MEET THE FOUR ARTS MEN AND ENTER THE CHICAGO YOUTH ART CHALLENGE
Read this week’s newsletter in its entirety here.
Artists, Barrett Keithley, Blake Lenoir and Dwight White and Eddie Santana ‘EDO’ White, also known as the Four Arts Men, have created Drifting En a Memory to inspire, motivate and educate young people interested in the visual arts. These Chicago based, internationally recognized artist have as their goal sharing their knowledge and expertise on building a successful art career.
Each of the artists have experienced success in their individual careers and entrepreneurial endeavors.
Keithley is a self-taught artist whose passion for art started as a child growing up on Chicago’s South Side reading and writing poetry. In 2020, during the height of the racial unrest following the murder of George Floyd, he co-founded the organization Paint the City with the goal to ‘heal the city through art.” The mural project has engaged more than 60 artists and worked with numerous local businesses all with the goal of ensuring artists voices are heard as they work to uplift the city of Chicago
Lenoir is an interdisciplinary visual artist who works in oil, acrylic and oil pastel, but began his career working in graphite and charcoal. He pulls inspiration from the expressionist, Dada, Cubism, baroque/modern art and surrealist movements. His portraitures tell stories of life and take on hard conversations around mental health. “I empathize with people’s struggles and depict that in my art”.
White is a multi-disciplinary creative, with ideas and strategy derived from his thorough understanding of consumers, brands, products and art. He utilizes these insights to inspire, innovate and explore culture through creativity. His brand work extends to McDonald’s, Adidas and Northwestern Football. He is the founder of Something I Can Feel, an annual celebration held during Juneteenth each year.
EDO is an arts entrepreneur who began his career in design, transitioning to fine art in 2017. His work has been shown at some of the country’s preeminent art fairs. He has designed for brands including Meta, Bank of America, Lululemon and Foot Locker. “I wasn’t introduced to art the formal way. I became an artist and then went back and did my homework.”
Students participating in Drifting En A Memory will garner an understanding of the competitive art world through the contest, and participation in artist led seminars exploring the different elements that come into play while building their art careers. The event will be held Saturday, April 6th from noon — 6 p.m. and is presented in partnership with Pigment International, The Four Arts Men, Gary Comer Youth Center and The Study Hotel on the campus of the University of Chicago.
