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Black Carolina
Black Carolina is a two-pronged initiative aimed at strengthening the ecosystem of Black artists in the Carolinas for transformative collaboration and resounding community impact. It consists of the Black Carolina Collective and the Black Carolina Artist Residency. This initiative is made possible by the generous support of the Wallace Foundation, a national philanthropy that supports organizations around the country to advance well-being in the arts for communities of color.
The Black Carolina Collective
Established in July 2023, the Black Carolina Collective (BCC) is a membership for Black artists in North and South Carolina, designed to support excellent and sustainable arts-based initiatives in our region that are community-centered and artist-led. The collective was founded to give greater power to spaces in which artists intentionally learn, create, and grow together.
Major offerings of the BCC:
- Members are invited to conference and retreat-style events exclusively for the collective, that encourage collaboration, discourse, and expansion.
- Members are able to network and exchange inspiration with like-minded creatives and art leaders. Past event keynotes included LaToya Ruby Frazier, Kimberly Drew, and others.
- Members have professional and creative development opportunities throughout the year, which are primarily yielded by the connections and sharing of resources between members of the collective.
- Members have exclusive access to apply to the Black Carolina Artist Residency.
Two key goals of Black Carolina are to include as many Black artists in the region as possible, and evolve our offerings. To send us information about yourself or an artist to be included the Black Carolina Collective, complete the form below.
The Black Carolina Artist Residency
The Harvey B. Gantt Center's Black Carolina Artist Residency is our strategy to strengthen and sustain the well-being of our organization and community through the growth, dreams, and contributions of artists as community leaders.
The Black Carolina Artist Residency selects a yearly cohort of five diversely talented Black artists from the Black Carolina Collective to be developed during a 6-month residency (January-July). The artists-in-residence learn and create through an equity and social justice lens, and implement in-community projects informed by their work.
The Black Carolina Artist Residency is exclusively available to artists in the Black Carolina Collective. To join the collective and learn how to apply to the residency, send an email to [email protected] with the following information: full name, artist name (if different from your name), bio, any website and social media information, and interest in applying to the residency. You will then receive more details about the residency and how to apply.
The 2024 Black Carolina Artist Residency Cohort
Cookie Washington
Torreah "Cookie" Washington is a fourth-generation needle worker. Cookie is the first in this long line of needle workers to take up art quilting. Yet she feels her connection very deeply to her foremothers, whenever a needle and bit of cloth is in her hands. She says "I want to make art that challenges people to feel, art that makes you soar and annoys, art that challenges them to learn more about the subject and their own feelings about it." Learn more about Cookie Washington at cookiesewsquilts.com.
Dr. de'Angelo DIA
Theopoet and mystic, de'Angelo DIA, examines culture and moral imagination through poetry, performance art, and photography. His work is grounded in the aesthetic of neo-Appalachian art, the charismatic nature of the Black church, mythology, and a multitude of theologies that inspire mysticism. Learn more about Dr. de'Angelo DIA at dia1518.com.
Georgie Nakima
"My journey in creative arts intertwined with biological sciences the day that I entered Winston-Salem State University as a Biology major and Chemistry minor. If anything, learning the gateways of nature and geometrical patterns was enlightening; my studies really nurtured my sense of wonder and research. Today, I am empowered to plant seeds of art and science together in hopes to carry conversations of well-being, nature preservation, and humanity." Learn more about Georgie Nakima at gardenofjourney.com.
Monique Luck
Monique Luck models the features of figures and natural forms using fragments of found paper. Luck is an award-winning visual artist and muralist with a focus on community & public art. "The emotion in my work comes directly from the emotions I experience in life. As I assemble a collage, I often wish I could rearrange pieces of my life as I do pieces of colored paper. Each day I am reminded that life choices are not as easily moved." Learn more about Monique Luck at moniqueluckart.com.
Dammit Wesley
Dammit Wesley as a multi-disciplinary artist utilizes fine art, digital art, and live events to immerse audiences into the heightened reality of the Black experience. Learn more about Dammit Wesley at thinkcolor.bigcartel.com.
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