Public Space Art Announces Black History Month Book Fair

From Yonkers Downtown Waterfront Arts District: "You really should see Yonkers,... some say it's the prettiest city in the world....Thornton Wilder, The Matchmaker

Public Space Art announces the opening of The Black History Month Book Fair on Thursday, February 2, at 5:30PM at SUNY Purchase College Center for Community and Culture, "PC4" at 16 Warburton Avenue in the Yonkers Downtown Waterfront Arts District. The two day Book Fair continues at PC4 on Saturday, February 4, 2017 from 10 AM to 6PM.

For the two days of the Book Fair PC4 is converted to a Pop Up Bookstore & Library. The lofty expanse of the beautiful exhibition space creates the setting of an inviting urban bookstore experience, inviting visitors to read, browse, meet authors & presenters , have their books signed by authors, participate in book discussions and learn about new and upcoming publications.

The first evening of the Book Fair opens with a jazz and blues reception featuring the music of Yonkers musical icons WC Handy, "Father of the Blues" and Ella Fitzgerald, "the First Lady of Song. The presentation of the Fitzgerald Handy award for Leadership in arts will be presented to Congressman Eliot Engel at 6:30 PM, for his support of the arts.

The second day of the Book Fair opens with a Ribbon Cutting ceremony at 10AM. The day long event welcomes among others, Professor Komozi Woodard, Ph.D. of Sarah Lawrence College discussing is new book, Black Power 50 and Professor Frederick Douglass Opie, Ph.D. discussing his new book Southern Food and Civil Rights - Feeding the Revolution.

Visitors meet authors, artists, community activists, researches, university and college professors all of whom will be presenting, discussing and taking questions about their new and upcoming work and books.

Joining our local presenters and authors are also authors and presenters from West Africa, the Caribbean and The Netherlands sharing their recent publications and research. A documentary, "Africans in America, the acclaimed PBS documentary will be screened.

There will be books for children, jazz and blues listening hot spots in the bookstore, an interactive arts installation: "Readers Write.. What have you read recently that changed your thinking?" Exhibited on colorful paper flags, the completed installation offers a creative snapshot of titles of books that readers found transformative.

With the Black History Month Book Fair, Thornton Wilder's view of Yonkers gets a wider audience. Yonkers has long been the closely held secret of a small but highly celebrated cache of writers, musicians, composers , but particularly writers. Yonkers is where one's Muse lives..

The Book Fair is contributing to another transformation in Yonkers. The downtown arts section of the Yonkers Waterfront has quietly transformed itself into a college town on the Hudson. Students, faculty and administrators of Sarah Lawrence College are now joined in Yonkers by SUNY Purchase, SUNY WCC and the College of New Rochelle - creating a prime population for the fast growing food scene in Yonkers.

On either side of PC4 there are Mexican and Japanese Restaurants, across the street, a Cuban Restaurant, a Craft Brewery, an old school NYC style Diner, Bars, Pizzerias, Beer, Burger & Music bars, and high end eateries, Dolphins, XOXO, and Zuppa's.

The literary, business and academic community in Yonkers invite you to come for the books, writers, Jazz and Blues, stay for the food, architecture majestic Hudson River views, and the primordial Palisades.

Both days of the Book Fair are free and open to the public, light refreshments available. For more information, contact: blackhistorymonthbookfair@gmail.com

Image Via Pixabay

Image Via Yonkers Downtownd Waterfront Arts District