“What I hear, I keep” Exhibition
The Black Art Today Foundation and Stem & Vine presents Griots - Mate Masie -"What I hear, I keep".
The traditional Griot (or Jeli) of West Africa is a historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, and musician. They are the living libraries of their communities, charged with the sacred duty of preserving ancestry, battles, and cultural wisdom through oral tradition. This exhibit proposes that the Visual Artist is the contemporary Griot.
The following artists exemplify the very essence of Griot:
Alma Roberts | Anita Henley Carrington | Babacar Pouye | Bryane Broadie | David W.M. Cassidy | Emery Franklin | James Murphy, Jr. | Nicholas Austin-Wakefield | Tanya Bracey | Thomas E. Dade | Dr. Yemonja Smalls
The theme Mate Masie -"What I hear, I keep," posits that in an increasingly visual world, the responsibility of the storyteller has migrated from the tongue to the eye. The artists selected for this exhibit do not simply create aesthetic objects; they chronicle the times, preserve the "oral" histories of their communities through iconography, and weave the thread that connects the past to the future.
The exhibit asks the audience to view the canvas not as silent objects, but as loud, vibrant stories that are "speaking" history.
This exhibition is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council.
(The contents for this event were created by Alicia and Lisa Clark of The Black Art Today Foundation)
Enchanted Excellence "A Canvas of Couture and Culture," The Ivy Foundation of Northern Virginia & The Black Art Today Foundation
The event is hosted by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Zeta Chi Omega Chapter & The Ivy Foundation of Northern Virginia (IFNV). The exhibit will be part of the The Cooley-Moore Scholarship Luncheon and Fashion Show on Sunday, November 9, 2025 at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner
Enchanted Elegance A Canvas of Couture and Culture seeks submissions from emerging and established artists whose work resonates with the themes of Black excellence, HBCU legacy, Divine Nine culture, scholarship, and service. We welcome diverse media, including painting, photography, digital art, sculpture, and mixed-media.
We are especially interested in pieces that offer a contemporary interpretation of these enduring traditions.
This exhibit theme is designed to be elegant, meaningful, and directly supportive of the fundraising goals of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Zeta Chi Omega Chapter and the Ivy Foundation of Northern Virginia. It will provide a sophisticated and culturally rich backdrop for a successful scholarship event.
(The contents for this event were created by Alicia and Lisa Clark of The Black Art Today Foundation)
Untitled Solo Exhibition
This intimate two-day exhibition was a celebration of Blackness, queerness, and the many all-nighters I pulled during my time at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Every inch of this show was about claiming room to exist— and taking up space.
Black Artists and Designers x Carr Haus Café Annual Exhibition
The Black Artists and Designers (BAAD) student organization of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) is hosting an exhibition at the Carr Haus Café, working to showcase work that centers the experiences, hopes, and dreams of the beautiful Black voices on campus and amplify said voices during Black History Month.
2024 Black Biennial Exhibition
Introducing our 2024 exhibition theme: SONDER
n. the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own-populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inheritances.
Everyone has a story.
2022 Black Biennial Exhibition
The Black Biennial: an exhibition highlighting the rich, Black cultural production of Providence, RI. We aim to forge a creative constellation of makers, designers and performers by offering space to gather, reflect, rest, and envision New Beginnings.