My poster ‘Generational Rebirth’ won the ‘Spirit of Augusta’ award at the Augusta Poster Show.
This show curated by Jason Craig at Candle Fine Art Gallery in Downtown Augusta was a event honoring local artists/creatives of various backgrounds and medium - and more importantly, what we loved most about our city! 30 artists. 30 posters. Only 30 copies of each. I sold more than half of my posters!
I felt exactly what I wanted my particular piece to pay homage to: a sense of community. I refuse to take up space without honoring those who came before me. The neighboring tribes of Creek + Cherokee indigenous folk that this land belongs to. The settlement of many of our Ancestors - including free + enslaved Black folk. Freedom is a concept I like to touch on a lot in my work (not just limited to art). Freedom from colonial mindsets. Freedom from our own self-limiting beliefs. Freedom from all the paradoxes we find ourselves in that have lied to us that joy is not our birthright. The past teaches us about the present. We have to understand our history to analyze patterns today. To empower future generations. To continue taking up space + reclaiming our Power.
I hope to continue contributing to the collection + preservation of Black history, arts + culture.
Press around the event:
As Audre Lorde said, “Without community, there is no liberation”. We are deeply tied to one another.
I feel very humbled in a lot of ways every time I walk into my studio + see the ‘Spirit of Augusta’ award that my poster received.
A spirit is “any incorporeal supernatural being that can become visible […] to human beings”, and I’m grateful I was able to bring visibility to Black history in Augusta through my particular piece. We make up more than 50% of the population. We are here. Full of beautiful stories that capture joy, triumph from tragedy, the true essence of community, + faith.
AND on an internal level, giving myself permission to take up space and be seen has made me visible to myself! Our stories create worlds. Being part of this experience shifted a self-limiting narrative I’ve held onto for quite some time. I just moved back to Augusta this past January, but I didn’t have a lot of pleasant memories growing up here during my adolescence. It’s been a journey recaliberating my nervous system.
Trauma robs us of so much, but it’s been nice to realize that joy can absolutely coexist with grief. That I can accomplish anything I focus on if I believe in my knowledge + abilities. Our inner child sometimes wants to hold a grudge, but when I step back: I really am surrounded by an abundance of love. And support.
There’s so much to be grateful for + I’m excited to see what these new chapters look like.
There’s so many different things I love about Augusta. It was hard to choose how I wanted to bring my gratitude for the city to life — but I ended up wanting to show love to our rich history, particularly Black history. Some of my fondest memories as a teen, and even now as an adult, is escaping to the Savannah Rapids & just taking in the beautiful canal (My nature lovers know!). Our town is one of the major Georgia cities along the Savannah River & I wanted to highlight how many Black families engaged in baptisms in the river.
Springfield is an important place in African American history in Georgia. The land was a sanctuary for free Black folk during the antebellum era. Springfield was the capital of southern African America!
I’m in awe of the fact that Springfield has not only one of the oldest Black Churches in America— but is also the oldest Black church of any denomination. Morehouse College was founded in the basement of Springfield Baptist Church before moving to Atlanta in 1879. You can learn more about this history by visiting Springfield Village Park. They have so many plaques outside mapping out the timeline.
In my piece, I hoped to capture this legacy. Restoration. History. Community. It’s important for me as a creative that my art makes people feel uncomfortable (not unsafe), curious, engaged/initiate dialogue or research, + feel more empathetic [to others or for themselves]. My art not only serves as a form of expression, but to preserve cultural values.
