Often Described as a disruption in the artworld during its time, The Black Art Incubator, was a social sculpture and series of programs that was installed as a session project Recess in SoHo, New York in 2016. The incubator was initially seeded by curator and writer Kimberly Drew who invited  Jessica Bell Brown, Taylor Renee and myself to collaborate on the project. 

Over the course of the residency we held over 30 programs in a month long period at the space that were informed by desires, shifts and changes that we as burgeoning art workers wished to see in the field. BAI held Blackness at the center as a default for a point of departure in how we could think about, curate and engage people and objects in gallery spaces. 

After three years, we convene for the first time altogether since the project ended to reflect on that moment and how influential the modestly funded but ambitious project was to the contemporary art field,  and what it means to be friends who do this work alongside one another.

1. LADI’SASHA JONES: THE PUBLIC SPACES OF BLACK WOMEN -- https://www.recessart.org/ladisashajones/
2. ELLE 2015 Women in Art Issue -- https://www.elle.com/culture/art-design/a40555/women-in-art-december-2016/
3. Music by Supercoolwicked: https://open.spotify.com/track/6o6ZEu1btXoD5BiSFYkvHi

This episode we are joined by our dear friend, and miami based artist, organizer and arts administrator Michelle Lisa. We talk about her work in film and media,  the many hats that she wears as an artist and advocate in the city of Miami. We also discuss the changing landscape of the city during and post Miami Art week.

1. Michelle Lisa Polissaint website --https://michellelisap.com/
2. “Two Little Haiti Artists Are Resisting Gentrification With an Army of Umbrellas” -- https://www.miaminewtimes.com/arts/o-miami-poetry-festivals-whos-the-fool-how-to-patch-a-leaky-roof-fights-little-haiti-gentrification-11149028
3. Music by Supercoolwicked: https://open.spotify.com/track/6o6ZEu1btXoD5BiSFYkvHi

In this short episode, the editors Jessica and Taylor highlight their top five moments in the past five years since ARTS.BLACK journal has been in operation. 

1. First Contributors of ARTS.BLACK: https://arts.black/essays/2014/12/its-all-we-got-carving-out-space-for-black-art-critics/

https://arts.black/essays/2014/11/see-me-throning-at-the-met/

2. Glen Ligon’s “Call & Response” at the Camden Arts -- https://www.luhringaugustine.com/news/glenn-ligon-call-and-response

3. 1:54 Art Fair, Marrakech -- https://www.1-54.com/marrakech/

4. Temporary Art Review -- http://temporaryartreview.com/

5. SFMoMa open space--https://openspace.sfmoma.org/

6. Allied Media Projects --https://www.alliedmedia.org/

7. Cezanne Charles--https://rootoftwo.com/

8. Trina @ PAMM --https://pamm.org/blog/2015/05/pamm-debuted-artist-jacolby-satterwhite%E2%80%99s-new-film-featuring-trina-live-outdoor

9. Music by Supercoolwicked: https://open.spotify.com/track/6o6ZEu1btXoD5BiSFYkvHi

During their visit to Miami Art week, Jessica and Taylor are joined by the polymath, curator, critic, and director of Perez Art Museum Franklin Sirmans.

1. Franklin Sirmans, Director announcement -- https://www.pamm.org/blog/2015/09/franklin-sirmans-named-director-p%C3%A9rez-art-museum-miami
2. Vibe Magazine Feature from 2005
3. Music by: Supercoolwicked: https://open.spotify.com/track/6o6ZEu1btXoD5BiSFYkvHi

Since its inception five years ago, the ARTS.BLACK online Journal  has been a destination for art criticism from Black perspectives. As editors we have sought out compelling emerging critics from the African Diaspora engaging with contributors, thinkers, scholars, interdisciplinary artists to offer up a platform of cutting edge critique. In this episode, Jessica and Taylor, ARTS.BLACK founders reflect on the past five years of working together for the publication.

1. https://arts.black/
2. Music by Supercoolwicked: https://open.spotify.com/track/6o6ZEu1btXoD5BiSFYkvHi
3. https://linktr.ee/taldridge
4. https://www.jessicalynne.co/