Rooted and Resilient: Art, Community, and a Juneteenth Celebration at Fort Ben

Eleven artists. One resilient vision. An open invitation to create.

There's a plant called the thistle that blooms under extraordinary conditions. It grows where it isn't expected to. It thrives in environments that weren't designed for it. And yet … it flowers.

That's the spirit behind THSSL: A Juneteenth Jubilee Art Exhibition of Creative Resiliency, and it's the lens through which Arts for Lawrence artist-in-residence Andre Parnell sees the Black artists who create and exhibit here in Indiana.

Artist Andre Parnell will lead an exhibition and self-portrait experience during THSSL, an art exhibition during Juneteenth celebrations at Arts for Lawrence.

"They're making an impact in an environment that wasn't really set up for us," says Parnell, who also is a community activist, mentor, muralist, youth arts educator, and designer. "I compare them to the thistle in their resiliency."

The Event

On Saturday, June 13, from 4–8 p.m., Arts for Lawrence invites the community inside the campus at 8920 Otis Ave. to experience THSSL — an intimate art exhibition featuring eleven artists whose work reflects the depth, beauty, and endurance of the Black creative tradition.

The exhibition runs alongside the Juneteenth Jubilee Celebration at the Fort Ben Cultural Campus, offering a quieter counterpoint to the outdoor festivities. Think of it as a place to step out of the heat, slow down, and spend real time with exceptional art.

In addition to Parnell, featured artists include Rhonda Greene, Gary Gee, Ess McKee, Johnson Simon, Amber Jointer, Senequa Curbelo, Onye Obama-Ndika, Sharon Bonner, Cierra Johnson, and LaNiah Reed.

THSSL is co-presented by Arts for Lawrence, Artists At Work, and Lawrence Speaks.

Come In. Create Something.

This isn't just a viewing experience — it's an invitation to participate.

Parnell will be upstairs in the studio throughout the event, leading an ongoing community self-portrait class as a part of his Lawrence Speaks project, a larger community portrait developed during his time with the Artists At Work program. No art experience required.

The idea is simple: you show up, and he helps you figure out who you are on paper.

"I often do these exercises without mirrors," he says. "I ask questions that get to the I am of a person — to help them visualize who they are."

Sometimes that looks like a face. Sometimes it's a gradient of color. Sometimes it's something abstract that just says, this is me — and that, Parnell says, is completely valid.

Arts for Lawrence volunteers will circulate during the outdoor celebration, inviting people to come upstairs and take part. Groups will rotate through the studio in sessions throughout the afternoon and evening. It's free, it's open, and it might surprise you.

More Than an Exhibition

For Parnell, this event is about connection — between artists, between communities, and between the arts ecosystem in Lawrence and the wider public who may not yet know it exists.

His hope is that someone who walks through the door on June 13 sees a path,  not just into the gallery, but into the creative life of this community. "I enjoy connecting the greater art community to the ecosystem of Lawrence," he says. "The art space here."

Join Us

THSSL: A Juneteenth Jubilee Art Exhibition of Creative Resiliency

Date: Saturday, June 13 | 4–8 p.m.

Location: Fort Ben Cultural Campus | 8920 Otis Ave. | Lawrence, Indiana

Co-presented by Arts for Lawrence, Artists At Work, and Lawrence Speaks