Daniel J. Watts: A Nation’s Jubilee — Exhibition Opening with Live Painting

Join us for an afternoon of live painting with artist Daniel J. Watts featuring his signature freestyle dance painting technique.
About this Event

“This Fourth of July is yours, not mine, You may rejoice, I must mourn.”
— Frederick Douglass, July 5, 1852., What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?

On July 4, artist Daniel J. Watts will present a live canvas painting at Long Gallery Harlem, featuring his signature freestyle dance painting technique. The event is the Gallery’s second installment of events that consider America 250 through a Black lens, following our Ode to Jazz on June 19 — this time through dance. The opening event is part of the exhibition, A Nation's Jubilee.

1:00 PM: Doors Open 1:30 PM: Screening of America’s Hymn 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Performance

Daniel J. Watts: A Nation’s Jubilee returns multidisciplinary artist and Tony nominee Daniel J. Watts to Long Gallery Harlem for a one-of-a-kind performance experience taking place on July 4th. Featuring soundscapes by DJ DUGGZ and a collaboration with Poet Laureate of Long Gallery Harlem, John Lee Gaston White, this exhibition serves as a culmination and physical extension of Watts’s recent residency, Process of Saying Yes. This collection showcases a wide range of his work through a selection curated by Christian Bryant and Daniel J. Watts, which adds depth to the performance and creates a complete visual and auditory experience.

The title of this exhibition is drawn from Frederick Douglass’s 1852 address, What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?. This exhibition interrogates the Black experience in America, exploring the constant tension between resilience and triumph, mourning and rejoicing. It challenges us to reflect on the American landscape through the perspective of one of its native sons, inviting us to consider what American life truly means for Black people.

This exhibition follows Watts’s recent residency, Process of Saying Yes, an intensive creative exploration surrounding the 79th Annual Tony Awards. During this residency, Watts opened the doors to his painting practice, exploring the power of radical presence through freestyle dance, live looping, and storytelling. As Watts notes, "My hope is that operating in a space of abundant ‘yes’ will help me become more definitive with my ‘no’."

Long Gallery Harlem is honored to host this return to our space. As gallery director and founder, Lewis Long reflects: "A decade ago, Daniel performed a version of his show ‘The Jam’ here in conjunction with visual artist Dareece Walker. We have had the privilege to witness his artistic growth over the last 10 years, and we’re thrilled to have him return to Long Gallery Harlem with his own visual work."