Murals at MassMOCA Artist Residency

During Jan/Feb of 2020 I was an Artist in Residence at The Studios at MassMOCA.
I chose to spend my two weeks there painting 5 “Black Excellence Murals” that highlighted black people in the Boston area who are cultivating positive change in their communities.

Murals range in size from 7-8ft in length by 6-7ft in width and were made using dollar store paints due to their temporary nature on my studio walls. Many thanks to Assets4Artists and The CreateWell Fund for providing free room, board, studio accommodations and professional development workshops for the duration of my stay. And a very special thanks to the New England Foundation For The Arts’ additional support for travel and materials via their Creative Capacity Building Grant.

Black Excellence Mural #1: Stephen
I started my #blackhistorymonth by making a painting of Stephen Hamilton. He’s an artist that inspires me to keep pushing and creating depictions of black people with tenderness, heart, and soul. His work is steeped in amplifying African history and traditional textile techniques, woodcarving, and painting. You can find out more about his work here.

Black Excellence Mural #2: Jessicah

Jessicah Pierre is the ultimate Haitian Boss Babe! Whether it be creating systems of support for women via Queens Company, generating PR magic, or keeping us informed about politics via her blog and newsletter she exudes a sharp sense of style, warmth and honesty to connect people to the info they need. The way that she advocates for community over competition is nothing short of awesome.
Find out more about her work here.

Black Excellence Mural #3: Jamaal

While Jamaal spends his days teaching Boston students, his creativity flows at night into his poetry and visual art. In addition to being a published author (#fancy) he makes a point to create free/low cost events that support performance and art making for those seeking healing outlets. Been in admiration of this fellow’s kind nature and genuine passion around seeing his community deal with trauma by engaging with art. Follow his work here.

Black Excellence Mural #4: Ifé

I had the pleasure of meeting Ifé for the first time last year and was surprised to hear about her active legacy of art and activism over the decades. Her resilience and persistence is nothing short of incredible. Especially now, you should peep her website to read up on her “Indigo Project”, an interdisciplinary artwork that honors enslaved Africans/African Americans. She most recently got funding from NEFA to create some public art in the coming year, which I know will stimulate reflection on black strength that continues to propel us into the future. Gotta give black queer elders their flowers while they can still smell em! You can find out more about her work here.

Black Excellence Mural #5: L’Merchie

Despite serving as the Director of Education and Interpretation for the Boston Museum of African American History, L’Merchie Frazier still finds time to be an exquisite artist and poet. In addition to the wide range of her skill sets (from creating holograms for public art[!!!], doing dozens of residencies all over the world, and dropping knowledge on folks as a lecturer), what I admire most about L’Merchie is her sense of humor despite the avalanche of things on her to do list. Which tends to be filled with creating and facilitating dialogues and art experiences that support people reflecting on history, finding their own voices, and standing in their value. Google her to find out more about the way her work embodies the legacy of black history and the promise of a future filled with even more greatness.