The Islip Arts Council (IAC) will present a month-long celebration of bravery, artistry, music, poetry, and literature in honor of Black History Month this February. Running from Feb. 11 through March 11, IAC will present a black-box theater project titled, “Immersion – Flight,” which can be seen soaring on the heights of creativity at the gallery, located in the South Shore Mall, at 1701 Sunrise Highway in Bay Shore.

This immersive experience, centered on Black History Month 2023, will tell the true-life tale of the history of flight, and the courage of the Tuskegee Airmen (TAI) via evocative imagery, video clips, and voice narration, throughout the multimedia exhibit. The audience will get to experience visceral clips from interviews with some of the Tuskegee Airmen, as well as witness participation by various other Black leaders throughout the decades, to arrive at where we are today and paving the path forward at this pivotal juncture in time.

In addition, there is an exhibit at IAC’s Gallery where Black artists were invited to submit their artwork, titled “Black Creativity: Selected Works by Black Artists.” It is presented with support from ITB, NAACP, and Black Long Island. Submissions were due by Feb. 8. All forms of media were eligible, including paintings, sculpture, photographs, and mixed media.

This month will also feature musical concerts at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum. IAC will present “Culture Sounds: African American Music in Song” for Black History Month, encompassed in its Winter Concert Series. The West Islip Symphony Orchestra, on Feb. 12 at 1 p.m., will begin their presentation of a month-long celebration of the achievements of Black composers and writers throughout the ages. “Culture Sounds” will include several members and friends of the orchestra in performances that span diverse genres such as classical, ragtime, pop, and doo-wop.

“We have for Black History Month a tremendous amount of great stuff,” said executive director of IAC Lynda Moran. She noted that events such as these benefit tremendously from their new location at the mall. “When we have an opening that is event driven, we have a lot of walk-ins at the mall. We have a gift shop with artisan-made jewelry, pottery, upcycled clothing, and all artwork is always for sale. We are the only bookshop in the mall,” she added.

Another upcoming event is “Portrait of People,” a unique portrayal of the African American experience in poetry and song. This concert will be held on Feb. 19 at 2 p.m., at the picturesque Bayard Cutting Arboretum. The audience will enjoy hearing soprano Daryl Jordan, accompanied by talented pianist Daniel Ragone, who will bestow a tribute of the “Portrait of People” that is not to be missed.

At a time when moribund malls are striving to carve out a new identity in the digital age, the South Shore Mall, in extending an invitation to IAC for the use of a rent-free space—which would have otherwise likely remained unoccupied—was an innovative, win-win solution, which can serve as an example of ways in which malls can reinvent themselves, while also serving the community in a culturally enriching capacity.

“It’s absolutely, positively the best. It’s totally changed all our perspectives on life in a mall. We were invited to the mall so we would attract people to come to the mall and shop, and that’s what happened,” Moran explained.

Next, look forward to IAC celebrating Women’s History Month all throughout March. There will be an open call for artists featured in the inclusive exhibition titled “She/Her/They.”

To inquire about submitting artwork or to find out more about upcoming events visit IslipArts.org.