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Black Cherry Lane: Presence

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An Artistic Gallery Companion To The Film American Graveyard—October 1-25, 2026 NYC✨ Curated by award-winning artist Lazarus Nazario

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A lovely visit from my friend, the writer @lizzieskurnick and her NYU students! She brought them on a field trip to BLACK CHERRY LANE: PRESENCE as part of their course, “Writing Family History: Memoir, Storytelling, and the Art of the Personal.” Heather Quinlan, director of AMERICAN GRAVEYARD gave the class an excellent primer on the film and each unique work in the corresponding exhibition, including Thomas Doyle’s miniature, “Ascension” and Beverly Y. Smith’s quilt, “The Origin of My Descent: Beyond the Grave.” We even tucked away into the listening room together to experience my sound installation, “What Remains,” turning the tiny minimalist theater into a confessional.

We’re at the halfway mark, and would love to have you stop by the gallery with a class, a friend or family before we close. The exhibition runs through Sunday 10/25 with two remaining programs: Common Ground (with Debbie-Ann Paige, Public Historian) on Sunday 10/18 at 2PM, and AMERICAN GRAVEYARD New Footage Screening (with Heather Quinlan, Director) on Friday 10/23 at 6:30PM

The exhibition and programs are all FREE and open to the Public.

🔗 blackcherrylane.org taken in Empire Outlets by @blackcherrylane

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Common Ground• Sandy Ground and Cherry Lane are two historic African American communities on Staten Island centered around AME Zion churches and burial grounds that once shared a pastor. While both served as anchors of community life, they met very different fates: Sandy Ground has been landmarked and preserved through seven generations, whereas Cherry Lane’s church was demolished and its cemetery was paved over.

What can these contrasting outcomes teach us about the importance of preserving Black heritage, and how do descendants keep their ancestors’ stories alive?

Join us this Sunday at Black Cherry Lane: Presence for Common Ground: a conversation exploring these two communities, their histories, and the vital role of churches, burial grounds, and family memories in understanding our shared past.

Event Details:

Event: Common Ground
🗓️ This Sunday, October 18
⏱️ 2 PM
📍 Empire Outlets • Level 3 Waterfront
⛓️‍💥 blackcherrylane.org
🗣️ Moderator: Public historian Debbie-Ann Paige
👥 Panelists:
🍒👥Cherry Lane descendants: @nanettehalliburton and David Thomas
👥Sandy Ground descendants: Yvette Jordan, Janise LaBoard, and Jennifer Jones

We hope to see you there.

Black Cherry Lane: Presence is made possible by a DCLA Art Fund Grant from Staten Island Art’s, with public funding from the New York Department of Cultural Affairs.

#blackhistory #givepresence #blackcherrylane #americangraveyard taken in Staten Island, New York by @blackcherrylane

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I had the honor of moderating an artist talk at Black Cherry Lane: Presence on October 4th. Even though a few of the artists couldn’t attend we still managed to fill two hours with our histories, stories and processes that weave through our work. ✨🗣️✨An engaged crowd, including David Thomas one of the descendants of Benjamin Prine, offered questions and conversation as the afternoon went on. I’m grateful to everyone that came out to hear us discuss the importance of reclaiming your heritage through art.
Thank you to everyone that attended and to the artists @quiltbev @yelenatylkina @gregshea_artificer @maryedwards for opening up about how you make the art that moves us. 🖤🍒🙏

1. The panel at the gallery.
2. Yours truly with @gregshea_artificer standing by our works in the show.
3. The artists from left to right, Yelena Tylkina, Mary Edwards, Greg Shea and Beverly Smith with David Thomas (third from the left.)
4. David Thomas and I in front of @timokamura ‘s portrait of him and his sister Ruth Ann holding the only photo of their Great Great Great Grandfather Benjamin Prine.

Black Cherry Lane: Presence is made possible by a DCLA Art Fund Grant from Staten Island Art’s, with public funding from the New York Department of Cultural Affairs. taken in Staten Island, New York by @blackcherrylane

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We're at the halfway point of Black Cherry Lane: Presence and are open today from 12–4 at Empire Outlets. Come on by!

Also, @getmcgovern has been interviewing the artists for @hilobrow, and his latest features @thomasdoyleart, creator of Ascension, the extraordinary miniature sculpture featured in the exhibition.

Thomas talks about how he deliberately shifted his focus away from the buildings and toward the people buried there.

Read about his inspiration and how he brought Ascension to life. Then come take a look at it in person.
https://www.hilobrow.com/2026/10/14/skin-deep-5/ taken in Empire Outlets by @blackcherrylane

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Last night's Black Cherry Jam was magical, and am I thrilled to say we filmed it for #AmericanGraveyard!

Five extraordinary poets — @maya.da.poet @jahtieklong @shortbreadandgravy @matt_figgz and @m_a_dennis575 — created work centered around Cherry Lane and the themes of memory, erasure, spirit, and reclamation.

Names were spoken that hadn't been uttered in over a century. There was beauty on the walls! There was opera from soprano @chelsiomnira! There was percussion thanks to Mr. Gregory Taylor! And one of the Cherry Lane descendants, who is featured in the #BlackCherryLane artworks, even shared his poem, “The Voyage.”

The evening was MC'd by the beautiful and dynamic Maya.da.Poet, who put her heart and soul into hosting and performing — as did everyone who took part.

And M.A. Dennis, who wrote “The Pride of Cherry Lane” on pieces of paper taped together into a long scroll, unfurled it during his performance, and then donated it to the gallery. It now hangs on the wall among the other works of art.

What an extraordinary night. My heartfelt thanks to everyone who made it happen! taken in Empire Outlets by @blackcherrylane

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TONIGHT at 8 PM! Black Cherry Jam Poetry Slam with MC @maya.da.poet !! 🔥🔥🔥
This evening we will film the ending of the film @americangraveyardmovie featuring @jahtieklong @matt_figgz @m_a_dennis575 @shortbreadandgravy with special guests Percussionist Gregory Taylor and Soprano Chelsi Om’Nira. Come celebrate with us!!🖤🍒

Event: Black Cherry Jam Poetry Slam
🗓️Tonight! October 9th
⏱️ 8PM
📍Empire Outlets • Level 3 • Waterfront •Ample signage leads the way

Black Cherry Lane: Presence was made possible by a DCLA Art Fund Grant from Staten Island Arts, with public funding from the New York Department of Cultural Affairs. by @blackcherrylane

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This Sunday at 2pm, join us for "Staten Island Above and Below," a conversation with Staten Island's own @johnkilcullen7258 - Administrator for NYC Parks South Shore Parks - and Dr. Elizabeth Meade, archaeologist and cemetery historian whose research has documented more than 500 burial grounds across NYC.

They'll explore Staten Island's changing landscape, the burial grounds hidden beneath our city, and what these spaces tell us about those who came before us.

📍 Empire Outlets, Level 3, Waterside
Free and open to the public! taken in Empire Outlets by @blackcherrylane

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This Friday we will film the final chapter of American Graveyard. Black Cherry Jam brings poetry, spoken word, music, and the story of Cherry Lane together for one night within Black Cherry Lane: Presence. ❤️ Hosted by @maya.da.poet with poets @m_a_dennis575 @shortbreadandgravy @matt_figgz and @jahtieklong plus special performances by percussionist Gregory Taylor and soprano Chelsi Om’nira.
The performances will be filmed for American Graveyard, and the night will culminate with Jahtiek Long, the films’s spoken- word narrator, performing the piece that will close the documentary.
Friday, October 9, 8-10 PM
Empire Outlets, Level 3, Waterfront
Come be part of the ending. 🖤🍒

Black Cherry Lane: Presence was made possible by a DCLA Art Fund Grant from Staten Island Arts, with public funding from the New York Department of Cultural Affairs.

#AmericanGraveyard
#BlackCherryLane
#BlackCherryJam
#StatenIsland
#Poetry
SpokenWord
BlackHistory
DocumentaryFilm
GivePresence taken in Staten Island, New York by @blackcherrylane

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WE HIT OVER 100K!
Now we're actually at 107,000+ views from our @cbsnews interview 3 DAYS AGO! It's still going strong.
Thank you all for watching and sharing the story of Cherry Lane Cemetery and Black Cherry Lane: Presence. ❤️
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z429mCJkroo&t=10s
#statenisland #nychistory #americangraveyard #documentaryfilmmaking taken in Empire Outlets by @blackcherrylane

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TODAY at 2PM: Meet the artists of @blackcherrylane.
Following an incredible opening — and with the @cbsnews story about Cherry Lane Cemetery now at more than 54,000 views and 1,000 likes — we continue the conversation this afternoon with the artists who helped bring this history into the present.
Join us for an Artist Q&A moderated by curator @lazarusnazario, featuring several of the artists of Black Cherry Lane: Presence, talking about their work, their process and the history that inspired the exhibition.
Empire Outlets, Level 3, Waterside
Free and open to the public
(Also, mark your calendars for our additional October programming.)
Thank you to everyone who has visited, watched, shared and helped bring the story of Cherry Lane to an audience we never could have imagined. ❤️ taken in Empire Outlets by @blackcherrylane

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Congratulations @heathercue on your in-depth interview and CBS Mornings’ thoughtful coverage of your film, “American Graveyard,” as well as the gallery companion exhibition, “Black Cherry Lane: Presence.”
The October 1st opening and October 9th Black Cherry Jam Poetry Slam event will form the ending of the film.

Event: Black Cherry Jam Poetry Slam
🗓️Friday, October 9th 8-10 PM
📍Empire Outlets, Staten Island, NY Level 3, Waterfront
Ample on-site signage will guide you.

Come out and be a part of history. 💥

Black Cherry Lane: Presence was made possible by a DCLA Art Fund Grant from Staten Island Arts, with public funding from the New York Department of Cultural Affairs.

#americangraveyardmovie
#blackcherrylanepresence
#blackhistory
#statenisland
#givepresence taken in Staten Island, New York by @blackcherrylane

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I was honored to speak at Black Cherry Lane: Presence, a powerful exhibition telling a chapter of Staten Island history that too many people never knew.

Cherry Lane Cemetery was once an African-American burial ground on Staten Island. Today, the cemetery is gone and the land has been paved over. But the people who were buried there were here. They lived here, raised families here, worshipped here and helped write the history of our borough. They deserve to be remembered.

There is also an important connection between Black Cherry Lane and Sandy Ground in my Council district. These historic Black communities shared traditions, livelihoods and ties through the AME Zion Church. And fittingly, this weekend Rossville AME Zion Church at Sandy Ground will celebrate its 175th anniversary.

As I said at the exhibition, history doesn’t always disappear in one dramatic moment. Sometimes it disappears a little at a time. A building deteriorates. A cemetery is neglected. A record gets lost. A generation passes away. Eventually, somebody asks, “What used to be here?”

That’s why we have an obligation to protect what’s still here and remember what’s already been lost.

I’m grateful to my friend and filmmaker Heather Quinlan for her tremendous work bringing this history to a wider audience, along with curator Lazarus Nazario, the descendants, participating artists and everyone who made this exhibition possible.

Staten Island has an incredible history, and all of it deserves to be remembered.

Here are a few photos from the exhibition. If you have the opportunity to see Black Cherry Lane: Presence for yourself, I hope you’ll go. taken in Staten Island, New York by @blackcherrylane

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