Running a New York City art gallery is all in a day’s work for three former members of Southern’s track and field team. By Christina Levere
T’S ONE THING TO HAVE AN IDEA. It’s another to implement it, especially when there are multiple people involved — three — and other responsibilities call — full-time jobs — and a physical space is needed — a bright, airy gallery would do nicely — and bills need to be paid — rent! — and there are only so many hours in the day — 24, to be exact. But when Melissa Sutherland, ’09; Jarryn Mercer, ’09; and Symone K. Wong, ’09, saw the need for a dedicated space for artists of color to express themselves, Wong says, “We made a decision and just went for it.” The women, who have been friends for 14 years, met on the track and field team at Southern and, as they put it, “immediately connected.” They were in different academic programs at the university: Sutherland majored in studio art, Wong studied communication, and Mercer pursued a liberal studies degree. But alongside running, they also shared a love for the arts. In 2015, after Sutherland and Wong headlined a twowoman show at VM Nation Studios, they began talking about having their own creative space, namely for black artists, to exhibit. 24 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
