The earliest known Black Madonna dates back possibly to the 9^th Century.  She is an important symbol in the present-day, redefining darkness as a positive image in contemporary culture.  This darkness includes pride in one's history and culture, as well as struggle, survival and achievements.  Not coincidentally, Black Madonnas are believed to be powerful healers and miracle workers.  
 
The Black Madonna is a representation of the Earth Goddess, the Divine Feminine and the Mother of all humanity. Hundreds of known Black Madonnas exist all over the world today. Her image has multiple meanings and is said to be linked to several images in various cultures, including the Green Tara in Tibetan Buddhism, Kuan Yin in Chinese and Japanese Buddhist traditions, Demeter in Greek Mythology and the Hindu Warrior Goddess Durga.
 
Drawing inspiration from these historical icons, this exhibition brings together the work of contemporary artists, some established and some emerging, who have contributed their own personal connections to this icon through their creations.  The powerful images of The Black Madonna will be juxtaposed to the traditional, tender and helpless depiction of the Virgin Mary so commonly found in Western culture.
 
Curator Jennifer Zazo is a native of New York and is of Italian decent. She attended the Mary Louis Academy in Jamaica Estates. Zazo received her BFA in Fine Arts and Illustration from the School of Visual Arts. She graduated with a MS in Communication Studies from the College of New Rochelle where she currently works as the Director of Castle Gallery.
 
Zazo began her curatorial work on The Black Madonna in December 2004. She recently reorganized it as a traveling exhibit. The National Museum of Catholic Art and History was the first stop on the tour. The tour will also visit The Rosa Parks Museum at Troy University in Montgomery. Zazo's other curatorial projects include Byron Goto: A Retrospective, From Venice to Vegas: Circus Memorabilia from the Collection of Earl Chaney, and an augmented version of Fifty Years of Powwow.

A "Third Thursday" program at the Institute, scheduled for December 20, will feature a discussion around the exhibition.  The 6:00 p.m. program is free and open to the public.