Bethany Arts Community officially opened its Black History Month exhibition on Friday.

"Black History & Culture: Black Presence. Profound Influence," was curated by Ossining Village historian Joyce Sharrock-Cole.

"This year is all about impact and influence. There is a lot of suppression of Black history now and I want to talk about how Black people have influenced our society," Sharrock-Cole.

It relies on oral history accounts and genealogical research to unearth the histories of the Black experience from all facets of life.

This is the fourth installment of the award-winning exhibit and will run through March 8.

Individually themed exhibit galleries will highlight a period in American history where the Black presence made a big impact on the community. The stories all have some kind of tie to Westchester County, meaning attendees are learning localized history.

Sharrock-Cole explained, "I look for local stories because we get inspired by people in our backyard, and I want everyone to see that it doesn't have to be someone that you can't touch, who is so far away, that there's heroes in your backyard, people who live next door to you who have changed lives."

Additional programs, including talks, film screenings and living museum actors will also be featured.

The space also has a docent program, where volunteers of all ages are trained to help provide tours.

The training is being held on Saturday Feb. 3 and Feb. 6.

The application can be found here.