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Looking for something to do on Staten Island this weekend? From exploring local history and folklore to getting creative with the family, there's plenty happening around the borough! Check out what's going on October 23–25! Black Cherry Lane: Presence Friday, October 23 | Empire Outlets Discover an important chapter of Staten Island's Black history through this powerful exhibition honoring the lives, legacy, and enduring presence of Cherry Lane Cemetery, a 19th-century African American burial ground. Activate Black Staten: Horror and Folklore Saturday, October 24 | 2 PM–4 PM Build-a-Dream Incubator Get into the spooky spirit with this free workshop exploring Black history, folklore, and horror, with a special focus on Staten Island's own stories and cultural heritage! Plenty of Purples Workshop Staten Island Children's Museum Bring the little ones for a colorful, hands-on art experience! Young artists can explore their creativity using purple papers, paints, and other materials during this fun walk-in workshop. Support local art, explore our borough's history, and discover something new right here on Staten Island! Find more events and details through our Culture Calendar at statenislandarts.org. What are your weekend plans? Let us know in the comments! #StatenIslandArts #StatenIslandEvents #ThingsToDoStatenIsland #StatenIslandArtists #SupportLocalArts #StatenIslandCommunity #NYCArts
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Common Ground was a terrific program that brought together Cherry Lane and Sandy Ground descendants to share their unique histories, common experiences, and potential paths forward for both communities. I was thrilled that this conversation could take place within our exhibition space, and I hope it's the beginning of many more to come.
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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
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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
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What history is shared by Cherry Lane and Sandy Ground? Both were historic African American communities on Staten Island, with AME Zion churches and burial grounds that served as anchors of community life. But while Sandy Ground's church and cemetery survive today, Cherry Lane's church was demolished and its cemetery destroyed and paved over. What can these different histories tell 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 a conversation exploring these two communities, their history, and the vital role of churches, burial grounds, and family memories in understanding the past. Moderated by public historian Debbie-Ann Paige, the panel features #CherryLane descendants @nanettehalliburton and David Thomas, and #SandyGround descendants Yvette Jordan, Janise LaBoard, and Jennifer Jones. Sunday, October 18, at 2 PM Empire Outlets / 55 Richmond Terrace Level 3, Waterside Free and open to the public! #statenisland #americangraveyard #blackcherrylane #blackhistory #nychistory
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Are you one of the quarter million people who viewed this CBS News story? AMERICAN GRAVEYARD director Heather Quinlan gave an insightful interview about the documentary and its artistic companion, BLACK CHERRY LANE: PRESENCE. The multimedia exhibition, running through 10/25 in a pop-up gallery/film set at Empire Outlets on Staten Island, responds to the paving over of a 19th Century Black cemetery and churchyard. What was once a center of Black life on Staten Island is now a strip mall. Through nine distinctive artworks which will be part of the film, the site has been reimagined, honored and back in public conversation. Link available in comments and CBS on YouTube. 📺
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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.
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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/
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Join us today at 2PM for STATEN ISLAND ABOVE AND BELOW, a discussion about the borough’s flora, the archaeological wonders hidden beneath the soil, and the relationship between nature and cemeteries with arborist John Kilcullen (NYC Parks Department) and Dr. Elizabeth Meade (PANYC Archaeology Group). Our programs are part of the BLACK CHERRY LANE: PRESENCE exhibition in conjunction with the film AMERICAN GRAVEYARD and Cherry Lane Cemetery, and held in our gallery at Empire Outlets, 55 Richmond Terrace, Level 3, Waterside (next to the S.I. Ferry) Free and open to the public!
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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!
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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.
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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!
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