Black Artists Network Showcases Work Of Black Creatives

Ayrika Hall is the founder of the Black Artists Network, which was launched with the goal to create a community of Black artisans. PHOTO BY RYAN BESHEL.
Ayrika Hall is the founder of the Black Artists Network, which was launched with the goal to create a community of Black artisans. PHOTO BY RYAN BESHEL.

Black Artists Network Showcases Work Of Black Creatives

By Tia Carol Jones

A collective of Black artists has found a home in West Town thanks to the West Town Pop Up Project. The Black Artists Network hosted its grand opening at 1901 W. Chicago Ave. earlier this month.

Ayrika Hall founded Black Artists Network around 2019 when Hall was an undergraduate student at DePaul University. It was started as a collective of Black undergraduate students who were seeking community and expanded conversation at the university. The goal was to build a space post-graduation where the collective could host events and connect outside of an academic space.

“We were also interested in expanding the idea of art, beyond just painting, photography; really looking into creative outlets such as cooking, poetry … being very flexible about what it means to be a Black creative in Chicago,” Hall said.

Hall now has a Master’s Degree and is working on a Ph.D. in Art History and working in academic circles, but she still had a collective of artists who were still seeking community. With a desire for space within the Black artists community, Hall talked to the West Town Chamber of Commerce and found out about the pop-up project. From now through July 15th, the Black Artists Network will be hosting shows, workshops and creative events surrounding Black artists. Hall is excited to see what will happen after the summer and the pop-up, but said having a physical space now is a great first step.

As an art historian who focuses on modern and contemporary Black art, Hall looks at documents to see which artists were in community with one another and what conversations they were having. During her research she is investigating which artists knew each other, which ones showed their work together and were talking with one another. She uses that information to track the history of Black art, art movements and the progress of Black art. One thing Hall noticed was in contemporary Black art in Chicago, there was less of a solid foundation for her to track the beginning of an art movement.

“I think part of the reason why I’m interested in community, is because I’m interested in it from an art historical perspective; emphasizing the importance of this community and connecting it to historical roots,” Hall said.

The JEFF Show, featuring the work of Jeff Rivers, an artist from Columbia, South Carolina, was recently on display at the Black Artists Network. Rivers is a Master of Fine Arts Student at University of Illinois Chicago. Hall said Rivers’ work was chosen because of the work Rivers does with his community. It really resonated with Hall and the core objective of the Black Artists Network.

“I felt like his work embodied the connection and closeness of Black artists and this intimacy of seeing people in your community and wanting to paint them,” Hall said.

Future shows include a group show titled, “Materialized Visions 2.” The first iteration of the show featured seven artists from different mediums and different backgrounds. The show focuses on figurative art and how Black artists are working with the field, evolving in the field and doing new and exciting work.

Because the Black Artists Network is a very collaborative effort, the collective is always looking for new creatives to join. The collective is open to proposals for events or curatorial ventures.

For more information about the Black Artists Network, visit www.blackartistsnetwork.com.

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