The Mayor's Office Gallery

WE ARE HERE TO THRIVE!

By Johnetta Tinker 

We Are Here To Thrive! begins with a profound acknowledgment of our shared origins. In Earth Guardian and Land Guardian, Tinker presents ancestral figures—both male and female—who nurtured and sustained the natural environment, ensuring our survival through their care and wisdom. These works remind us that the stewardship of our planet has always been a collective responsibility. From this foundation, the exhibition expands to explore the sacred role women have played throughout history in maintaining balance and protecting what heals the soul of our earth. In Case The Secret Listens reveals the often-invisible labor of women whose work sustains communities and preserves vital knowledge across generations.

Tinker doesn't shy away from the complexities of gender dynamics and the struggles many face in overcoming adversity. Caught Up In No Man's Land chronicles these tensions with unflinching honesty, while the She, Her, Hers Shadow Into the Bright series confronts the painful realities of being shunned, humiliated, or vilified; experiences that create silent embarrassment and push women into the shadows.

Yet this exhibition is ultimately about emergence and resilience. Women have made tremendous strides in stepping out of the shadows and into brighter light, claiming space and visibility. Tinker's work reminds us that regardless of gender, we are interconnected, our spirits and wellbeing bound together. We cannot exist, let alone thrive, without one another. This exhibition calls us to recognize our shared humanity and our collective responsibility to nurture both each other and the world we inhabit.

Johnetta Tinker, a resident of Dorchester, graduated from Texas Southern University with a Bachelor of Art Education degree and Boston University with a Master of Fine Arts degree in Art Education. Tinker's work has been shown in numerous art exhibits and traveling art exhibitions throughout the United States and abroad. Recent exhibitions include but are not limited to Rebirth Art Gallery (Durban, South Africa), University Museum at Texas Southern University (Houston, TX), and solo exhibitions at John Moakley Courthouse Gallery, Northeastern University and the Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists in Boston, MA.

Tinker is one of many local contemporary artists that were mentored by Allan Rohan Crite. This exhibition concurs with a community-driven retrospective of his work at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum titled Allan Rohan Crite: Urban Glory organized by Diana Greenwald. We encourage you to visit these exhibitions under a lens of mentorship and legacy.

This exhibition is organized by Galleries and Exhibitions Manager, Mariana Rey in dialogue with the artist. To learn more about the artist or inquire about a work please email mariana.rodriguezrey@boston.gov.