There's a plethora of underrepresented Black artistry in Beaver County, and a local nonprofit is hoping to change that.
In partnership with the Heinz Endowments and the Pittsburgh Foundation, Beaver County-based The Genesis Collective is joining an initiative called Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh.
Except instead of advancing Black creatives in the steel city, The Genesis Collective is highlighting artists in Beaver County.
"We want to make sure creatives know we are for them," said Pamela Rossi-Keen, executive director of The Genesis Collective.
More:Beaver County artists to support and collaborate through Genesis Collective
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
The nonprofit seeks to supportthe work of artists, sponsor and collaborateon efforts that will bring more art into the public sphere, offer creative and educational opportunities to Beaver County residents, and highlight beautiful things already happening in the area.
Black artistry is prevalent in Beaver County, but it lacks exposure and opportunity. The Genesis Collective wants to highlight that creativity.
"A lot of decision making is happening with the same demographic of people, and it's not necessarily representative of every voice," Rossi-Keen said.
The nonprofitprioritizes advancing all artists and creatives, not just the dominant voices, she said.
The Genesis Collective garnered support from the Heinz Endowments and the Pittsburgh Foundation after it submitted anapplication and proposal to be a part of the Advancing Black Arts initiative.
The initiative is a "joint grantmaking program created and managed through a partnership between the Pittsburgh Foundation and the Heinz Endowments," according to its website. "The program is committed to helping create a vibrant cultural life in Pittsburgh and the region."
As a part of the initiative,The Genesis Collective hosted acompetition for local Black creatives, and designed a teaching program to furtherBlackartistry in the region.
'Being Black in Beaver County'
There were 18 submissions and three winners for the competition, which asked Black creatives toreflect on the theme "Being Black in Beaver County."
That theme, Rossi-Keen said,could look countlessdifferent ways.
"It could be a story of joy, pain, laughter, community, thriving, overcoming, or anything else that is reflective of these words to you," the instructions read.
And any medium was permitted, from painting, poetry and photography, to podcasting, quilting and praise dancing, or anything in between.
Art is prophetic, Rossi-Keen said. It can act as a transformative movement thatempowers individuals and communities.
"I like the prophetic nature of art.That's part of the reason The Genesis Collective exists," she said. "If this can uplift and support the work and businesses of artists of color, and lend a different voice that acts as a megaphone — I'll be reallyhappy with the success of it."
The entries were judged by a team of five independent judges, Rossi-Keen said, "who have nothing to do with Genesis Collective."
The judges were all from Beaver and Allegheny counties and have backgrounds in the arts.
The three winners received cash prizes of $1,200 for first place, $1,000 for second, and $800 for third.
First place went to Marlon Gist of Aliquippa for his piece, "Gist Ave."
"I have hopes and aspirations for my community," Gist said in his artist statement about the piece."My piece 'Gist Ave'shows an image of love and peace among familiar faces. A happy place to be for African American people! When people get along and work together, communities form like 'Gist Ave!'"
Second place went to Latonya Owens of Aliquippa for her piece, "Unspoken Dreams."
"What came to me was unspoken dreams of our youth," Owens said in her artist statement about the piece."Football no doubt is the success story of every Black kids and parents dreams but what about other sports and art forms. In the predominantly Black schools there isn’t any creative outlets, or other sports offered besides your basics to act on certain gifts our students had."
Owens said she kept envisioning a girl dancing and doing gymnastics. She knew of a young girl in the area who did gymnastics, and asked to take photos of her.
"My inspiration stemmed from Simone Biles. When I seen the child do her tricks, I said, 'Wow, she could be the next Simone Biles,'" Owens said. "No one knows about her and sadly, due to resources and opportunities for the Black students in the area, they may never will. So I decided to capture her in her back yard, practicing. She does wantto become a gold medalist one day and her mother told me her middle name is actually Simone!I’m like, wow!"
Third place went to Seth Whitted of Beaver Falls for his piece, "White Comfort."
"I use art to break down negative cycles, problems and also success stories,"
Whitted said in his artist statement explaining the piece. "Also, art leads me to study history and find parallels to similar issues and success stories. Lastly, my art holds me accountable to myself, and it holds my society accountable in sticking to processes that produce positive results."
In his piece, Whitted has what he calls "a challenging conversation about bias."
"Our entire lives, most of us Blacks are told to leave Beaver County in order to succeed," he said. "Most of the time, Black people will just call people racist when something negative happens due to their skin color. At the same time, white folks who aren’t by definition ‘racist’ usually tend to respond by pleading about how they don’t have any issues with Black people. I wanted to accurately diagnose this ongoing situation that no one can seem to have a productive conversation about. My observation led me to the concept of bias."
An exhibit showcasing Black creatives will take place from 7-9 p.m. Nov. 19 at the Upper Room, 772 Ohio Ave. inMidland.
It is open to the public and refreshments will be provided. For those who live in Aliquippa and Beaver Falls andare unable to drive to the event, a shuttle will be available to drive to and from the exhibit. To sign up for a ride, email hello@gcollective.org with "Need a ride" in the subject line.
Teaching young creatives
In conjunction with the competition, The Genesis Collective created an opportunity for three entrants to participate in a paid, one-month teaching program.
Three creatives have already been chosen, Rossi-Keen said, and will partner with The Center in Midland, Aliquippa Impact, and Neighborhood North: Museum of Play in Beaver Falls to teach children in the community andfurther Black artistry in the area.
Details are still underway, but the teaching program will likely take place in early 2022.
Dani Fitzgerald is thecommunity and health reporter for the Beaver County Times. Reach her at dfitzgerald@timesonline.com, and follow her on Twitter @dfitzgeraldb.
