Mark Edward Adams Sculptor

In his latest work, sculptor Mark Edward Adams incorporates symbolism from ancient tomb sculptures to tell similar stories from a modern, Western point of view.

Alanna Airitam Photographic Artist

Fatigued by incessant news of black people being shot and killed, and with the election as the final straw, artist Alanna Airitam decided create a body of work to portray black people as she knows them to be, which is far from the media’s persistently negative narrative. “I was tired of the narrative that we aren’t worthy of being treated with respect, that we aren’t beautiful, that we don’t belong,” she says. Alanna set out to prove these negative messages false with images that reveal the “true grace, pride, beauty, power, and strength” of black people in the face of all they have suffered.

Mee Shim Painter

Mee Shim translates Eastern tradition and philosophy through her Face paintings. Ultimately, she says, this series is about unification. Onto each Face, Mee has “engraved the symbolic universes representing the philosophy that the intuitive and introspective concept of self are united within the whole of creation.”

James Watts Sculptor

With “The Bone Project,” James Watts drew upon his multiple disciplines to create a sculpture of himself — his pain, his joy, all his experiences in life — as a way of making peace with mortality.

Neil Kendricks Filmmaker

A veteran filmmaker, photographer, writer, and film professor, Neil explores many concepts and emotions with his experimental films and video art installations.

Nathaniel Clark Painter

Nathaniel Clark paints the narratives that “spring from his unconscious.” He says, “For me, making a painting is a bit like wandering in the desert. I may begin with a vague notion of a destination, but the pleasure is in the unexpected discoveries and unplanned detours.”