Dara Haskins (b.1992 Baltimore, MD) has rooted her practice in Philadelphia, working primarily in painting oil portraits and figurative oil and mixed media paintings. Addressing the ways the black body has been represented and looked at throughout history, she challenges the identity of being seen and unseen connecting historical content to contemporary spaces and how that relationship coexists. She is currently working on a series called Havana Time expressively from her own photographs of people she spent time within Cuba. Her large to small-scale paintings of objects, people, and places connect daily in domestic environments within the African diaspora. She is also working on a series called Quarantine Paintings that reflects on dealing with isolation, time, and opportunity during the pandemic of COVID-19. Haskins received her BFA at The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 2019. Winning the Artist of the Week from Rush Art Gallery (May 2020) and The J. Henry Scheidt Memorial Travel Scholarship to Cuba (2019). She currently lives and works in Philadelphia.

Anthony Folks is a visual artist most known for his collage works on paper. He received his BFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) before completing his master’s degree program in Art Education at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). While at SAIC, Hip-Hop became a source of artistic research for pedagogy. As his collage work continues to evolve, he is currently inspired by Kuba Cloth patterns and designs. While volunteering at the Stoney Island Arts Bank – working with the Johnson Publishing Collection – Anthony co-curated collection objects aimed at refreshing the narratives surrounding African American history. His recent exhibitions include: CONNECT at South Shore Arts and the 2019 8th Annual Invitational Exhibition: Friends and Neighbors at AIRSPACE.

Kenyssa Evans is an interdisciplinary artist from Washington, DC, and now resides in Philadelphia. She received her BFA in Photography and Digital Arts with a minor in Curatorial Studies from Moore College of Art and Design, Philadelphia (‘20). Her work highlights spatial narratives that are both personal and universal through the lens of Black life, aesthetic, and imaginary. With the main use of imagery and materiality that are in constant metaphorical motion to our physical and digital reality, she set forth a visual social study of infinite and finite space through psychology and post-independent visual culture of Blackness.

Mikel Elam was born in Philadelphia. He attended the University of the Arts receiving his BFA in painting. He also attended the School of the Visual Arts in New York. He has been showing his paintings in numerous gallery spaces nationally and internationally for the last 25 years.

Taj DeVore-Bey is a filmmaker from Philadelphia. Through his body of work, he aims to leave his viewers with a sense of perspective. He is inspired by directors such as Spike Lee, Terrence Malick, and Ava DuVernay. He is inspired by cinematographers such as Bradford Young, Emmanuel (Chivo) Lubezki, and Ernest Dickerson.

Steven Cooper is an artist who specializes in photography, video, and graphic design. When creating art pieces, he takes his own photos from his archive and “enhances” them. Making them into true works of art from plain photos. Starting photography in late 2010, in 2017, Steven shifted into the art space participating in various shows around Philadelphia and other states.

Robert is a full-time artist working mainly in photography, specializing in commercial portraiture and figurative fine art. Some of the thematic elements found throughout his work include rich colors and painterly light, impactful storytelling through imagery, and a commitment to portraying his subjects – especially those of BIPOC identity, in elevated, radiant, and expansive ways. In this way, he aspires to contribute to the larger narrative of who we are as people and how we show up in the world. Robert also has a background in music and writing as a vocalist and poet.

Amir Campbell, also known as Amiracle, is a multi-faceted creative. His work revolves around displaced identity and unity through the lens of integration and assimilation into American Culture as an African American. Through his work, he communicates and forms relationships with his audience. Amiracle uses his subject matter to advance the opportunity to introduce them to the world of artistic expression and explain his views with a sincere hope to reach all who can connect with unity, oneness, and the perspective of exciting hope. His ultimate vision is to blend the worlds of fine art with street art.

Lindsay Bedford is a Spatial Storyteller, Communications Strategist, and an agent of change in her community. In June of 2021, Lindsay will graduate from Drexel University with a Master of Science in Interior Architecture & Design. Lindsay is passionate about the power of design and the opportunities it provides to spark change in our communities and society overall. This belief influenced her graduate thesis, where she explored the role of the museum in the 21st century and how design can be utilized to create a more equitable and culturally responsive art museum, specifically in an underserved community in Philadelphia.

In his somewhat simplistic yet playfully unapologetic approach, Caff Adeus’ work boldly says what a lot of artists wouldn’t dare express openly. His practice includes portrait photography, sculptures, and abstract paintings that explore Picasso’s dictum that anyone can learn to paint, but it takes a lifetime to paint like a child. Adeus’ pursuit incorporates commonality, antagonistic critiques of history, civil disparities, and political structures in aggressively condescending tones. Between mocking and challenging social constructs, he offers a front-row seat to a self-deprecating appraisal of himself as an art world outsider.