BKLYN In Conversation: Portraits of Summer
"And the summer came, the New York summer, which is like no summer anywhere. The heat and the noise began their destruction of nerves and sanity and private lives and love affairs." -- James Baldwin
Join us for conversation between Adreinne Waheed, Jazmine Hughes, and Khalif Tahir Thompson, moderated by Tembe Denton-Hurst.
A group of critics, writers, and artists meet to explore how Brooklyn summers are visualized and portrayed across a variety of mediums. What makes a Brooklyn summer unique?
Sights, sounds, tastes, and smells have inspired artists across the borough for years. The heat of the summer and chaos of the city invite new ways of being, seeing, and moving together in parks, on stoops, and through the streets. How have the traditions of Black Brooklynites endured through a changing borough?
This is the capstone event of the Summer Reading Closing Festival. Join us earlier in the afternoon at the Central Library from 11 AM-4PM for bookish crafts, trivia, bingo, reading parties on the plaza and in the lobby.
PARTICIPANT
Tembe Denton-Hurst (known on the internets as @tembae) is a writer at New York Magazine and the author of the novel Homebodies, which the NYT Book Review called a "sharp, charming, and passionate debut," and Fresh Sets, a book that explores modern nail culture. She also writes the bestselling newsletter, Extracurricular, where she writes about books and the culture surrounding it. When she’s not writing, Tembe can be found on her couch in Queens where she lives with her wife and their two cats Stella and Dakota.
Jazmine Hughes is a writer living between Brooklyn and Mexico. Her work has been published in New York Magazine, The New Yorker, VOGUE, Harper's Bazaar and the New York Times, among other places.
Adreinne Waheed, a distinguished visual artist based in Brooklyn, NY, has carved a significant niche within the realm of contemporary art. Her work, a testament to the beauty, brilliance, and resilience of Black people across the diaspora, invites viewers to engage with themes of identity and cultural heritage.
Ms. Waheed’s career spans over two decades as an accomplished photo editor, during which she has produced and directed numerous photo shoots for legendary publications including Vibe, Essence, and Time Inc. Books. Her photographic prowess has garnered recognition from major outlets such as The New York Times, National Geographic, British Vogue, Cosmopolitan, i-D, and Photo District News. Her work has been featured by Spotify, Curology, and the NAACP’s “Twenty 20 in Black” project.
Waheed’s contributions to the field of visual arts not only documents but also elevates the narrative of Black experiences, ensuring their rightful place within the broader discourse of American history and contemporary culture.
Khalif Tahir Thompson (born 1995) completed his BFA at Purchase College, New York, and MFA in Painting/Printmaking at Yale School of Art.
Recent solo exhibitions include the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, North Carolina and Zidoun-Bossuyt Gallery, Luxembourg, Paris and Dubai (2022–2024).
Group exhibitions include Bold: New Voices in Contemporary Art, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indiana (on view until 28 June 2026). The artist was featured in the three-person exhibition The Stories We Tell: Tidawhitney Lek, Emil Sands, Khalif Tahir Thompson, held at Victoria Miro, London (November 2025–January 2026).
Thompson was selected for Kehinde Wiley’s Black Rock Senegal residency, Senegal; the Yaddo Artist Residency, Saratoga Springs, New York; and AAF/Seebacher Fine Arts Prize, Salzburg, Austria.
