The 345 Art Gallery in Chicago’s East Garfield Park hosted "Vinyl Queens! Black Women in the DJ Scene," a photography exhibition by Yolanda Chioma Richards of Imagery By Chioma LLC. The exhibit features visual storytelling portraits that document the artistry and cultural impact of Black women DJs, coinciding with Women’s History Month. The event included a 30-minute panel discussion and live performances, highlighting the intersection of music culture and professional photography.
This exhibition matters because it centers the lived experiences of Black women in a male-dominated industry while supporting the local creative ecosystem of Chicago’s West Side. By hosting the event at 345 Art Gallery—a community-focused space founded by Corry Williams—the project reinforces the role of neighborhood galleries in providing platforms for specialized photojournalism and identity-based narratives that are often overlooked by major institutions.