Inside “Beauty Plus”: The Los Angeles Exhibition Reframing Black Beauty & Ownership
CWPR is proud to announce the upcoming solo exhibition “Beauty Plus” by artist Jasmine Ross, opening November 8, 2025, at Sunset House in Los Angeles. The exhibition honors the legacy of a beloved Black-owned beauty supply store in New Haven, Connecticut, and explores themes of identity, entrepreneurship, and cultural inheritance through large-format photography.
Rooted in storytelling and visual anthropology, “Beauty Plus” documents the final days of the neighborhood beauty supply as its owner, Mel, closed her doors after more than three decades of serving her community. Through a 4x5 camera and digital compositions, Ross captures the quiet heroism embedded in small business ownership and the layered realities of Black beauty spaces—both as sanctuaries and sites of cultural tension.
“These beauty supply stores are more than places to shop; they’re archives of resilience and identity,” says Ross. “Beauty Plus is both a love letter and a reckoning. It honors those who built these spaces, while sitting with the contradictions of beauty as both liberation and labor.”
The exhibition is designed as an immersive experience inspired by the original store’s layout, featuring spatial storytelling, archival textures, and community programming that bridges art, music, and commerce.
Opening Night Program:
Performance by: Marc E. Bassy
Guest List: 350–500 artists, collectors, influencers, and beauty entrepreneurs, including @carlitalandrum, @ashleybias, and Sherri McMullen
Following the opening, Beauty Plus will host a series of mid-exhibition talks and community activations, including panels on Black beauty entrepreneurship, representation in retail, and archiving identity through art.
About the Artist
Jasmine Ross is a multidisciplinary artist and storyteller based in New Haven and Los Angeles. A graduate of Yale University, she holds a B.A. in Art (with Distinction) and Ethics, Politics, and Economics. Her work has been featured in the Yale Literary Magazine and the group show Tell It Slant at the Yale School of Art Gallery. Her practice spans photography, ceramics, and textiles, with a focus on documenting Black beauty traditions, nostalgia, and entrepreneurship.
