This collection of commentaries and conversations reflects on the entanglement of the artist as curator, particularly in relation to the archival exhibition Saturday Mornings and Faces We Remember. Building upon conversations started during the exhibition, Coleman invites more voices to expand on collective memory and artistic authority over narrative building. These curatorial additions aim to further explore the narrative around the exhibition and provide insights into how to expand it.

The archival exhibition is a heartfelt homage to Hollywood Studio of Dance, an institution in North Minneapolis since 1991. Founded by Mrs. Diane Elliott Robinson, it stands not only as a notable dance studio but also as a testament to a Black woman holding space for over 32 years, countering prevailing narratives about North Minneapolis’s Black community. In a rapidly changing time, this gallery space serves as a starting point for a community conversation around collective archiving. For those who recognize the purple awning on Broadway and Penn as a visual landmark, elevating what this studio was and is amplifies the legacy of spaces like it for newcomers into North Minneapolis.

At the intersections of nostalgia and memory, Saturday Mornings and The Faces We Remember offers a snapshot of a decade (1991-2001) in the legacy of Hollywood Studio of Dance. This project is an ode to a Black girl who knew what it was to play, laugh, and dance, and to the Black woman who held the space—a prequel to a coming-of-age story. I’m working to make connections between the archive and larger Black community practices and shared experiences.