“The name is powerful, captivating, and unapologetic. It’s short and sweet, and gets right to the point of what we’re creating,” says Michael Davis, co-founder of The Black Library, a community art space and library in Monticello that focuses on celebrating Black history and culture. “The name has a sense of power and boldness that we wanted to convey, because the name will not change what it is we do here,” says Douglas Shindler, Davis’s business partner.
Davis and Shindler both have arts backgrounds. Davis is a photographer and Shindler is a painter and photographer, each with degrees in graphic design. Originally, the artists shared a small studio space that housed their paintings, photography, and collection of mostly Black literature. In this tiny space, they came up with the idea to start a Black book club, as a way to share their literature with the community. With more thought, and a little funding from the Hurleyville Performing Arts Centre, the Black Library’s nonprofit parent, the Black Library was born. For two years, it was simply a library. Now, after encouragement from HPAC, the Black Library is the recipient of a $408,000 grant from Creatives Rebuild New York’s Artist Employment Program, allowing them the resources to expand. They now occupy a larger space, recently renovated, at 418 Broadway in Monticello, formerly a KeyBank branch. The grand opening of the Black Library will take place on August 12 from 5pm to 8pm.
While Davis and Shindler could have made their nonprofit just an art studio or photo studio, they have created a multimedia space with a focus on Black literature. The addition of books is imperative to them, with the co-founders connecting the visual arts and literature in their minds, with hopes that others will follow their path. “I think art and literature are synonymous. In order to fully grasp concepts of art, it takes a certain sense of intellectual understanding from the viewer,” says Davis. “Immersing people in the Black experience with words and art is a way to impact our community and provide a way for betterment.”
In order to achieve this impact, the Black Library plans to carry a diverse collection of books that convey the Black experience. The library will take book donations that specialize in Black history, art, culture, current events, autobiographies, fiction, children’s books, and novels. The library is being made with an inclusive, community focus. Shindler and Davis want to emphasize and share the Black experience, but will not be restrictive with their donation process. “The whole point is to prioritize and specialize in books with narratives and representations of people of color,” says Shindler. “Books that are specific to the Black experience or Black history are not rejected if they are written by white people.” While they see other libraries as allies with generalized focal points, they want to be an epicenter for the experience of people of color.
In addition to their library function, the founders plan to incorporate an artist studio space and a photo studio for community members of all ages to display their work, with a focus on visual arts by Black artists. They also plan to use their space to offer educational workshops for children and adults, and host talks and community discussions. The goal of the project will be “promoting a greater understanding of Black history and culture, advocate for racial justice in Sullivan County and beyond, and act as an incubator for the next generation of local artists,” says Shindler.
To showcase its newly renovated space, the Black Library has a diverse slate of events planned. The grand opening, taking place on August 12, will kick off the series, to be followed by the Bagel Fest Open House, a poetry slam with Josephine Finn, game night, a paint and sip, and an open mic night. The Friday night finale on August 18 will be a special surprise event, with the event announcement to be made on their Instagram.
The Black Library will continue to host community events outside of grand opening week. A few include their artist talk series, the first being on August 25, with program directors Shindler and Davis presenting their work and careers as artists; continuous work with the Hurleyville Performing Arts Centre; and after-school programs for local students such as a hip-hop club, photography club, and Black history club. The library will also host monthly meetings so the co-founders can get a feel for what the community needs and improvements they need to make. The first live music performance will feature local singer Nyasia Chane’l on September 23.
While their noteworthy cause has caught the attention of communities out of state, Davis and Shindler plan to keep things local for a while. “Other locations were interested, and it was a beautiful idea, but we wanted to focus on our community first,” says Davis. “For now we’re going to figure things out, but if we succeed other locations will pop up—it's definitely a long-term goal.”
Their main objective is to first establish a hub for education and networking in their home community. “Now more than ever, people want creative careers,” Shindler says. “More people believe it's possible, so we want to give them the connections and opportunities to discover the things they like.” Davis reflects on his own experience, drawing inspiration from it to make change for the future generations. “Douglas and I pursued this career with little to no role models locally,” he says. “There was no inspiration. We want to provide a space for others to have inspiration.”
