Chicago Black Collective’s BHM Harmony in Hue: A Celebration of Black Artistry

Chicago Black Collective

Black Heritage Month

February 2024

Chicago Black Collective’s BHM

Harmony in Hue: A Celebration of Black

Artistry Table of Contents

About bp Chicago Black Collective

p5 - J Allen Hyde

p6 - Matthew Dicks

p7 - Tasha Nemo

p8 - Al Hawkins

p10 - John Wangendo

p12 - Eli Williams

p14- Nathan Taylor

P16 - Preston Thomas

p18 - Cherie Lockett

p21 - Yaounde Olu

p23 - Angela Williams

p25 - Thomas “T-Mo” Mobley

p26 - Crystal McDonald, Ph.D.

p27 -

p29 - Raissa Bailey

p30 - Debra Flint-Salter

p31 - Fran Joy

p32 - David Niari

p34 - Jevoid Simmons

p36 - Stacy Thomas

p37 - William

p39 - Yancey Hughes

P40 - Sam Onche

P41 - Makeba Kedem Dubose

P42 - Sholo Beverly

p43 - Vilna Bashi

Ojo Agi (Represented by Ogechi Harry)

Kwamena-poh (Represented by Rose Cannon)

About bp Black Collective

Chicagoland Black Collective BRG Info

The bp Black Collective (BC), formally known as BPAAN, was formed in 2002 and has five chapters across the U.S. In 2008, the chapters aligned to form one Black Collective organization united by our common mission, vision and strategic focus areas. Regional chapters support the national structure through local committees organized around our strategic themes.

Our mission

Improve the company’s competitiveness by increasing the representation, inclusion and advancement of African Americans. We achieve this purpose by fostering initiatives that include professional development, mentoring, role modeling and advocacy.

Our vision

Create a “self-help” support system within the company and deliver focused communications to bp management identifying the enablers and barriers to achieve a work environment that accelerates inclusion.

Black Collective Strategic Focus Areas:

ProfessionalDevelopment

 Build skills, competencies and behaviors that lead to exceptional performance

Recruiting&Retention

 Support the Business and HR Functions in their efforts to identify candidates through our professional networks and engage African American employees to foster their commitment to both bp and Black Collective recruitment objectives

Advancement

 Provide role modeling, coaching and mentoring to create a support system for long-term success

Join the bp Chicago Black Collective TODAY!!!

Contact: Deah Barber Deah.Barber@bp.com or Derek Haake Derek.Haake@bp.com

Yammer:https://web.yammer.com/main/groups/eyJfdHlwZSI6Ikdyb3VwIiwiaWQiOiIzNTYxOTUzIn0

Harmony in Hue: A Celebration of Black Artistry

This exhibition, housed within the walls of bp Chicago throughout the month of February, delights the eyes and mind with a rich tapestry of creativity, showcasing the diverse expressions within the African diaspora. From bold and vibrant paintings and mixed media to thought-provoking photography and ceramics, this curated collection celebrates the resilience, history, and cultural richness of Black artists. Themes of identity, social justice, and ancestral connections weave through the exhibit, fostering a profound dialogue on the intersection of art and societal narratives demonstrating the power of how art reflects, challenges, and unites.

If you are interested in any of the pieces you see, please contact: Deah Barber at Deah.Barber@bp.com

J

Allen Hyde

My work is individual vision, surrealistic / abstract reality. I wish to reach the largest audience possible without compromising my person technique or convictions. A fine line exists between developing a visual language accessible to the public and creating a kind of deep persona imaginary that relates to life. I have examined tension between the natural, man-made idiosyncratic appearance, behavior and satirical reactions to new age / pop culture; a self taught painter in acrylics, and sculpture with found objects.

I produce work of great resourcefulness, beyond the system; beyond the common place, surpasses all expectations. Nevertheless, my art is an element of familiarity. Enclosed are a few examples for you viewing.

Thanks for your time,

J. Allen Hyde

Chicago Blues Player (John Lee Hooker) - 2019

36 by 48 - Mixed media

$3500

Unscreened (Tupac) - 2016

48 by 36 - Mixed media

$3200 skyline1234@comcast.net

Artwork on display at bp:

Matthew Dicks

Matthew Dicks (1990) is a contemporary African American artist based in Chicago whose visually striking and thought-provoking works have captured the attention of art enthusiasts and collectors alike. His work is highly renowned and commissioned by Grammy Awardnominated artists, major multimedia conglomerates, museums, and national civil rights organizations. After moving to Europe to immerse himself in the artistic zeitgeist of London, Paris, and Amsterdam, he returned to the United States with a passion for enlightened creation. Since then, Matthew has held over a dozen exhibitions, showcasing his universal appeal. His ability to create works that transcend and juxtapose European stylistic tropes with instinctual modalities of African, Pop, and Street art has made him a favorite among serious collectors. His pieces are more than just aesthetically pleasing; they are an exploration of human consciousness and a testament to the power of art to innovate and inspire change.

Artwork on display at bp: Enchantment - 2022

48 by 60 - Acrylic on canvas $20,000

matthewisapainter@gmail.com

Tasha Nemo

Tasha Nemo is the daughter of two civil rights activists from Topeka, Kansas. She centers her artwork on Black literature and history. Her parents emphasized the importance of knowing Black history from the U.S. to Africa. “You can’t be here in the United States and not know about Black history,” she said.

Her father inspired her painting at the exhibit. He was an avid reader who challenged her to learn about her history through the words of Black authors like Angela Y. Davis, Malcom X and Asa Grant Hilliard III, Nemo said.

Shepardacrylies@gmail.com

Artwork on display at bp:

Shine Bright

24 by 24 - Acrylic on canvas $275

Aberash (Giver of Light)

24 by 20 - Acrylic on canvas $275

Al Hawkins

The art of Al Hawkins is that of a storyteller. Every piece within his stunning collection tells a human story of the almost imperceptible moments that make up the bulk of our lives. They tell the stories of quiet introspection, or comfortable silences between those who know each other well. Al finds stories not in the obvious, but in that which is unspoken and uneventful – the true moments that feed our spirits, sustain our souls and ultimately define who we are. Perhaps his instincts to celebrate the ordinary were honed in contrast to an extraordinary life. From the influences of “old school” parents, to the “old world” ways of his grandparents. . . from the primary education of the Kansas City, Missouri Public School System, to the privileged studies at The Kansas City Art Institute. . . from the unpretentious existence of summers spent in rural Eufaula, Oklahoma under the care of his great grandmother; to the consummate education of Drake University (BFA) and the tutelage of renowned German artist, Karl Mattern and ultimately that of Chicago artist, Calvin Jones, Al’s exposure to and experiences with the diverse people and lifestyles he has known have all become the well from which his inspiration springs. Within recent years, Al has expanded his storytelling expression to include documentary filmmaking. His latest film, “The Will to Survive: The Story of the Gullah/Geechee Nation” on which Al served as director and executive producer, has won both national and international acclaim. Al Hawkins is a master storyteller. Spend some time with his universally familiar and deeply personal work and soon, the enchantment of these quiet life scenes will tell you a story, too.

Artwork on display at bp:

The Gift - 2018

36 by 36 - Acrylic on canvas

$2800

ahawkicre8@yahoo.com

Al Hawkins continued

Artwork on display at bp:

My Kind of Town - 2023

36 by 36 - Acrylic on canvas

$3000

ahawkicre8@yahoo.com

John Wangendo

My name is John Wangendo, a self taught portrait artist and originally from Kenya.

My art journey started during the Covid pandemic lockdowns around March/April 2020. As I had no prior training in drawing and I did not have any idea which direction I wanted my art to go but since I’m from Africa, I decided to tell the story of my people especially about kids, kids who go through so much pain & suffering in their young lives. I try to tell the narrative in a way that lets the audience feel like they've traveled through the continent and to educate them on the cultures & traditions of the African people.

22 by 28 - Charcoal/acrylic

$2000

40 by 30 - Charcoal on Canvas

$3000

Artwork on display at bp:

Through My Eyes - 2023

on canvas

Still I Rise - 2022

John Wangendo continued

Artwork on display at bp:

Rendille Moran - 2022

30 by 40 - Charcoal/acrylic on canvas

$3000

Between Worlds - 2023

24 by 36 - Charcoal/Acrylic on canvas

$2500

wagendojohn@gmail.com

Eli Williamson

Eli Williamson is a nonprofit and philanthropy executive with over a decade of experience working to solve complex problems in distressed communities. Eli is also the cofounder of Leave No Veteran Behind, an Illinois-based nonprofit that invests in veterans to build more resilient communities. He was the former Director of Veterans Programs for the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. Eli served in Iraq and Afghanistan as a non-commissioned officer in the US Army, as a member of Psychological Operations (PSYOP), and as an Arabic linguist supporting special operations forces. Eli is a dedicated father and enjoys taking summer wilderness adventures in his camper with his standard poodle Starla.

Artist Statement:

Eli Williamson is a photo essayist born and bred on the talented streets of Chicago’s South Side. His street photography goal is to capture the intimate moments of Afro-American diaspora communities, which have created the underpinnings of popular culture worldwide. His focus on capturing the narratives of Black Men and Boys through images creates opportunities to upend the stereotypes that have been detrimental to their wellness and detrimental to the cohesion of the communities in which they live. By combining his images with written exposition, his audience can understand his perspective through his experiences as a Black father and nonprofit leader in the communities where he lives and works. His images focus on color, reciprocal relationships, and community grit. This focus underpins his ability to capture authentic imagery of the Afro-American diaspora that is emulated worldwide. His current project, the Four Virtues, is a four-part monograph that explores and cements the virtue of Black Men and Boys through photo essays and written exposition. The first virtue of this project is FatherHood, which was featured at the Evanston Art Center in 2023. The second virtue, Work, will be featured at the Evanston Art Center in January 2024.

Eli Williamson continued

Artwork on display at bp:

Fast Car - 2022

24 by 36 - Photography

$3000

ew@ghettoefflorescence.me

The Throne - 2022

24 by 36 - Photography

$3000

Nathan Taylor

Nathan J. Taylor, a visual artist, from Rockford, Illinois. Displaying artistic talent from a young age, he initiated his formal painting education in Rockford Auburn High School's CAPA (Creative And Performing Arts) program. His career led him to New York City, where he worked as an art director for Essence Magazine and Vibe Magazine. Today, he continues to work as a graphic designer and art director for publications.

Elle Magazine and illustrated Iyanla Vanzant's Inspirational Card Series. His work has been showcased at prestigious events, including the Tribeca Film Festival After Party and NBA All Star Weekend.

Nathan is a 2023 B2B Illinois Arts Grant Award winner, and currently a resident artist at Cleta’s Stay and Sew in Rockford, a non-profit offering free fabric arts classes. His contributions extend beyond the local community, making a lasting impact worldwide. Since returning to his hometown in 2020, Nathan J. Taylor continues to reside and create art in Rockford, IL, enriching both his local and artistic communities.

Artwork on display at bp:

The Healer - 2020

24 by 30 - Acrylic on canvas $800

Nathan's art has graced the cover of 4hero's album, "Play with the Changes," and he toured as a live painter with Grammynominated R&B/Gospel artist Kelly Price. Collaborating with renowned musicians and spoken word artists, including Janelle Monae and Jon B., Nathan has free-styled live art at concerts nationwide.

Featured in Verizon Wireless' "How Sweet The Sound" Gospel/Art Concert Series, Nathan's paintings regularly appeared in

Nathan Taylor

Preston Thomas

Shoot with Intent

I believe that every photograph is (should be) a composition. I’ve often spoken about this to anyone who will listen… perhaps to their dismay. A conversation, not gibberish. A story, even if it’s just one word. There should be purpose.

Photographic Exhibitions

 2019: Discussion & Slide Presentation: Memory and Archive, Mana Contemporary Chicago: Morning Prayer Lake

 2019: Photo Exhibit: LA HABANA | Lens Paintings from Dreamland

 2019: Photo Exhibit: The Adjacent Shore

 2018: Photo Exhibit: Surface + Texture

 2018: Photo Exhibit: Faces from the Women’s March, Chicago

 2017: Photographs from my series Dance Encounters Architecture Licensed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects - lead architects of the Obama Library

 2017: Photo Exhibit: Wanderlust and Dreamland in La Habana

 2017: Photo Exhibit: Through My Lens, A Black Girl’s Magic

 2015: Featured Artist in the Harlem Fine Arts Show “Beyond Color” Exhibit

Symposiums & Teaching

 2017: Photographic Symposium for the Chicago Architecture Biennial: Dance Encounters Architecture

 2016 - 2017: Teaching Artist for the University of Chicago's Logan Center for the Arts

Awards

 2016: Recipient of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs (DCASE) Individual Artist Grant

Preston Thomas continued

Artwork on display at bp: Black in the Absence of Light Color Photograph

25 by 18 unframed - Archival Rag Paper

$725

Thelonious Color Photograph

18 by 25 - Archival Rag Paper

$725

hello@prestonthomas.net

Cherie Lockett

Originally from Michigan, Cherie had her initiation in the ceramic arts in kindergarten and held the fascination throughout her primary and secondary school years. Later in college, she experimented with sculpture taking classes in welding and bronze casting. After earning her BA and MPH and working abroad, she returned to being a weekend ceramic potter while working as a Healthcare Professional during the day. A creative in several of the arts including music, playwriting, mine/mask work, and dance, Cherie continues to explore different themes across time and continents. Always a student of the arts, she attended a workshop at the Maine art school Haystack. Much of her ceramic pottery work pulls from the power of animals and people expressed in the cave paintings and artifacts of our human ancestors, as they laid bare their stories, histories, and the forgotten shadows of their genius. Hers is a passion fueled by the layers of what we see, hear, smell, and feel combined with a deep desire to engage in the artistic exchange.

Cherie has exhibited in several local shows in Evanston and Chicago. A work of hers is published in the Lark Ceramic Book Collection: 500 Raku Bold Explorations of a Dynamic Ceramics Technique. She is a member of the Midwest Clay Guild. Cherie lives in Evanston, IL.

Artwork on display at bp:

#1 Alone

5 inches by 8 inches - Soda Fired

$85

5

#2 Relief Cave drawing

Cherie Lockett continued

5 inches by 5 inches Bowl - Soda Fired

$65

3.5

$ 50

3.5 inches by 5 inches Bowl- Soda Fired

$ 50

7

#3 The Meet

#4 In the mist

inches by 5 inches - Bowl -Soda Fired

#5 The Romp

#6 Freedom

inches by 5.5 inches - Soda Fired $90

Cherie Lockett continued

#7 Magical Mystery

8 inches by 5 inches - Soda Fired

$175

#8 Small Vase7.5 inches by 3.5 $45

CRobin99@icloud.com

Yaounde Olu

Dr. Yaoundé Olu is a painter, curator, indie comics publisher, musician, author, and has produced a Chicago cable television program since 1996. She is a former principal of a high school for the arts, and she owned and operated Osun Center for the Arts in Chicago from 1968 – 1982. She is an awardwinning editorial cartoonist with the Crusader Newspaper Group, and was recently featured in a New York Times bestseller; “It’s Life As I See It; Black Cartoonists in Chicago, 1940-1980,” published to accompany an exhibit featuring some of her work at Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art.

Other exhibit venues include the University of Chicago’s Smart Museum; the Noyes Cultural Arts Center; the Evanston Art Center; the Chicago Cultural Center; the Tubman Museum; the University of Illinois African American Cultural Center; South Shore Cultural Center; Heaven Gallery; Sapphire & Crystals exhibits and the Bridgeport Art Center to name a few. She is featured in the new book “Pop Art and Beyond: Gender, Race, and Class in the Global Sixties.” She is also featured in a 2022 Carnegie Hall Afrofuturism Podcast curated by Ytasha Womack, and spoke on the topic “Back to the Future: An Afrofuturist Vision” at Pigment International’s Artist on the 9ine. During 2023, she exhibited at the University of Chicago’s Logan Center in an exhibit titled Freedom’s Muse.

Dr. Olu represented the American Midwest at Festac 77, the 2nd World Festival of Black and African Arts and Culture in Lagos, Nigeria.

Dr. Olu holds a BS in Education from Illinois Teachers College, Chicago South (Chicago State University), an MA in Fine and Performing Arts from Governors State University, and a PhD in Health Sciences/Holistic Medicine from the Union Institute. Dr. Olu resides in Chicago, IL.

Artist’s Statement

“As an artist, I am a storyteller, and I see my work as visual poetry. Each piece provides a snapshot of individuals/entities/situations outside of those with which we are familiar. They are in the here-and-now, but also elsewhere, and by sharing these imagined existences a broader view of human possibilities is revealed. My chosen technique is that of creating “Black Field” art, i.e., art with a dark or black background conveying the idea that existence is “energetic” and generates light in a material universe that appears to be dark.”

Yaounde Olu continued

Uniphysics@aol.com

Portal of Hope - 2021

36 by 30 - Digital Paint Construction on canvas $1500

Aaroth Dream Slayer2022

36 by 30 - Digital Paint Construction on canvas $1500

Angela Williams

Hi. I'm Angela Williams, an artist and designer living and working in Evanston, Illinois.

I always knew I wanted to be an artist. Luckily for me, my loving and supportive mom was with me every step of the way. We spent many hours at the St. Louis Art Museum, art fairs and plays. Those memories fill my heart and keep me going she inspired me to be a free spirit and follow my dreams. So, I did. I earned a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in Visual Communications and continued to paint and explore.

My design career includes corporate and cultural, small and large-scale projects.

Artwork on display at bp:

Forward Momentum - 2023

Graphite, ink, watercolor - 25 by 25 framed $500

Transitional Elements - 2021

12 by 14 - Graphite, ink, and watercolor

$250

Angela Williams continued

Transitional Elements 2 - 2021

12 by 14- Graphite, ink, and watercolor

$250

Reconstruct - 2020

22 by 26 - Graphite, ink, and watercolor

$500

aswdesigner@aol.com

Thomas “T-Mo” Mobley

Art has been an escape from reality for me since I was young. I entered my first exhibition in high school, having finally gained the confidence to put something out that I believed was good enough. That piece, which was inspired by Pablo Picasso, won the exhibition and was displayed at a local restaurant in my hometown. Over time, I've learned to develop my style in art, which incorporates afro-centrism mixed with elements from abstract and expressionist concepts. As the world continues to grow, the need for originality gets even bigger. The overall objective for Keep Peace Productions, LLC is to use the vehicle of creativity to promote peace, invoke positive thought, and inspire change. I wanted to create a company that does more than just tell you a story, but puts plans into action that can change the outcome. That is why 10% of all proceeds made will go to nonprofits and organizations in the Chicagoland area dedicated to addressing social issues such as civil rights, environmental justice, and the housing crisis.

Artwork on display at bp:

Seasonal depression

36 by 48 - Oil/acrylic on canvas $1456

24

$475

tnmosley@aggies.edu

Take Notes, Sis - 2023

by 36 - Mixed media on canvas

Crystal McDonald, Ph.D

Crystal McDonald is a Ph.D. A doctoral candidate who utilizes her background in architecture and her dissertation research to create visual representations of what she witnesses within environments and human interactions. Her artwork has been on exhibit at Noyes Cultural Center and currently is educational committee member for the Evanston Art Center, Young Professional Board member for Inuit Art Museum as well as provided over 4 years of pro bono consulting experience to the Chicagoland area and throughout the country.

Dr. McDonald believes in the power of community connection so deeply that she traveled to Ghana to not only meet the U.S. Ambassador of Ghana but most importantly the youth of Pagus; Africa which provides creative and leadership professional development opportunities to assist with programming, mentorship, and board development.

Crystal McDonald is an emerging artist who is open to exhibitions, residencies, community connection, and commission work as well as research opportunities for organizations needing assistance with a variety of topics. Crystal’s goal as she navigates being a professional artist is to help people not feel alone in the spaces they roam in daily; they are seen and deserve to be unapologetically themselves before the world told them who they should be.

Artwork on display at bp:

Undone - 2023

24 by 36 - Colored pencil, watercolor, paper ink NFS

$1,000

Crystal.mcdonald@gmail.com

Ojo Agi (represented by Ogechi Harry)

Ojo Agi is a Nigerian-Canadian artist based in Toronto. Her research-based and socially-engaged practice is dedicated to knowledge translation and mobilization via the arts. Informed by postcolonial theory, gender studies, and narrative storytelling, Ojo uses figurative drawings to respond to Afro-diasporic subjectivities, feminist politics, and aesthetic beauty. Recent exhibitions include "The Chorus Is Speaking" at Campbell River Art Gallery (British Columbia) and "In the Middle, A Chimera" at Milieux Institute (Quebec). The drawings in these exhibitions responded to the history, politics, and theories of looking and being seen (otherwise known as "the gaze"), integrating discourse and strategies for self-preservation and mental wellness. She is a member of the

collections committee for Global Africa and the Diaspora at the Art Gallery of Ontario and an advisory board member for Library of infinities, a digital platform that curates Afro-diasporic cultural knowledge. Ojo holds an MA in Women and Gender Studies from the University of Toronto and is currently working towards a PhD in Art History from Concordia University.

Ojo's work has also been licensed in 2021. The set design team for the Warner Brothers/Oprah Winfrey Network show “Kings of Napa” licensed three enlarged prints from “Daughters of Diaspora”.

Artwork on display at bp:

Untitled (BUN)

Artist- Ojo

14 by 20 - Archival pigment print/colored pencils, marker, and pen

On 100% cotton rag paper Arches BFK

$545

Ojo Agi continued

Artwork on display at bp:

Resonant Self - 2021

Artist - Ojo

14 by 20 - Archival pigment print with colored pencils, marker, and pen

On 100% cotton rag paper Arches BFK

$545

hello@goldenourcollective.com

Raissa Bailey

Raissa Bailey maintains an active studio practice in Evanston, IL. Her work explores femininity and spirituality and her recent Venus series has evolved from suggestive form through abstraction in painting to textile, mixed media, sculpture, photography, digital images and storytelling.

Raissa is influenced by her travels around the world and her own diverse background. In recent years, her process of creation has gained importance as a spiritual practice of reflection and connection. Sources such as the I Ching and shamanic studies influence the work by encouraging a visual and conceptual depth.

Her artistic influences include nature, prehistoric art, Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo and Lavar Monroe as well as the theory of Biocentrism by Dr. Robert Lanza and Jean M. Auel’s Earth’s Children series. Raissa graduated from DePaul University with a BA and holds a certificate in Studio Art and Design from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She also is a professional Creative Director and leads a team of Designers for the Bradford Exchange.

Artwork on display at bp: Venus - 2018

48 by 36 - Oil on canvas $2000

raissabailey@gmail.com

Debra Flint-Salter

I had started painting as a young girl, and eventually got more involved in the '70s and '80s. I stopped when I started raising my second 'set' of children until the late '90s when I began an interior decorating/design business of murals, painting, upholstering, making furniture and more in 1996. I am self taught in most of my skills. The interest of painting again came around in 2022 after a long hiatus and found it to be relaxing and to see if I had the confidence. Over the last year and a half I have added many paintings to my portfolio and was fortunate to exhibit my work and have sold some pieces since.

Artwork on display at bp:

Front Row Seat - 2023

24 by 36 Acrylic on canvas

$975

What to do? - 2024

24 by 36 - Acrylic on canvas

$525

dsalter@ameritech.net

A Change is Going to Come - 2023

30 by 40 - Acrylic on canvas

$975

Fran Joy

Joy is an artist, designer, curator and life coach currently living in Evanston. Born and raised in southern Illinois, later moving to New Orleans and then to the greater Chicago / Evanston area. This life experience plus living ten years in Los Angeles along with frequent visits to New York City have flavored and colored her passion as an artist and curator.

She is known for her images on social justice, women, iconic portraits, spirit images, stylized landscapes, and large custom designed wood panels and free standing screens. Joy uses lots of rich and metallic acrylics on canvas and wood enhanced by oil pastels by using sponges for texture and blending.

Joy has been featured as the cover story in the Evanston Magazine, and has appeared in the Evanston Review, Evanston Roundtable, the Daily Northwestern and the Chicago Tribune. She received the Evanston Mayor’s Artist of the Year Award in 2019.

She currently serves as a trustee and on the exhibition committee of the Evanston Art Center and has curated several exhibits there for artists from all walks of life with a particular interest in showcasing BIPOC artists. Joy has curated exhibits at the Noyes Cultural Art Center for the last three years. Joy has been a member of Evanstonmade for ten years and is currently showing at Creative Coworking and Ten Thousand Villages, both in Evanston.

Joy’s works are in private collections across the country and internationally. Joy is a proud mom, and grandmother. She has a long history in marketing as a corporate communications consultant and as an assistant gallery director, and is currently a life coach as well.

Artwork on display at bp:

Spread Your Wings and Fly - 2023

36 by 24 - Oil pastel/acrylic on canvas

$800

The Purple Prince - 2018

24 by 30 - Oil pastel/acrylic on canvas

$2500

fwjoy@icloud.com

David Niari

David Niari makes illustrations, paintings and mixed media artworks. By referencing romanticism, grand-guignolesque black humour and symbolism, his drawings references post-colonial theory as well as the avant-garde or the post-modern and the left-wing democratic movement as a form of resistance against the logic of the capitalist market system.

His drawings demonstrate how life extends beyond its own subjective limits and often tells a story about the effects of global cultural interaction over the latter half of the twentieth century. It challenges the binaries we continually reconstruct between Self and Other, between our own ‘cannibal’ and ‘civilized’ selves. By choosing mainly formal solutions, he tries to develop forms that do not follow logical criteria, but are based only on subjective associations and formal parallels, which incite the viewer to make new personal associations.

His works are often classified as part of the new romantic movement because of the desire for the local in the unfolding globalized world. However, this reference is not intentional, as this kind of art is part of the collective memory. By demonstrating the omnipresent lingering of a ‘corporate world’, he creates work through labour-intensive processes which can be seen explicitly as a personal exorcism ritual. They are inspired by a nineteenth-century tradition of works, in which an ideal of ‘Fulfilled Absence’ was seen as the pinnacle.

His works are based on formal associations which open a unique poetic vein. Multilayered images arise in which the fragility and instability of our seemingly certain reality is questioned.

David Niari currently lives and works in Chicago, IL.

Artwork on display at bp: CloudyThoughtBubbles(arrangedinatriptych)- 2022 - $3750totalfor3pieces

David Niari continued

Artwork on display at bp:

Seeing Red

36 by 60 - Acrylic on canvas $1250

Hearing White

30 by 40 - Acrylic on canvas $1250

Feeling Blue

30 by 40 - Acrylic on canvas

$1250

dniari@gmail.com

Jevoid Simmons

Jevoid Simmons is a 40-year resident of Evanston, IL. He and his life partner (wife) Dickelle Fonda are proud parents of Seth Simmons. Seth also resides in Evanston. Jevoid retired three years ago after a 35-year managerial career as a human resource professional. The last 17 years were spent with the Art Institute of Chicago where he served as Director of Employee Relations and Training for the School and Museum. Central to his work was policy development, conflict resolution, managerial effectiveness and diversity equity and inclusion.

Jevoid considers himself to be a work in progress. Embracing retirement, his mantra, is “I’m working to be the me I’m meant to be at this time in life”. In this life segment, a good deal of his time is devoted to making art. This has been a life-long love for him. Though he has worked in a number of artistic styles, he considers his current art making to be more in line with folk and primitive traditions. He paints and carves and has exhibited his work locally at the Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center; Evanston’s Noyes Cultural Art Center; Evanston Art Center; Garrett Theological Seminary (Northwestern University); The Art Institute of Chicago, Creative Coworking Gallery and 1100 Florence Gallery in Evanston.

Jevoid volunteers with new not for profit, Equity and Empowerment for Evanston Families (EEEF) with its summer camp for black and brown boys (grades 3-8). He conducts the art component for the camp. He also served on the Evanston Art Council’s Art Equity Subcommittee and worked with various working groups supporting the community.

Jevoid’s first book, Up From Down Home, A Family’s Journey North, was published June 2021. The book tells of his family’s migration out of rural Alabama in the early 1950’s. Like so many, his family was part of the mass exodus of Black folks out of the South for survival and better opportunities. The book can be purchased on-line at www.upfromdownhome.com.

"Racism in this country fueled economic development with unpaid labor of enslaved black people and land stolen from indigenous people. This is an ugly truth many people would rather sweep under the rug. The thought is 'let’s just move on'. Moving forward without addressing this issue is like ignoring a malignant tumor in the body. There is no healing without dealing with this truth. Racism is still alive and well in America. It’s entrenched in our institutions and is embedded within all of us. I don’t believe it can be eradicated without people who are white acknowledging this truth. Then, with this understanding, taking on the heroic task of confronting racism, privilege and supremacy. The Burial is a symbolic representation of this needed action. The painting is not a condemnation, rather it is a loving call for this essential work. The time is now!"

Jevoid Simmons continued

Artwork on display at bp:

American History - 2023

40 by 30 - Acrylic on canvas $5500

jevset@aol.com

Stacy Thomas (aka Esslisette)

Local teacher and artist Dr. Stacy L. Thomas’ first love is education. She completed her undergraduate degree at Northern Illinois University in Visual and Performing Arts and holds a Masters in Teaching from National Louis University. More recently (2019), she received her doctorate concentrating on Curriculum Advocacy & Policy, also, from National Louis University in Chicago, IL. Born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Evanston, IL, Stacy currently teaches and resides in the northern suburbs of Chicago.

Seven years ago, as a newly appointed art teacher, Thomas acknowledged that the artwork of the predominantly lower socio-economic community of Black, Brown and military children she serves, should be on display for public adoration just as much as the art of children in the neighboring more affluent communities. It was then when she began the campaign to search for high traffic area such as nearby shopping malls that would support her endeavors. Gurnee Mills (Simon Corporation) was kind enough to collaborate with Thomas and some North Chicago schools. She continues to encourage her students and give them the recognition they deserve beyond their own school community.

Thomas is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. where she has chaired on many committees involving initiatives in youth advocacy and college scholarship. Although many of her pieces embrace cultural significance and “happenings”, Thomas, once a single mother, a two-time breast cancer and stroke survivor, is in a unique position to depict strong willed women through her aesthetic presentation, paintings, poetry, and scholarly work.

Artwork on display at bp:

Sax in the Beach

26 by 38 by 2.5 - Textile mixed NFS Value $900

mostac@att.net

William Kwamena-poh (rep. Rose Cannon)

Born in Ghana, I came to the United States when my father came to teach history at Talladega College in Alabama as a Fulbright Scholar.

I was introduced to the work of James Huff, an artist teaching at the college. He painted huge intricately detailed portraits of African American women that blew me away! They were so detailed, yet simplistic. I was lit on fire! I had that young braggadociousness and thought, I can do that! I have since learned how much dedication, determination, and skill it takes to capture the essence of my subjects. I dedicate myself to the continual process of artistic challenge, and personal growth for that matter.

I am still working, and still learning, through the wonderful journey called life, and finding the skills needed to fully release the essence of my subjects, in order to communicate to diverse communities and cultures about a people who have been disenfranchised and viewed negatively throughout the years.

I hope that you will join me as I continue my growth. And as I share with you my joys, you in turn will experience the beauty and diversity of our lives.

Last year, 2019, I was honored with a solo exhibition at the Jepson Center for the Arts, part of the Telfair museum system here in Savannah. The link below will take you to the show and also you'll get to see my artist talk which took place on November 14th 2019, the day before the opening of my show : The journey is Mine-Chapter One.

www.telfair.org/article/get-to-know-william-kwamena-poh/

In this age of Covid-19, that our whole earth has changed totally how we will interact with each other moving forward, I will still engage with you on how i see these changes and how we learn to live with each other. Are we goin to learn any lessons or still function the same as before.

Peace.

William Kwamena-poh continued

Artwork on display at bp:

Clothesline - 2019

14 by 30 - Giclee print framed

Certificate of authenticity

$375 Door of no Return

25 by 29 - Giclee print

Certificate of authenticity

$500

Tomorrow’s Hope - 2019

17 by 21 framed Giclee print Certificate authentication $250

Yancey Hughes

Artwork on display at bp: Howard Street

24 by 36 - Pigment print $1750

At the Dance

24 by 36 - Pigment print $1750

yh6000@me.com

I’m Yancey Hughes. I have been practicing the craft of photography with deep love & appreciation for many years. A great photograph is fascinating. It can be revealing & speaks volumes. The key is to be flexible. Think creatively no matter what reality throws you. Sometimes it’s the result of a happy accident which can take place with practice, patience, and opportunity.

“An inspired photographer always make the most of what is given”

Sam Onche

Storytelling is central to Sam Onche’s work. Now based in the Chicago area, his story started in Nigeria, where he grew up in a household that valued family and art. He has fond memories of drawing with siblings and friends, developing a competitive edge that applied to sports. Basketball brought him to the U.S. and led him to Colby College. He pursued oil painting there and continues to use this medium as well as digital drawing to share stories through Black art.

Onche’s vibrant oil paintings, mostly portraits, employ careful colorful abstraction. He uses Ankara fabric in the backgrounds of his portraits, a nod to his heritage and sourced from his sister’s fashion design company. Onche uses color generously and symbolically, painting his rich cultural experiences into each portrait. His process includes a constant playlist of afrobeat and hip hop while he paints, along with countless other inspirations he draws from the world around him that contribute to his propensity for storytelling.

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He sees art as his way to give back to the community that inspires him. Beyond original paintings, Onche’s work includes illustrations for album covers, books, posters, and prints. HG Literary Agency represents Onche for illustrations and covers. He works in both digital art and traditional oil painting, and appreciates both for the diverse textures they add to his art.

Onche also explores Afrofuturism, a style partly inspired by science fiction movies and comic books. Other themes in his art range from moments of daily living to cultural evolution, with nods to fashion and music. Onche’s vision is to unite all kinds of people to look at his art from a cultural point of view, with hope for a brighter, more equal future. Visual art is Onche’s medium to speak out on Black representation and imagine a better world.

Artwork on display at bp:

Makeba Kedem Dubose

My paintings are intended to push the limits of the imagination with bold color, strong line, and fiery strokes. I use lines in my paintings as visual representations of the thread that spiritually connects us to one another and all that is living, and color as a signifier for the masses and as a catalyst for healing the effects of racism and separatism. In painting in this fashion, my mission is to pull viewers into a bigger picture, beyond themselves in order to realize our original connection. I paint from my heart and soul, and I know that I am merely a vehicle for the expressions of the creator of all. Media include paint, textiles, paper, canvas, ink, pastels, graphite, stone, wood, glass, plastic, metal, sand and found objects.

Artwork on display at bp:

Water Woman

30 by 40 - Acrylic on canvas Mixed media

$2500

Makebakedemduboseart@gmail.com

Sholo Beverly

Born on the Southside of Chicago in 1968, I was an artist at a young age, influenced by my mother who was a floral and interior designer. As a self-taught mized media artist and mother of two, art and family has been a priority for the last twenty years. I have learned to embrace my mistakes, revealing a better understanding of what the universe wants for my art. I rebelled against rules of techniques, resulting in utopian environments echoing my love for fashion, textiles, and patterns.

I am also taking my art to the streets with Murals to advocate for social changes on racism, and women's rights. Each mural I create contains bright colors with hidden messages to observe and process. Techniques used: homemade inks, collage, watercolor, and encaustic wax painting with acrylic inks.

Artist Statement:

I create because it’s a gift from the universe. I am compelled and fascinated by organic shapes of nature and the female body as one element.

“I Am Aware I Am Rare" is my motto, embracing being a female black artist without boundaries for expression in my creations.

Artwork on display at bp:

People in color series 1 - 2023

11” x 22” framed - Acrylic / black ink $85

People in color series 22023

11” x 21” framed - Acrylic / black ink $85

artistsholo@gmail.com

Vilna Bashi

Dr. Vilna Bashi Treitler is Professor in the Department of Black Studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara, and a Professor of Sociology. Her scholarship and art centers on the intersection of race, migration, and inequality.

Her book, Survival of the Knitted: Immigrant Social Networks in a Stratified World (Stanford University Press, 2007), provides a new model of immigrant networks and shows how transnational networks shaped black migrants’ socioeconomic adaptation in New York, London, Canada, and the Caribbean. Survival was named Finalist for the Thomas-Znanecki Book Award given by the American Sociological Association’s section on International Migration.

Dr. Treitler is also an artist, who works in oil on canvas and Masonite; and in pigment painted and fired on glass. She studied with master painter Sam Adoquei at the Union Square Atelier, and participated in glass painting workshops both with master painter Jonathan Cooke (at Wheaton Arts), and with J. Kenneth Leap (at Bryn Athyn’s workshops on the Sacred Arts).

Artwork on display at bp: Meditations on Black Womanhood

18 by 24

$500

Vilnabashi@gmail.com