Meet Me At the Biltmore!

I am very honored to have a mention in Amanda Quay Blount's spectacular book of the history of the Biltmore Hotel in Providence Rhode Island, "Meet Me At The Biltmore!
Signed copy in hand, the opening reception and writer's talk was as special as the book!

Meet Me At the Biltmore”
Amanda Quay Blount


Page 290


“After the hotel re-opened in 2021, it selected its first official artist in residence, Photographer, Musician, and Sculpture named David Lee Black.  Conjuring creative energy in the confines of the Biltmore lobby level gallery, Black drew upon the seemingly galactic energy that fills every crevice in the curve of the hotel’s architecture. Add a gallery opening, just weeks before the centennial anniversary of the hotel, Black transformed the hotel’s historic Garden Room into the backdrop for a grand spectacle, a paradoxical masterpiece of old and new. Lining the towering walls were Black’s photographs and sculptures, a carefully curated mixture of haunting and whimsy.  The stoic easels, though the obvious centerpieces of the show, we’re nearly lost in the background to the pounding soundtrack of the Providence Drum Troupe, followed by stomping circus performers and cheering acrobats, all of which exploded into the room mid-evening. A woman on 4-foot stilts shimmied by the bar, while a flailing oversized Martian-like creature stumbled around, seemingly mesmerized by the saxophone player. Black’s friends and guests were just as much a part of the exhibit as his photographs, and they did not disappoint. Rather than make a mockery of the historical significance of the Garden Room, The circus that unfolded seemed to leap from the walls themselves, and unleashing of the hotel secrets that yearned to be set free. If the Biltmore‘s walls could talk, they would speak the language of David Lee Black and his band of merry makers. Black’s Sweet Dreams Society event was perfectly Biltmore in every way. It was scandalous, it was salacious, it was loud. But at the same time, it was merriment and joy in its most simple iteration. Much like the exquisite architectural genius of the hotel, the spectacle of Black’s event could easily be dismissed as frivolous when, in fact, it is so much more. Each detail lovingly crafted, each viewpoint carefully considered, Black’s art and the art of his community provided a perfect overlay to the opulence of the grand hotel. Black will forever be remembered in the Biltmore‘s history as its first official artist in residence, and he has left very big shoes to fill for the next creator who comes along.”

You can order your copy here: 
www.biltmorebook.com