ALICE MIZRACHI

My name is Alice Mizrachi and I am an interdisciplinary artist based in New York and Miami. My activist ideology is weaved into my studio, public art, curatorial, and education practices. My intentions include the empowerment of self and others through artistic expression and advocacy for women, youth, and the environment.

My 24 years of experience as an arts educator in Harlem and the Bronx led me to my mentor, Mr. Goings who taught me the history of The Harlem Renaissance.  As I grew to understand the art and culture of that era, I shared my knowledge with students who were exposed to Mr. Goings' vast collection of Renaissance works that hung in their schools. As the curator and educator for these artworks, I became inspired by the art that emerged from this culturally significant period in New York. 

My sculpture "Renaissance Women" will honor the women of the Harlem Renaissance and will take on a decidedly feminine form representing vocalists like Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Lena Horne, visual artists, Elizabeth Catlett, and Augusta Savage, and writers Dorothy West and Zora Neale Hurston. It will be the viewer’s choice as to which women they see reflected in the sculpture. Renaissance Women is a public sculpture that has lived in my creative mind for nearly 20 years. 

The public art Initiative committee of the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance visited my studio in 2019 and decided to collaborate with me to bring this sculpture to life and the community. The sculpture will be produced in the line drawing style of Romare Bearden’s contour line work. Bearden’s influence is evident in my drawings, assemblages, and small sculptural works.