Premium Barber Shop in NYC Hosts an Art Talk With Mark West

Orchard & Ludlow is a barber shop and women’s hair salon in New York City, specifically the Lower East Side that also doubles as an art gallery. When clients enter the salon, they will find some of the best hairstylists in NYC as well as paintings by the talented Mark West.

The beautiful artwork that can be found in the luxury salon is for sale and features blackface art that West tells a story with. Most recently, on September 17, Orchard & Ludlow hosted an art talk in which West shared his journey to becoming an artist, how he uplifts his community and the meaning behind his blackface art.

When West started embracing his creativity, he found that as a black artist it was difficult to break into a field that was primarily dominated by white people. He would go door-to-door for mentorship opportunities and either be denied, or have to pay an incredibly large sum. West, shared this tale to the audience who attended the talk, and all donned face masks respecting Covid-19 restrictions.

West’s past is what inspired him to open his gallery, the Mark West Center for the Arts, in Manhattan. The gallery serves as a space for aspiring artists, especially minority ones, to have their artwork showcased in an area with frequent visitors and other well-known galleries.

While surrounded by the best barbers in NYC, West went into depth on his blackface art and even answered questions on what he believes his ancestors would think of his artwork.

For West, his blackface art is about taking back the power that is his. He was honest in saying that he believes his ancestors would think he has a lot of audacity for painting these but, he also thinks they would have a laugh at his boldness.

The art talk was held with available wine for guests, guests that did not surpass the acceptable capacity at Orchard & Ludlow, and was moderated by Jianela Rincon.

Media Contact
Company Name: Orchard & Ludlow | Salon & Barber | Art Galley
Contact Person: Media Relations
Email: Send Email
Phone: +1-917-639-3646
Address:254 Broome St
City: New York
State: New York 10002
Country: United States
Website: http://www.orchardandludlow.com/