"Looks" by Ryan Sterling.

The Black Heritage Gallery will open its latest exhibit — “Sacred Threads: The Art of Ryann Sterling” — with a public reception starting at 5:30 p.m. Friday.

The exhibit — which features collage, mixed media, sculpting and photography — explores “the sacred and often secret intersections of southern Black spirituality, femininity and personal memory,” said Jeanine Blaney, executive director of the gallery and curator of the exhibit.

“Ryann’s ability to channel the past while holding space for the present and envisioning the future is what makes her work both powerful and necessary,” Blaney said. “Each piece she creates becomes a visual prayer, drawing the viewer into a layered conversation between history and hope.”

Blaney said the exhibit “invites viewers on an intimate journey through time, culture and consciousness.”

Sterling’s art has previously been featured at the New Orleans African American Museum, New Orleans Museum of Art, as well as numerous collage festivals and galleries across Louisiana.

Attendees of Friday’s reception will get to meet Sterling and learn about her creative process and inspiration.

Blaney said the exhibit will be on display through July 26 in the second-floor gallery inside the Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center, 1001 Ryan St.