Undoubtedly aspiring artists face many roadblocks when looking to establish a career. What specific challenges did you overcome that allowed you to move forward as a working artist?
One of the many challenges I faced as an artist was getting my work seen. When I graduated from college, I submitted my work to all the major and minor local African American art galleries. I received one reply. Some of them I walked into with hat in hand. They wouldn’t even take a look at the work. I was even told that I needed to be dead or famous to even be thought of as important enough to be considered. A friend of mine shared information about an art organization called the National Conference of Artists of Michigan (NCA) led by the wonderful Shirley Woodson-Reid. I gave them a call and she warmly invited me to bring my work in to share. There I found a home. Through the NCA I’ve been able to show my work locally and nationally. I’ve networked and had the opportunity to collaborate and build with some of the greatest artists. I’ve even had a chance to meet three of my idols Ernie Barnes, Jacob Lawrence, and Dr. Samella Lewis.
Titled - Karoke