Jessica Ann Peavy Gallery Presents: Guy Stanley Philoche at Martha’s Vineyard

Jessica Ann Peavy Gallery, the Harlem-based gallery founded by artist turned gallerist Jessica Ann Peavy, announces a major institutional partnership with the Mariposa Museum to present Give Us Our Flowers, a series by painter Guy Stanley Philoche, on Martha's Vineyard, August 7–21, 2026. The presentation includes an artist talk on Tuesday, August 11.

Give Us Our Flowers brings together 8 new works created by Philoche for this presentation, an entirely new body of painting making its debut on the island.

The collaboration brings a Black-owned gallery into partnership with an island institution, extending Philoche's exploration of Black presence, memory, and belonging into one of the nation's most storied landscapes of Black American life. For generations, Martha's Vineyard — and Oak Bluffs in particular — has served as a cherished refuge where Black Americans have gathered to build community, celebrate achievement, and experience rest and self-determination. Presenting Philoche's work within this historic context creates a meaningful dialogue between his portrayals of Black life and a place that has long embodied the possibility of joy, safety, and belonging across generations.  Above, left:  Just Be You, 30 x 40 inches, Mixed media on canvas (2026) by Guy Stanley Philoche

Known widely as "The People's Artist," Philoche builds dense, tactile paintings that layer nostalgia, the energy of the city, and his Haitian heritage into canvases that read as both tribute and testimony; a living archive of Black American life, memory, and resilience.

"Martha's Vineyard has always represented something larger than a destination," says Philoche. "It's a place where Black families have gathered for generations to rest, celebrate one another, and simply exist without explanation. To bring my work into that history is deeply meaningful, because my paintings are about creating space for people to be fully seen. This exhibition is another way of giving our community its flowers; honoring the joy, resilience, and everyday beauty that deserves to be remembered while we're here."

About Guy Stanley Philoche

Guy Stanley Philoche is a Haitian-born, New York–based painter of international acclaim. Migrating from Haiti to Connecticut at the age of five and finding his canvas in New York, Philoche has built a fifteen-year career marked by solo exhibitions at prominent New York galleries and a devoted following among collectors and institutions. His robust, layered paintings draw on Haitian heritage and the restless energy of the city, and his work has been featured by Architectural Digest, Forbes, GQ, and ABC7 Eyewitness News.

About Jessica Ann Peavy Gallery

Jessica Ann Peavy Gallery is a Harlem-based contemporary art gallery founded by artist turned gallerist and curator, Jessica Ann Peavy. Guided by Peavy's rigorous curatorial eye and commitment to building an enduring platform for artists, the gallery presents work that is formally compelling, conceptually engaging, and resonant. Its program champions artists whose practices resist simplification, creating space for work that is visually immediate yet rewards sustained observation, balancing intimacy, experimentation, and lasting significance. Rooted in Harlem's intellectual and creative legacy while engaged with a broader contemporary art discourse, Jessica Ann Peavy Gallery cultivates meaningful connections between artists, collectors, institutions, and the public, advancing a model of gallery practice grounded in both critical inquiry and long-term stewardship.

About the Mariposa Museum

The Mariposa Museum fosters peace and understanding across borders and lines of perceived difference. Through arts & multimedia exhibits, school & library programs, and public presentations by artists, performers, activists, and thought leaders, the Museum offers people of all ages opportunities to explore, connect, and engage with the richness — and the challenges — of a diverse world. Founded in 2002 in Peterborough, New Hampshire, the Mariposa Museum opened a second location in Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard in 2019. Through these two linked spaces, it works locally, regionally, and nationally to create more informed, compassionate, and equitable communities. Imaginative environments, compelling storytelling, sound scholarship, and a platform for people of diverse origins to share their art, research, and expertise are the hallmarks of Mariposa's exhibits and programs.

Media Contact: Nia Rice · Serene Agency · nia@serene.biz · 240-638-6191

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Exhibition & Events

Give Us Our Flowers — Guy Stanley PhilocheIn  collaboration with the Mariposa Museum On View: August 7–21, 2026
Artist Talk: Tuesday, August 11, 2026 · 5–7 PM Mariposa Museum, 57 Circuit Ave, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557