Liberty Bank Building: Shovel-ready for art

First, the groundbreaking...

All images courtesy of LibertyBankBuilding.org

... and then we really get serious about making the art for the new Liberty Bank Building.  

This location used to be the site of the first black-owned bank west of the Mississippi.  

Now the land's being redeveloped into affordable apartments -- with art and design elements created by artists of African descent. I'm honored to contribute ten collage portraits for the future residents' permanent art collection.

As construction begins there, I'll be starting on the collages in my studio. It's a big project that will take a while, but I have A Plan, you'll see.

Onyx Fine Arts: the party's just begun

The party's not over yet at King Street Station -- in fact, "Truth B Told" has just found its second wind. 

With help from the Northwest Tap Connection, Onyx Fine Arts is celebrating the two-week extension of our group art exhibit! [happy dance]

In addition to the performance and visual pieces, Onyx Fine Arts will also host literary artists.

The African American Writer's Alliance will read poetry about the visual art in "Truth B Told." Looking forward to it!

Someone you know needs art

I'd like to share a happy moment with you, an unintentional pay-it-forward thing. Recently I talked to the person who bought this altered book, "Daddy Loves Me."

She said she'd wanted to purchase something I made, and the altered book came along at the right time. But it didn't quite feel like it 'belonged' to her. She decided to gift it to another friend. Immediately the recipient's eyes welled up.

The collector had had a difficult relationship with his father, but the art brought up a treasured memory: a childhood moment when he knew for sure that his daddy loved him.

That piece sold in 2015, and at the time I was quite happy someone wanted to take it home. But now I'm profoundly grateful as well: I feel that I helped someone remember a moment where everything was right and beautiful in his world.