PIGMENT INTERNATIONAL AT 57TH STREET ART FAIR
Photos by Doug Kenney
Read the newsletter in its entirety here.
For the fourth year Pigment International was a partner to the 57th Street Art Fair, the oldest art fair in Chicago, held in the Hyde Park Neighborhood. The multi-media platform highlighted works by D. Lammie Hanson, Reggie McFly, Ladipo, Martha Wade, D. Lamar Preston, Minnie Watkins and Jennifer Warren.
Joining the collective at the event was Chicago 5th Ward Alderman Desmon Yancey
The collective was able to share more info about the Pigmented Black Fine Art Faire at Zhou B. Art Center October 30 — November 1.
WHY THE ARTS CAN’T AFFORD TO BE CANCELED
By Scott Terry, Mahogany Black Art & Cultural Center
Arts and cultural Institutions Are Under Threat-But We’re Not Backing Down
Across the U.S., federal funding for arts and cultural institutions is being slashed. Federal grant funds earmarked for Mahogany Black Arts & Cultural Center and hundreds of other organizations across the country were abruptly cut, creating a domino effect on all aspects of our organizations.
Longstanding sources of funding to advance the arts, have been completely gutted or reduced to never-before-seen levels. At first glance, it may seem like just another budget cut-but it’s something deeper. It’s a new form of cancel culture: the cancellation of creative expression, cultural preservation, and community connection.
This moment demands a response-not just from artists, historians and cultural workers, but from all of us who believe in the power of storytelling, history, and shared experience.
ASHRO PRESENTS 5TH ANNUAL ONWARD & UPWARD ARTIST SHOWCASE CONTEST
Ashro, the premier apparel company for African American women, in partnership with the Ashro Community Council, Pigment International®, and UMOJA Magazine is sponsoring The Onward & Upward Artist Showcase. Art has always been a key piece in the rich storytelling of the Black experience. We’re seeking submissions that speak to this year’s theme: Celebrate Black Joy & Triumph.
The Onward & Upward Artist Showcase Contest is open to legal residents in the United States who are 16 years of age or older as of their date of entry. The Grand Prize winner will receive a $500 Cash Prize. The Young Adult Award is for Ages 16–21 and the winner will receive a $500 scholarship. Both winners will receive a subscription to Pigment Intl. magazine.
Learn more and enter the contest here.
PRESERVING DETROIT’S BLACK CULTURAL LEGACY
From Dr. Kelli Morgan
I am writing as the Founding Executive Director of the Black Artists Archive (BAA) to share our mission and request your support. BAA is committed to preserving and promoting the legacies of Detroit’s Black and underserved artists, especially from the post-WWII era through the 1980s. We focus on recovering unprocessed archival materials, often stored privately and at risk of being lost, and making them accessible through exhibitions, education, and stewardship.
Since officially becoming a 501(c)(3) in 2024, BAA has rapidly established its internal structures rooted in equity and community. In just a few months, we formed a board, finalized our operating plan, built a digital presence, initiated live artist interviews on Instagram, and developed our website in collaboration with Purple Rock Scissors. We also created curricula for our virtual curatorial training center, BCI, and began research with SMU DataArts.
Key accomplishments include:
- Hosting a convening with the Michigan Chapter of the National Conference of Artists.
- Launching Angles & Archives, a monthly community dialogue series.
- Securing $125,000 from the Terra Foundation to begin work on The Black Canon archive.
- Growing our digital and media reach, including national press and participation in EXPO Chicago.
- Enrolling 96 students from across seven countries in BCI, including museum staff from the University of Michigan.
Looking ahead, BAA will expand its programming and partnerships, including launching a public-access website, a virtual exhibition on Eldzier Cortor, and a new archive project on Dr. Lucile Cruz Arellano Gajec. We also plan to debut Candid Culture, a 2026 virtual exhibition on Black performance and activism in Detroit.
We respectfully ask for your support with a personal gift of $1,000–$5,000 to help sustain this work. Your contribution will help preserve and amplify vital cultural legacies.
