If These Walls Could Talk

Generationally, the Black experience in America has been "us" against "them". The race war has forced Black Americans to see themselves in a constant state of external and internal rage, as Baldwin puts it. Our ancestors woke up every day to a fight! A fight for the freedom of our bodies, freedom to access quality education, freedom to vote, freedom to exist. Living the Black experience today means constantly fighting within our communities and within ourselves. 

'If These Walls Could Talk: The Inner Dialogue' is a visual creative journey into our homes, bodies, and souls to explore the Black experience. The artwork selected by the curatorial team will reflect the inner battle we as Black Americans face. We did not choose to be Black in America, but we owe it to ourselves and our ancestors to fight every day! The selected artists will seek to address themes such as, "Who are you when no one is looking?" "What are some of the deepest secrets?" "What masks do you use to mask your true identities?"

Ms. Joli, the creative director of BlkArthouse and a cultural journalist, collaborates with Dontae Muse of Above Art Studios to bring together Black artists who portray the stories of our people, Black people. "As a Black woman, I want to use art to transform my people from the inside out. We wake up every day to internal struggles that no one sees. Nobody truly understands this." "There's more to our story than what meets the eye, and the theme  --- the walls we've built around ourselves keep us safe."