August 17, 2026

SPACES Presents A Black Prayer, a new immersive installation by Artist-in-Residence Yelaine Rodriguez exploring black memory, resistance, and the Underground Railroad

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 17, 2026
Pita Brooks, Executive Director
216.621.2314 ext. 202
pita@spacescle.org

WHAT: SPACES Presents A Black Prayer, a new immersive installation by Artist-in-Residence Yelaine Rodriguez exploring black memory, resistance, and the Underground Railroad

WHERE: SPACES 2900 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44113

WHEN: Member and Patron Preview, Thursday, September 10, 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Public opening reception: Friday, September 11, 2026, 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Exhibition on view at SPACES: September 10 - October 17, 2026

(Cleveland, OH) — August 17, 2026 — SPACES is pleased to present A Black Prayer, a new immersive installation by Artist-in-Residence Yelaine Rodriguez on view September 11 - October 17, 2026 at SPACES Gallery, 2900 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland. A Member and Patron Preview will be held Thursday, September 10, 5:30–7:30 PM, followed by a public opening reception Friday, September 11, 6:00–9:00 PM.

Grounded in preserving and caring for histories of Black people, SPACES Artist-in-Residence Yelaine Rodriguez premieres A Black Prayer, a new exhibition that recontextualizes a pre-existing work alongside new work made specifically during her residency in Cleveland. Yelaine Rodriguez (b. 1990) is an Afro-DominicanYork interdisciplinary artist and scholar focused on sculpture, photography, film, and performance. Her work explores Afro-syncretism, architectural and ancestral memory, connecting the Caribbean and the U.S.

For her exhibition at SPACES, Rodriguez presents a re-imagining of her pre-existing work, Miss Doc, a video performance art piece that delves into migration patterns, race relations, and women's rights during the Reconstruction Era. It tells the story of Dr. Sarah Loguen Fraser, born in 1850, who was the fourth Black woman to become a licensed physician in the United States and the first woman doctor and pediatric specialist in the Dominican Republic. Exhibited in The Oracle Gallery, this iteration of Miss Doc features a multi-channel video, photographic works, and a sculptural installation incorporating archival materials. The presentation of Miss Doc at SPACES serves as an homage to Sarah’s grandmother, Cherry, who was born free in Ohio before being kidnapped into slavery at the age of seven. Subsequently, Cherry played a pivotal role in assisting her son (Sarah’s father), the noted abolitionist and bishop Jermain Wesley Loguen, to escape slavery by crossing the Ohio River.

In The George Gund Gallery, Rodriguez premieres a short film exploring Northeast Ohio’s role in the Underground Railroad, with a particular focus on Harriet Tubman’s various journeys north, portrayed by Cleveland dancer Eboni Darkenwald. Throughout the gallery, Rodriguez arranges ceramic-made lanterns alongside bricks and found objects in this site-responsive exhibition that extends Rodriguez’s dynamic, research-based practice through new making techniques and regional collaborations. The ceramic lanterns serve as signifiers of the Underground Railroad, recalling their historical deployment as covert signals for freedom seekers. By foregrounding these connections, the installation is situated within an expanded discourse on resistance, coded communication, interracial allyship, and collective liberation.

Community partners for A Black Prayer include Valerie Grossman from BRICK Ceramics + Design Studio, Orlando Caraballo from Cleveland Print Room, Jon Skrtic from Cleveland Public Library, Jessica Davis from Rebuilder’s Exchange, Sonia Bingham from Native Roots, Inc., Ann Sindelar from Western Reserve Historical Society, and Kent State University Library - Special Collections. Additional support comes from Danté Rodriguez, and Eboni Darkenwald.

About SPACES

SPACES is a nonprofit alternative art organization in Cleveland, OH, dedicated to supporting artists who explore and experiment. Since 1978, SPACES has provided international, national, and local artists the freedom to create ambitious, artist-driven work that helps audiences see the world in unexpected ways. Through residencies, exhibitions, and public programs, SPACES encourages artists and audiences to use art as a tool for exploring timely social, cultural, and civic concerns.

Major support

Major support for SPACES comes from Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Joseph and Florence Mandel Family Foundation - Beyer Family Fund, Fred and Laura Ruth Bidwell, The Cleveland Foundation, The Cyrus Eaton Foundation, Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities, The Flagstar Foundation, George and Becky Dunn Charitable Fund, The George Gund Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, The Nord Family Foundation, Patricia and Charles Mintz Philanthropic Fund, Richard and Alita Rogers Family Foundation, The Teiger Foundation, United States Artists, and WOOD-LEE International Art Handler.

Programming is made possible in part by an investment of public funds from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) and Cuyahoga Arts and Culture. The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically.

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