of Love. This special showcase celebrates the profound contributions of African Americans and the role of labor in shaping their experiences across the U.S., Africa, and the Diaspora.
Exhibition Theme: Explore the diverse intersections of work—free and unfree, skilled and unskilled, vocational and voluntary—with the collective experiences of Black people. From the agricultural labor of enslaved Africans to entrepreneurship, and from organized labor’s fight for justice to voluntary acts of service, this exhibition honors the transformative power of Black labor.
The exhibit will run from February 1 through February 28 at Central Library in Jamaica, Queens.
Submission Guidelines:
Accepted Mediums:
- Visual Art: Watercolor, charcoal, acrylic, photography, and mixed media (dimensions: 5x7 to 18x24).
- Sculpture: Small ceramics, pottery, and pieces that fit within 12” depth display cases.
Please include an artist’s statement explaining your work and its connection to the theme A Labor of Love. Describe your inspiration and the
significance of this topic in your art. Selected artists will sign an art loan agreement and liability waiver. Notifications will be sent with instructions for delivering work to the Library.
All submissions are due by Tuesday, January 21.
Send JPEGs and art description to: Lonay.b.mosley@queenslibrary.org.
