BROWARD COUNTY, FL - Broward County's African American Research Library and Cultural Center (AARLCC), 2650 Sistrunk Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311, presents Reveal the Beauty: The Literature and Art of the Harlem Renaissance.  This new exhibit of rare books and art of the Harlem Renaissance from AARLCC's Dorothy Porter Wesley Collection will be on display from February 3 through June 28 during library hours, and is free and open to the public. The exhibit's opening reception will be held at AARLCC on Saturday, February 1 from 6-8:30PM. The reception is also free and open to the public, but registration is requested. 

Reveal the Beauty: The Literature and Art of the Harlem Renaissance celebrates the centennial of the Harlem Renaissance and its role in shaping African American artistic expression from the 1920s to the 1940s. These dynamic years redefined Black identity and challenged stereotypes through a probing array of literature and visual arts. While closely associated with Harlem, its influence reached Black communities across the U.S., South Florida, and worldwide.  

Reveal the Beauty emphasizes not only renowned artists and writers like Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston and James Weldon Johnson, whose works captured themes of resilience and cultural pride, but also the lesser-known artists and activists who collectively shaped this vibrant cultural landscape.

Dorothy Porter Wesley was an influential librarian and scholar, and her collection of manuscripts and rare books is a vital repository of 19th- and 20th-century Black authors that enriches our understanding of the Harlem Renaissance.

Reveal the Beauty: The Literature and Art of the Harlem Renaissance is organized by the African American Research Library and Research Center and is curated by Christopher Norwood, founder of Hampton Art Lovers, in consultation with Shawn Christian, professor of English at Florida International University and AARLCC staff.

The African American Research Library and Cultural Center is open Monday and Thursday from 10AM to 8PM and Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10AM to 6PM.  

For more information, please contact the African American Research Library and Cultural Center at 954-357-6282.