As controversial as she is celebrated, Kara Walker is a prolific artist who helped define an entire generation of Black creators. Now, her collected works on paper from 1992 through 2020 have been gathered together for a new book and exhibit—Kara Walker: A Black Hole Is Everything a Star Longs to Be. Here are a few selections from that book, along with a brief essay by curator Anita Haldemann, explaining how Walker’s drawings are a “dance of skepticism and faith”  “Untitled,” 1997–1999  In the early 1990s, while...

Historic art forms and stories are on full display at the Turtle Bay Exploration Park. A new addition to the museum is an exhibit on the Jingle Dress, a traditional Native garment typically worn during ceremonies.  The Jingle Dress and its dance are believed to be a source of healing for Indigenous communities. In addition, it sheds light on violent crimes committed against Native American women. For April Carmelo of Redding, a guest curator and citizen of the Greenville Rancheria, this exhibit is personal. “This exhibit is...

Typically, when we ruminate over the inspirations behind some of the world’s most beautiful works of art, we tend to assume that artists are always drawn to the extraordinary. However, there are some who seek out simpler subjects, and through them, achieve something just as grand. London-based artist Gianna Dispenza’s solo exhibit, Overcome by Joy—being presented at the Charles Moffett Gallery in New York through June 5—is a celebration of the sentiment that there is beauty in the small things. In the following conversation with Dispenza, we...

Nine-year old Amal is not a typical girl. Standing almost 12 feet tall, "Little Amal" is a puppet that's set to travel across Turkey and Europe in search of her mother. This ambitious public art project, called "The Walk," was created by a humanitarian theatre group called Good Chance. In this project, Little Amal will travel to 70 different towns, cities, and villages, including those based in Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, and France, until she reaches the U.K. The Walk Project was meant to have taken...

Film director and artist Robin Frohardt sends a powerful message through her short film, Plastic Bag Store: The Film. Using colorful objects and puppetry, Frohardt’s film depicts how wasteful humans are, and how we’re destroying our planet. The curtains open, introducing us to a market called "The Plastic Bag Store."  Colorful, delectable items are on full display: cupcakes, cereal, fruit, vegetables. At first glance, these items appear to be real. But upon closer inspection, we see that the items are made of plastic, with names like...

Welcome to the side of TikTok that empowers women, attacks creepy old men in the comments, stays body-positive, and lives life unapologetically. The key players on this side are Mia Khalifa (@miakhalifa) and lots of bisexual women. They all make light of the terrible things they have gone through as a generation, while motivating their mutuals to do better. Here is a list of 10 more women on TikTok who are inspiring their followers with their authentic and down-to-earth content. It’s a take on that meme...

It’s the time of year when poets of all backgrounds come together and are celebrated for their work. National Poetry Month was created in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, in the hopes of uplifting and showcasing work capable of capturing the imaginations of the general public. And in that same spirit, here are some amazing women writers who speak to the soul and will make you want to tap into your highest self. 1. Amanda Gorman There's no question that Amanda Gorman should be first...

Art is a medium that has the power to bring people together and to share the lives and experiences of those who may feel unheard and forgotten about. With her talents as both an artist and a storyteller, Jennifer Mack-Watkins’s exhibit "Children of the Sun" provides a look into the world of being a Black child growing up during an era of struggle, fear, and uncertainty. This exhibit is meant to provide a space where Black children can be celebrated and uplifted.  According to her press...

On Sunday, April 11th, 2021- PROPHETS OVER PROFITS [P.O.P], the Brooklyn based art collective is back for its annual fundraiser, this year as a virtual online event to raise money and awareness for 50 different artists and art collectives. Every year musicians, DJs, producers, bartenders, and allies volunteer their time and talents making Prophets Over Profits possible. This year, with Covid hitting these communities hard, P.O.P has partnered with fiscal sponsors, Brooklyn Arts Council , Ilegal Mezcal  and Founders Brewing Co to fundraise for those 50+...

When 33-year-old artist Shirien Damra first learned about the death of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man who was gunned down while jogging in Georgia last year, she, like many of us, was angry and heartbroken. As a gesture of solidarity with Black Lives Matter, and as a way to raise awareness about what happened, she created a portrait as a tribute—one that would display his humanity. Shortly after, she illustrated similar portraits for Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, two Black Americans who were killed by police....