We learned a lot from this conversation. Now it's time to apply it! More on this soon!

It's a wrap! Thank you for making our first exhibition successful! More to come!

People... Check this out... The ever so talented @oladle has new work for sale on the site. Cop dat 👀 Dele only prints 10 if each design (5 large, 5 small)... Then you'll never see it again! Don't 💤 #blackart #denverart #digitalart #digitalartwork #frederickdouglass #jamesbrown #african #erykahbadu #andersonpaak

A couple weeks ago, @blackbirdinktattoo's first hired mural was defaced in the Five Points, across from Curtis Park. This was a heartbreaking situation for three young entrepreneurs... However, this has presented a valuable learning lesson for them that they are fully open to experiencing after seeking deeper understanding. The Five Points is a historic African American community that was often referred to as the 'Harlem of the West'... Why was it an African American community?? Because it was one of the only neighborhoods that Denver's Black residents were allowed to reside, due to segregation and its racist more nuanced descendent: redlining. In fact, in the 1920, 90% of Denver's African American Population resided in the Five Points. In more recent history, demographic shifts over the past 10-20 years have made the community predominately White (59%, ACS 2015-2019). The legacy of this dynamic is important to understand because of the sense of loss that is felt throughout Black and Latinx communities. These stats are more provocatively alarming as experienced on the community/family level and can create emotions of resentment especially as new, more affluent residents reap the benefits of improved property values and the rapidly changing built environment. So where does art come in?? Art that doesn't reflect the history and legacy of a community can inflame the emotions of gentrification when it is placed in locations that are culturally sentimental. The mural that was defaced was of a white woman drinking coffee, something that can be seen as culturally insensitive to a community that has experienced the type of loss that the Five Points has. This, by no means, justifies the vandalism, as conversations can be had without clout chasing. Where do we go from here? Instead of further polarizing and exacerbating the issues, I believe it is time to have intentional dialogues for recognition, healing, growth, and reconciliation. We want to talk about this to learn and represent the change that can start to create a more ideal, inclusive, and equitable future. Join us on Sunday, Feb 14th (in the COLD) to talk about this and what we can do to fix it.

We've got a treat for you. The visual art is only one part of the the upcoming exhibit... The research analysis, by Danielle Hodge PhD, is the highlight. Book your tickets today - Go to the website at the link in the bio!

Jan 31 - Feb 14 RAP RACE IDENTITY is an immersive exhibit based on the research of Danielle Hodge, PhD that sonically and visually brings scholarly analysis to life through the art of @jamesroyii Guests and hip hop heads alike will be systematically guided through a multisensory experience that includes the hard-hitting sounds, unapologetically Black lyricism, and evocative depictions of JAY-Z, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and Nipsey Hussle. Make no mistake, this exhibit isn’t about passively consuming Black art. Rather, it encourages intentional listening, critical viewing, and perceptive thinking. With each artist, guests will engage with how language is used to construct one's racial identity and reproduce and/or resist discourses of anti-black racism. For example, how does Kanye West's, "New Slaves" help us think through not only the mass incarceration of African Americans as a contemporary form of enslavement, but also the economic exploitation of Black labor? Or, how does Kendrick Lamar's, "The Blacker the Berry" call attention to the ways African Americans engage in cultural subversion to critique anti-black racism? Essentially, this exhibit begs the question: How do rap artists navigate their Africanity in a white supremacist society? In other words, how do they manage being Black in White America? -Danielle Hodge, PhD #hiphop #rap #art #artexhibition #jayz #nipseyhussle #kendricklamar #jcole #kanyewest #research #researchandart #artandresearch #raceandidentity #blackart #africanamerican @kendricklamar @realcoleworld @kanyewest @nipseyhussle

We in here!!!