Join us for a screening of Dear Black Artist in conjunction with our exhibition, The United Colors of Robert Earl Paige. Dear Black Artist is a documentary project that began right before the pandemic and highlights 77 Black artists as an ode to the 77 communities in Chicago. In the documentary, the artists discuss their creative journeys, barriers to access, and their greatest hopes for Black artists in the future to give the viewer a snapshot of multigenerational perspectives and ideas around what success and access for Black artists looks like in Chicago. There will be a post film discussion with featured artists, Shani Crowe and Shyvette Williams moderated by the film’s creator, Rachel Gadson.

About The Filmmaker: Rachel Gadson

Rachel Gadson was born and raised on the southside of Chicago. She has a strong attachment to the creative arts community and is a proud Chicagoan. She attended Florida A&M University where she attained her Bachelors in the field of Graphic Design (magna cum laude); and also studied design, photography, and animation at Studio Arts Center International, in Florence, Italy.

A combination of love for the creative arts industry, and a keen desire to empower artists (specifically artists of color) shapes the trajectory of Rachel’s career and it’s the same fire that keeps her propelling toward her goals. With a portfolio that spans across varying industries with clients like Jewel Osco, PNC Bank, Hilton, Samsung, and GitHub, Gadson now dedicates her time creating equitable access for more Black artists.

Through her work, she seeks to expand the narrative of how we begin to create more inclusive environments where the talents and works of Black artists are more visible, and the appreciation and love of our art is highly regarded.

About Shani Crowe: 

Shani Crowe is an interdisciplinary artist who received her BFA in film production from Howard University’s John H. Johnson School of Communications in 2011. Her work centers on cultural coiffure, adornment and beauty ritual, as they relate to the diasporic African, and how these practices function as tools to foster connectivity. She  is  most  known  for  creating  intricate corn-rowed  hairstyles,  then  capturing  them  as  large  photographic  portraits.Shani also uses hair and hair related material to create structures and installations.

Shani is part of the ensemble selected to represent the US in the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale, her  work  and performances  have  been  featured  at  the  Broad  in  Los  Angeles,  on  Saturday  Night  Live  in  collaboration  with  Solange  Knowles,  the  Museum  of  Contemporary  African  and  Diasporan  Art  (MoCADA),  in  Brooklyn,  NY, the  Urban  Institute  of  Contemporary  Art,  in  Grand  Rapids,  MI,  Columbia  University,  and  Soho  House Chicago. She lives and works on Chicago’s south side.

About Shyvette Williams: 

Shyvette Williams’s early talents blossomed in Chicago, where Shyvette  was nurtured through the Chicago Public Schools System. She was born  in New Orleans, Louisiana. As a young adult, she received scholarships  to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago to study fashion illustration. Her diverse experiences, including runway modeling, theater costume  design, book illustration, painting, and extensive international travel, contribute to the complexity of her art. Runway modeling offered an  opportunity to experience the continental art scene firsthand. Some of  her many exhibitions in Chicago include Nicole Gallery, the South Side Community Art Center, A.R.C. Gallery, Woman Made Gallery 2012, The University of Illinois, Prairie State College, Little Black Pearl, and Urban  Traditions. She has also exhibited at Gordon Robichaux Gallery, New  York, NY, 2019; Aurora University, Aurora, IL; Noyes Cultural Art Center,  Evanston, IL.; and The Bridgeport Art Center, 2022. 

Her publications include Literati Internazionale, 1991; A Sound Investment, Sonia  Sanchez, 1993; The Chicago Art Scene, 2000; African Art: The Diaspora  and Beyond, Daniel T. Parker, 2004; WGCI- AM/FM calendar, Diasporal  Rhythms A 10-year love affair with collecting catalog 2013, Hyde Park  Art Center catalog Not Just Another Pretty Face 2010-13 -16-19. The  Sapphire & Crystals FORWARD exhibition catalog 2022. Also, Sapphire  and Crystals Freedoms Muse catalogue 2023. Shyvette was one of the  featured artists in the 2018 award-winning documentary The Color of  Art by filmmaker David Weathersby.