“Part of what inspired the project was wanting to create something that really centered the brilliance and creativity of Black women writers and the transformative possibilities that come with reading.”
The Free Black Women’s Library is a third-space social art project founded and maintained by artist OlaRonke Akinmowo that features a collection of over 5,000 books written by Black women authors in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn. Like any library, it is a space to read, write, and study. Visitors are also invited to attend workshops, film screenings, book signings, teach-ins, story time sessions, critical conversations and to use the space to gather in community.
During her CPP Residency, OlaRonke will be hosting a writer’s workshop for women in the Bed-Stuy community. At the end of the residency, writing from the group will be published into a book. The group will have a publishing party and reading at The Met and a celebration at The Free Black Women’s Library. As part of her on-going practice, Ola will continue to run the Library and host workshops and gatherings for the community throughout her residency.
The Met’s Civic Practice Partnership (CPP), launched in 2017, catalyzes and implements creative projects that advance healthy communities by bringing the skills and interests of neighborhood stakeholders together with those of The Met and artists who are socially minded in their practice. Invited CPP artists work in their own neighborhoods across New York City and at The Met to develop and implement ambitious projects and forge meaningful collaborations.
Learn more about OlaRonke’s CPP Residency.
