Art exhibit at Empire State Plaza honors Black History Month

The New York State Office of General Services is using art to honor Black History Month this year.

Acting Commissioner Jeanette Moy tells NewsChannel 13 the artwork on display right now in the Empire State Plaza includes a collection of art from the Harlem community that New York state has been working to restore.

"This collection has been with us since the 1970s. H. Carl McCall when he was senator helped to pull together these great pieces of art from the local Harlem community," said Moy. "So usually if you ever see these pieces on display, you’ll see great things from the Harlem

Renaissance period, pieces that are from the 20s through the 70s. These were some of our abstract art pieces and we’re excited to share them with the public today."

The exhibit also includes a collection of essays and drawings from school kids from all across New York state.

Commissioner Moy say they had over 2,700 pieces come in from grades K-12. They were sent in initially for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but the state kept them up to be part of the Black History Month observance.