The Exhibition
They left our faces out of the garden. We came back to plant our own.
Garden of the Nine Muses is a two-day solo exhibition by Brooklyn artist Afrocentric Keyy (Kiarra Elliott) — a reimagining of classical mythology through a diasporic lens. Each painting in the series resurrects one of the nine Greek Muses not as a distant ideal, but as a living, breathing Black woman. Rooted in memory, lineage, and divine femininity, the work asks a question mythology never did: What if she had always looked like us?
Painted in oil on reclaimed wood, each piece carries more than color. The wood grain beneath the surface — with its knots, its rings, its history of growth — mirrors the grain of human DNA. Every brushstroke is an act of ancestral memory.
"I paint on what has already lived. The wood remembers. The women I paint remember. And when you stand in front of them, you will too."
— Afrocentric Keyy, Artist Statement
This garden is ancestral. This archive is living. Nine figures. Nine archetypes. One reckoning with what we have always known — oil on reclaimed wood, spanning African, Caribbean, and Black American diasporic memory.
Friday, July 17, 2026 · 7 – 10:30 PM ET
Saturday, July 18, 2026 · 12 – 8 PM ET
Seven House Gallery
35 Meadow St, Brooklyn, NY
The Experience
You walk in. The wood breathes beneath the oil. Each face holds something the Greeks never told you — a secret, a lineage, a name that was always yours. You don't look at these paintings. You recognize them.
This exhibition was made for you —
For everyone who ever looked for their face in a myth and didn't find it.
For the daughters of the diaspora, and the sons who know their story too.
For collectors who want work that carries cultural weight, not just aesthetic appeal.
For anyone who believes Black art is not a genre — it's a canon.
For the curious, the reverent, the ones who feel things deeply in front of a painting.
For Brooklyn. For the culture. For the Muses.
Two Days. Two Distinct Experiences. Both worth showing up for.
Friday, July 17
The Muse Unveiling
7:00 PM – 10:30 PM ET
"Come ready to witness, connect, and celebrate."
Experience the official unveiling of The Garden of the 9 Muses during an immersive opening night centered around art, storytelling, music, and intentional connection. Guests will be among the first to step into the world of the muses and explore the layered symbolism, beauty, and lineage woven throughout the collection.
◆VIP exclusive preview 6 – 7 PM (limited tickets) for an intimate first look before general admission
◆General doors open at 7 PM
◆Full exhibition — all 9 Muses revealed
◆Live DJ + curated soundscape
◆Artist Talk at 8:30 - 9:00 PM - exploring inspiration, symbolism, and process behind the collection
◆Complimentary drink included + additional beverages available throughout the night
An evening designed to spark conversation, reflection, and connection while celebrating creativity, culture, and the power of storytelling through art.
Saturday, July 18
Muse Immersion
12:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET
"Move slower. Look deeper. Stay present."
Step into a more intimate side of The Garden of the 9 Muses during Saturday’s immersive experience. Designed for deeper reflection and intentional engagement, this day invites guests to move through the exhibition at a slower pace while exploring the layered symbolism, storytelling, and materiality behind the work.
◆Guided exhibition walkthrough
◆Deep exploration of symbolism & material
◆"Muse Within" interactive reflection
◆Open dialogue + intentional connection
◆Intimate, unhurried environment
◆3 – 5 PM: Muse Energy Painting Session (ticketed )
Guests will also have access to the evolving weekend installations and Saturday-exclusive creative activations “ Paint Your Muse” painting session
where guests create their own muse-inspired piece connected to lineage, memory, and personal storytelling. All materials included + artwork goes home with you. Limited spots available.
Ticketing
Choose Your
Entry into the Garden
Every ticket is an invitation to witness, to feel, and to remember. Choose the experience that calls to you.
FULL WEEKEND
· July 17 + July 18 ·
Weekend
Pass
______________________
Starting at $30
Full access — both Friday & Saturday
access to the evolving weekend installations
Fri: Live DJ + Artist Talk + welcome drink
Sat: Participate in the "Muse Within" interactive art installation + reflection
Access to Saturday’s “Paint Your Own Muse.”
FRIDAY ONLY
The Muse Unveiling Opening Night · July 17
Friday
Admission
_______________________
Starting at $15
Full Opening Night 7 – 10:30 PM
Live DJ + curated soundscape
Artist Talk at 8 - 8:30 PM
Complimentary welcome drink
**Additional drinks available for purchase throughout the night
SATURDAY ONLY
July 18 · Muse Immersion
Saturday
Admission
______________________
$10
Full Saturday 12 – 8 PM access
Guided art walkthrough sessions with the artist at 1 - 2 PM and 7 - 8 PM ET
Participate in the "Muse Within" reflection + ongoing interactive art installation
No early bird / general split — flat $10
SATURDAY - PAINT YOUR OWN MUSE ACTIVITY
July 18 · 3:00 – 5:00 PM
“Paint Your Own Muse” Art Activity
______________________
Starting at $20
Paint Your Muse is an intimate guided painting session held inside the exhibition itself — surrounded by Keyy's originals, with the same music, the same energy, the same air. Choose one of the nine Muses. Receive your outlined canvas, your personal palette, your brushes. And then — guided by the artist herself — make her yours.
Artist-guided painting experience
Create your own muse-inspired artwork
All materials included · take it home when you're done!
Saturday exhibition access included with this ticket
Limited spots
Saturday, July 18 · Add-On Experience
Paint Your Muse
A Guided Painting Ritual · Seven House Gallery
First drink complimentary · All skill levels welcome · Take your painting home · Limited seats
The Experience
You are not here to copy a painting. You are here to meet the Muse that already lives inside you — and bring her home.
Paint Your Muse is an intimate guided painting session held inside the exhibition itself — surrounded by Keyy's originals, with the same music, the same energy, the same air. Choose one of the nine Muses. Receive your outlined canvas, your personal palette, your brushes. And then — guided by the artist herself — make her yours.
"I won't tell you what colors to use. I'll teach you how to listen to the ones that feel true. Your Muse won't look like mine. That's the whole point."
Every choice you make — the palette you pull toward, the way you render her skin, the colors you give her eyes — is a reflection of you. Your finished piece is not a craft project. It is a dated original, created inside a real exhibition, guided by an internationally shown artist.
She doesn't leave the garden when the show closes. She goes home with you.
How it works
01
Arrive & Receive Your Welcome Drink
Your first drink is on us. Settle in. Let the energy of the room find you. Look around — you're surrounded by the originals. This is where you'll create.
Complimentary drink included · Additional available for purchase
02
Choose Your Muse
Nine outlined prints are laid before you — one for each Muse. You'll receive a description card that tells you who she is, what she governs, what she holds. Take your time. The right one will call to you.
Calliope · Clio · Erato · Euterpe · Melpomene · Polyhymnia · Terpsichore · Thalia · Urania
03
Receive Your Personal Palette & Brushes
Your supplies are yours for the session — a curated palette of paints and a set of brushes selected for the work ahead. No sharing. No rushing. Everything you need to channel what's already there.
04
Paint — Guided by the Artist
Afrocentric Keyy walks you through the session — how to read your instincts, how to build color, how to let your Muse emerge in your own hand. She teaches principles, not prescriptions. What you create will look like no one else's.
No prior experience needed · All skill levels welcome
05
Take Her Home
Your finished Muse is yours. She leaves the gallery with you — labeled, dated, and wrapped — a piece of this exhibition that continues to live in your space long after the garden closes.
What's Included
Welcome Drink
First drink complimentary. Additional available for purchase.Personal Paint Set
Your own palette and brushes for the session.Outlined Muse Canvas
Choose one of nine Muses to make your own.
Artist Guidance
Led by Afrocentric Keyy herself, inside the live exhibition.Muse Description Card
Her mythology, her domain, her story — yours to keep.Your Original — To Go
Dated, labeled, wrapped. A real piece from a real exhibition.
Your Finished Piece
More than a craft project — a dated original.
Every finished painting from this session will be labeled on the back with the exhibition name, the date, the gallery, and your name. It is a piece made inside a real exhibition, guided by an internationally shown artist, and it will carry that provenance with it wherever it hangs.
Garden of the Nine Muses
July 18, 2026 · Seven House Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Created during the exhibition by [Your Name]
Guided by Afrocentric Keyy · afrocentrickeyy.com
She doesn't stay in the gallery when the show ends. Your Muse goes home with you — and keeps living there. A reflection of the exhibition, and of yourself, long after the garden closes.
The Garden
This is not a gallery visit.
This is a homecoming.
01
All Nine Muses
A curated visual journey through nine living Black archetypes — oil on reclaimed wood.
02
Layered Storytelling
Diasporic memory woven through voice, music, movement, and survival — before it was written.
03
Sculptural Details
Hair as lineage. Subtle extensions of each Muse's energy — connecting identity and cultural memory.
04
Space for You
Intimate, intentional dialogue. You are not just a viewer — you are a reflection within the garden.
This is more than an exhibition.
It is a living archive of memory, identity, and imagination — rooted in the question:
"What if the Muses have always been us?"
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions? Take a look at the FAQ or reach out anytime. If you’re feeling ready, go ahead and apply.
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Yes, select painting. Originals will be available both days. VIP ticket holders have first access on Friday evening before the general opening. If a piece speaks to you, trust that — they tend to find their homes quickly.
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Yes — the artist will be present for both days. Friday opening night offers the most opportunity for direct conversation and connection with Afrocentric Keyy.
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Yes. A curated selection of prints and merchandise will be available on-site both days.
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A Saturday-only intimate painting experience led by Afrocentric Keyy. You'll paint your own selected muse alongside the artist, guided by the energy of the Muses, and leave with a piece you made in the room where it all lives.
**Requires a separate session ticket. ** -
There is no dress code. Come as you are. Come as you've always been. The Muses will meet you exactly where you stand.
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Seven House Gallery is located in Brooklyn, NY. Full address and directions will be included in your ticket confirmation email.