Stepping Into Your Light

What does it mean to step into your light? How can you use the arts to share your voice and define yourself on your own terms?

The Burchfield Penney Art Center, Just Buffalo Literary Center, and Squeaky Wheel Film & Media Art Center have collaborated on the project Stepping Into Your Light, celebrating the work of esteemed portrait artist Julia Bottoms as well as the life and legacy of trailblazing politician Shirley Chisholm. Bottoms will commemorate Chisholm’s legacy as the selected artist to fabricate a sculpture of her at Forest Lawn Cemetery, where she’s buried. What’s inspiring about both women is their commitment to creating space and using their platforms to drive meaningful conversations about representation, inclusion, and equity.

We invite you to experience the stories of Just Buffalo and Squeaky Wheel youth artists, who will present creative writing and experimental films developed over several sessions. The culminating work explores their own voices and how the legacies of Bottoms and Chisholm inspire them to step into their own light and share their creativity.

This event is free and open to the public.