Noir Vintage: Jazzing Up Local Business with Murals
Ezra Stiles Exhibition & New Haven Reception
“I was looking to know New Haven better, beyond the Yale bubble. Connecting with Evelyn really opened me up,” said Wang, “There’s a sense of home and belonging in a small local business that cannot be found in any other store. Her sense of family and how she treats everyone is really inspiring and led me to see the humanity of New Haven.”
Heading into 2024, I hosted the school year's first Ezra Stiles Exhibition titled "Noir Vintage: Jazzing Up Local Business with Murals." This exhibition invited the community to celebrate the finale of a 7 week-long mural painting project at Noir Vintage (111 Court St.)! Noir Vintage & Co. is the first black women owned vintage shop in New Haven, and it just opened business this past June 2023. I aimed to share this local businesses journey with Yale community members in order to amplify Noir Vintage on downtown New Haven's social and commercial scene. This exhibition celebrated the mixture of public art and local business!Â
The two-piece mural project involves a wraparound skylight and full-wall piece, showcasing Afro-American design and Harlem Renaissance culture. I collaborated with the store owner/curator, Evelyn Massey, on her dream of creating a space in downtown New Haven to celebrate African American culture and the prolific arts impact of vintage style. I joined Evelyn on her small business journey through mural painting to spotlight vintage culture and to amplify Noir Vintage on New Haven’s business stage.Â
This exhibition included an outing and on-site reception at the Noir Vintage store. This was a great outlet for using arts and culture as a medium to attract economic growth: I loved walking students into New Haven and celebrating on-site. I guided students to enjoy the newly created murals and engage with the local businesses leaders. Students sparked great conversations with leaders beyond campus and will be sharing the greatness of Noir Vintage with more people!
Before beginning the mural, Wang spent time talking to Massey about her vision for the mural and researching African American art and culture.
“As a public artist, one thing I focus on is making art for the community,” said Wang. “It’s really weird to use someone else’s space as your own canvas. There’s a keen awareness of making sure you’re creating for someone else. … You want to make sure that [the community] remains at the core of your creation.”
Bob Rossin'
Hosting a Painting Night for Ezra Stiles Arts Week
It is a special type of joy to experience a community of people coming together for yellow berets, mustaches, and "happy little accidents." I loved bringing the Ezra Stiles community together under the whimsical, bubbly wisdom of Bob Ross. Hosting this Painting Night allowed me to truly form a bond with the students around me: no matter our different backgrounds, we can all unite through Bob Rossin'.Â
"Look at what we have. Beauty is everywhere, you only have to look to see it."
- Bob Ross
Echoes: Yale Visual Arts ExhibitionÂ
As a leader of the Yale Visual Arts Collective, I felt so much joy seeing my community of artists showcase their works at the "Echoes" exhibition. This entire year, we worked toward curating pieces from Yale artists and creating an impactful, collective space. There is so much talent around me, and I feel beyond lucky to work alongside these creative thinkers and makers. "Echoes" was my first opportunity to share my Dixwell Community Project featuring the Freddie Fixer Parade. Telling the story behind my collage and sharing art with friends has been a highlight of this year!
The Great Fall:Â New Haven Chalk Art Festival
New Year, New Medium. Chalk is definitely harder than it looks! I loved being a part of the 6th Annual New Haven Chalk Art Festival. It felt special being a part of an event that brought all sorts of local artists to convene in Downtown. It was an afternoon of live music, family entertainment, and, of course, impressive art.Â
The theme for this year's chalk festival was "fall." My friend and I decided to put a spin on the word "fall" while twisting in an optical illusion. Our piece, "The Great Fall," cracked open a sidewalk space so that you can step right into the new season.
1968 & 2024: Campus Protest SeriesÂ
The heat of the Middle East conflict flamed clashes on college campuses. Undoubtedly, my first year of college became defined by an ongoing war and student advocacy. But was this unprecedented? Certainly not. For decades, college campuses epitomized the tension between longstanding institutions and contemporary visionaries—between tradition and change, order and resistance, unity and individualism.Â
Protest Then and Now, Colorized
In 1968, when students occupied Columbia University's Hamilton Hall for over a week, they renamed it the "Malcolm X Liberation College." In 2024, students occupied the very same Hamilton Hall, this time dubbed "Hind's Hall." Throughout, I felt a reawakening of1968, where students ardently protested the Vietnam War on college campuses. Now, in 2024, students from a range of perspectives find themselves amidst the Israel-Hamas War. One thing binds these crescendos together: a tradition of student passion. The black and white images of students protesting the Vietnam War have come alive in dashes of white, green, black, blue and red.
The black and white pen work in the background of this piece represents an earlier occupation of Columbia’s Hamilton Hall. In 1968, students protested the gentrification of Harlem: there was a fiery demand to halt the university's plans to build a gym in Morningside Park, dubbed the "Gym Crow." Concurrently, young protestors focused their energy on Columbia's affiliation with companies such as the Institute for Defense Analyses, a company conducting weapons research, and Dow Chemical, which had been manufacturing napalm, both for usage in the Vietnam War. In 2024, protestors occupied the building once again—now in response to the Israel-Hamas War. The upfront composition of my piece and usage of colors shows how the tradition of protest has reawakened, now in light of new colors and conflict. The flags, people, investments, divestments, and global nuances that students stand for are different. But the spirit transcends any timeline.
Reactions to campus protests have always been uneasy. People contested that the traditional rules of society were unraveling. Many criticized student activity as noisy children rioting. Prominent institutions and figures have attempted to reverse the pattern, but no one seems to have done so. Perhaps, there is nothing to reverse. This is the pattern. These are the rules. For a generation that grew up learning about the Civil Rights Movement, through Occupy Wall Street, and in the midst of Me Too and Black Lives Matter, college students are, rightly, a vocal generation.
We cannot silence one another. No matter the "side," the underlying drive to stand up for individual beliefs colors this generation. That's why it is so important to continue allowing all students to share their stories. This is a generation of noise. Different noises. When students silence one another, we allow the cold attempts to hush campus voices to extinguish our spirit. Our rules are not to assimilate into a singular, monotone mold, but continue a diverse mixture of thinking. We must keep ourselves open. Keep bearing compassionate hearts. Keep learning. Keep reading. Keep listening. Keep reaching to different sides. Keep embracing all the different colors. Keep being us.​​​​​​​
Showcases
In a year of re-navigation in college, I found myself filling up new spaces. I explored various themes by delving into diverse pools of advocacy. My art became a medium of connection for me to engage with a range of visionaries: from those in New York City who advocate Climate Change awareness to leaders at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference. My paintings allowed me to reach into these spheres and spark discussions on human development.
COP28 Exhibition: Mother Nature’s RunawayÂ
Amid the ongoing 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai from November 30 to December 12, “Mother Nature’s Runaway” is exhibiting at Yale School of the Environment’s Kroon Hall. The Yale Environmental Delegation exhibition showcases climate-related narratives, and I’m reflecting on the intensification of wildfires surrounding my community, a stark consequence of climate change.
As over 70,000 participants, including world leaders, private sector representatives, NGOs, Indigenous Peoples and young people, collaborate at COP28, it’s important to remember that every single one of us shares a profound relationship with our planet Earth.
The Youth Voices COP28 Exhibition is driven by the theme of “Fears, Hopes, and Dreams.” As the voice of international youth delegates takes a prominence at this year’s talks, I urge you to spend some time thinking about the exhibition prompt….
“What does climate change mean to you, and how can your perspective inspire others to take action and ensure a sustainable future?”
Amid the ongoing 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai from November 30 to December 12, “Mother Nature’s Runaway” is exhibiting at Yale School of the Environment’s Kroon Hall. The Yale Environmental Delegation exhibition showcases climate-related narratives, and I’m reflecting on the intensification of wildfires surrounding my community, a stark consequence of climate change.
As over 70,000 participants, including world leaders, private sector representatives, NGOs, Indigenous Peoples and young people, collaborate at COP28, it’s important to remember that every single one of us shares a profound relationship with our planet Earth.
The Youth Voices COP28 Exhibition is driven by the theme of “Fears, Hopes, and Dreams.” As the voice of international youth delegates takes a prominence at this year’s talks, I urge you to spend some time thinking about the exhibition prompt….
“What does climate change mean to you, and how can your perspective inspire others to take action and ensure a sustainable future?”
Asian American Cultural Center Art Exhibition
"American Soil, Chinese Heritage" showcased at Yale's Asian American Cultural Center. It exhibited as part of a visual arts effort to highlight the talents of our Asian American community on campus.
295Â Magazine Publication
"Chinese Dinner" was published through Issue VII of 295 Magazine, Yale and the AACC’s only Asian multimedia publication. I enjoyed celebrating the artistic talents of our Asian community at Yale through the magazine’s stories, poems, paintings, and more.Â
Art Exhibition in the Yale NYC Club Library: Palette to Purpose
"Mother Nature's Runaway" showcased for one historic night in The Yale Club's Library in New York City. This exhibition featured curated Yale artwork, all with a focus on climate promise and innovation.Â
