The Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership is celebrating Black History Month with Black Excellence Now: The Art of Storytelling, a storefront portrait exhibition on view through Mar. 8.
The installation turns the windows of six Black-owned businesses along Myrtle Avenue into an open-air public gallery. Illustrated portraits of influential Black authors are displayed across the corridor, honoring writers whose work reshaped literature and expanded cultural consciousness.
Featured authors include Richard Wright, known for his unflinching depictions of race and social injustice; Octavia Butler, a pioneering voice in speculative fiction; Walter Dean Myers, whose books centered the experiences of young people of color; Isabel Wilkerson, acclaimed for her work chronicling the Great Migration and systemic inequality; Amiri Baraka, a leading figure in the Black Arts Movement; and Queen Afua, a wellness advocate and author focused on holistic healing.
Artist Ashley Crawford curates the exhibition and features original illustrated portraits by Crawford, Jodi Dareal and Marissa Molina. Each portrait is installed in the storefront window of a participating business, creating a walking art experience along Myrtle Avenue in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill.
Participating businesses include Just Because Hair Therapy Salon, 141 Carlton Ave. (Richard Wright, illustrated by Jodi Dareal); Rhed Salon & Spa, 362 Myrtle Ave. (Walter Dean Myers, illustrated by Marissa Molina); The Brooklyn Sweet Spot, 366 Myrtle Ave. (Isabel Wilkerson, illustrated by Marissa Molina); Miracles Barbershop, 470 Myrtle Ave. (Amiri Baraka, illustrated by Ashley Crawford); Mr. Lee’s Bar, 471 Myrtle Ave. (Octavia Butler, illustrated by Jodi Dareal); and The Peach Wall, 563 Myrtle Ave. (Queen Afua, illustrated by Ashley Crawford).
Together, the storefront murals recognize Black authors who turned storytelling into a tool for power and visibility while simultaneously uplifting the Black-owned businesses that anchor the avenue.
By situating the artwork in everyday commercial spaces, the exhibition invites residents and visitors alike to engage with literary history in an accessible, neighborhood setting.
