BUTTER artists talk art, equity and cultivating creativity  

Indianapolis is preparing for what could be its biggest weekend in the art world. 

As Hoosiers and more swarm the city to get a taste of BUTTER, the Recorder sat down with a few of the exhibiting artists to get an idea of what to expect from the third iteration of the Midwest’s only Black Fine Art Fair. 

“Artists, you are the reason for it all,” Mali Bacon, creative director and curator for BUTTER said during the artists reception on Aug. 30. “You are why you made this. You are who we care about the most. You are for whom we drink. You are the one who gives us inspiration. You are the ones changing cities and narrating the stories of humanity.” 

Created by Mali and Alan Bacon, of GANGGANG, BUTTER aims to reshape the way equity fits into the art world by highlighting local, national and international Black visual artists. The fair has drawn increasingly larger crowds each year since 2021 through its unique format — 100% of sales go right into the artists’ pockets. 

READ MORE: Beyond BUTTER: The creamy center of ‘the nation’s most popular art fair’

Gary Gee, a member of the Eighteen Art Collective and returning exhibiting artist in BUTTER, said BUTTER has a unique vibe that cannot be found anywhere else in the city — from viewing the art, meeting artists and listening to live performances and DJs, he said BUTTER creates an experience like no other. 

Gee has several ceramic pieces at BUTTER, the works reflect his interest in urban architecture, art history and travel.  

“Ceramics are fragile, but sometimes the subject matter might still be a little rugged,” he said. “It’s fine art, but I still kind of keep a little hood or hip-hop element to it.” 

For Black artists — both local and beyond — BUTTER offers an opportunity to “cultivate creativity” in Indianapolis by introducing artists and their art to people who otherwise might not see it, Gee said. 

Such is true of D.C.-based Afro-Latina artist Amber Robles-Gordon, whose extravagant patchwork quilt art blends both spiritual and political elements of art together. Robles-Gordon is new to BUTTER this year — stepping foot in Indianapolis for the first time to showcase her work inspired by her Puerto Rican heritage. 

Robles-Gordon said she hopes coming to BUTTER will help people recontextualize and formalize what GANGGANG is working to do in Indianapolis, including the importance of artists of color and the monumental things Black artists have to say about how they are being treated throughout society. 

“We need to go positive towards each other because that’s the only way that we’re going to make real change,” Robles-Gordon said. “We have to deconstruct the lens of white supremacy, the lens of anti-Blackness, and that starts with us looking at each other and treating each other differently.” 

Ayanna Tibbs is an emerging Indy-based contemporary artist who said being an exhibiting artist at BUTTER is a “scary and sobering experience” because BUTTER is not only showing how Black artists and art are equitable but proving to Indiana that Black art is valid. When she is not “geeking out” over meeting the other exhibiting artists of BUTTER, Tibbs is struck with the realization of what it means for her work to hang on these walls.  

“You dream of things, like, I’ve been thinking of this piece over here since the pandemic,” Tibbs said. “I was in my house thinking about it, and now it’s outside my house; outside my neighborhood; in this space. It’s unreal.” 

Tibbs’ work — entitled “Bright Ideas” — is inspired by the period during the pandemic when there was a heavier emphasis on hustle culture than there was on addressing the trauma and aims to encourage folks to “hang on.” 

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” she said. “We still need to keep saying things like ‘hang on’ to each other, even if it’s by a thread.” 

BUTTER takes place at The Stutz, 1060 N. Capitol Ave., Aug. 31-Sept. 3. Tickets range from $20-$175 and are available to purchase at butterartfair.com. But to everyone who plans to attend BUTTER, Gee advises you to “Put on your comfortable shoes, be yourself and wear your flyest sh*t.”  

Contact staff writer Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848 or chloegm@indyrecorder.com. Follow her on Twitter @chloe_mcgowanxx. 

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The Best Things To Do in Seattle This Month: September 2023


Jump to: Comedy | Community | Festivals | Film | Food & Drink | Live Music | Performance | Readings & Talks | Visual Art






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Neal Brennan may be an Emmy-nominated writer, correspondent on The Daily Show, producer, director, and all-around successful dude, but that doesn’t mean he’s not awkward, okay?? Brennan dug into his own “defects” on his last tour, Unacceptable, but it was still a fun time, as self-deprecating humor almost always is. In celebration of his new Netflix comedy special, Neal Brennan: Blocks, which drops on November 8, Brennan will head back to the stage with more of what the New York Times dubbed his “hip-hop and Frontline aesthetic.” LC
Neptune Theatre, University District (Fri Sept 8)





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A certain well-read Englishman, Emmy winner, and host of HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver will deliver more liberal wit on his Seattle tour stop. Although you may have been introduced to Oliver as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart sometime between 2006 and 2013, his first love was stand-up comedy, and he still pulls it off. (What more could we expect from the voice of The Lion King‘s red-billed hornbill, Zazu? Of course he’s got a wacky sense of humor.) LC
Paramount Theatre, Downtown (Sat Sept 9)





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Slap on your fairy tale costumes, because you’re about to be enchanted!! I know that sounds corny, but there’s really no other way to describe the moonlight glow over the Seattle Japanese Garden, where the soft glimmer of lanterns will illuminate your path in celebration of Otsukimi. Beneath the moon, a range of artists will perform each night, including the Japanese Koto Club and Michael Dylan Welch of Haiku Northwest. Attendees can participate in a haiku contest, traditional tea ceremony, and paper boat launching. LC
Seattle Japanese Garden, Capitol Hill (Sept 1–2)





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Bring your own lanterns or buy one on-site at Fremont Arts Council’s annual autumnal equinox celebration, which will help ease you into the less-sunny season. The evening will kick off with an opening ceremony, followed by a parade around Green Lake, and a dazzling display illuminated art. The community always shows up for this truly magical evening—bring your date, bring your kids, bring your dog, and throw on any and all glow-in-the-dark and light up items you own. SL
Green Lake Park, Green Lake (Sat Sept 23)





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Wa Na Wari’s innovative and community-minded annual fundraising event celebrates Black art with an afternoon walk through the Central District, where fresh installations and performances will be on view in businesses, parks, porches, and other common spaces. Catch stimulating visual and sculptural art, video installations, live music, dance parties, community stories, and more. The Central District has been a hub of Seattle’s Black community for over 70 years, and Walk the Block brings visibility to its strength and growth while creating a bridge to new residents. SL
Wa Na Wari, Central District (Sat Sept 30)





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Back in 2021, former Stranger staffer Matt Baume wrote, “One of my very favorite things about living in Seattle — one of the things that convinced me to move here, in fact — is PAX, the giant video game convention held every Septemberish at the Convention Center, a sprawling throng of fandoms and beep-boop screens and clattering dice.” This year, the gargantuan convention will be bigger than ever before, taking over the recently expanded Seattle Convention Center and adding on Nintendo Live 2023, an “all-ages Nintendo celebration with Switch gameplay, stage performances, tournaments, photo ops, and more.” Get your Zelda cosplay ready. JR
Seattle Convention Center, Downtown (Sept 1–4)





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What’s summer without beer-fueled outdoor concerts, quilt and flower displays, impressive vegetables, baby bunnies, and a “SillyVille” farm experience complete with animatronic chickens?! Close out the sunny season in the most all-American way possible at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup, where you’ll find everything from produce contests to a real-deal cowboy rodeo. Dad rock legends Chicago will perform on September 1; you can also catch Kehlani, the Temptations, Babyface, Styx, and other household names throughout the month. LC
Washington State Fair Events Center, Puyallup (Sept 1–24)





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After a four-year hiatus due to financial problems, low attendance numbers, and production shakeups, local collective New Rising Sun and nonprofit arts/education organization Third Stone have refreshed Seattle’s most iconic festival with lower ticket prices and an eclectic lineup that expands the definition of “artist.” With promised attractions like a cat circus, robots, nail art, and witches, this year’s 50th-anniversary event is reminiscent of Bumbershoot 2008, when I saw a sex-positive paper bag puppet show right after being trampled at the main stage while Paramore performed “Misery Business.” Ah, the good old days! Get ready for two days of local and national artists spread out across Seattle Center’s lush grounds, including PNW’s own Sleater-Kinney—who first played the festival in 1997!—the Revivalists, Jawbreaker, AFI, Brittany Howard, Sunny Day Real Estate, and Phantogram. AV
Seattle Center, Uptown (Sept 2–3)





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This Georgetown Italian street fair brings together the best in local Italian cuisine with live music, a vendor market, and family-friendly entertainment. If you close your eyes and ignore the architecture (and the language), you can almost imagine yourself at a market in Italy, eating delicious food amid the daily bustle. The procession of San Gennaro (the patron saint of Naples) is a hallmark of the festival, and will kick off Saturday morning. You can even register your kids for a chance to sing on stage with past winners of the Italian song competition show, Zecchino D’Oro. SL
Georgetown (Fri Sept 8)





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Hispanic Heritage Month runs from mid-September to mid-October, a time during which many Latin American countries celebrate their national independence days. MEXAM NW Festival 2023 is an exhilarating multi-event, multi-venue festival curated by the Consulate of Mexico in Seattle that showcases the vibrancy of contemporary Hispanic and Mexican American culture. The festival kicks off on September 8 with an art exhibit opening and night of Latin music and art, and concludes mid-October with a Día de los Muertos Concert and Festival Latinx. Most events are free and family-oriented, from a talk on the history of tacos to a parade through South Park, and much more. Expect tons of Latin American food, mariachi bands, folk dancing, arts and craft markets, fiestas, and community joy. SL
Multiple locations (Sept 8–Oct 15)





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R-Day is quintessential Seattle: it’s quirky, it’s fun, it’s free, it’s 21+, there’s live music, and of course, there’s Rainier. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the first R-Day, which celebrated the moment when Rainier Beer’s iconic “R” was restored to its place atop the Old Rainier Brewery in Georgetown. In addition to a herd of “Wild Rainiers,” wacky merchandise, eclectic art, and more, there will be live music from truly incredible bands. Check out PNW hard rock faves Red Fang, the woman-fronted guitar grooves of Cherry Glazerr, and Seattle R&B powerhouse Parisalexa. KEXP DJ Larry Mizell Jr. will keep the party going between sets. SL
5813 Airport Way S, Georgetown (Sat Sept 16)





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Break out the dirndls and lederhosen in celebration of “Seattle’s largest beer festival,” where you can taste over 100 German and domestic craft beers (excuse us, “biers”) and feast on Bavarian-style food like bratwurst and warm pretzels, in addition to a lineup of food trucks such as Dumpling Tzar, Woodshop BBQ, Fremont Mischief, and Pike Place Nuts. You’ll also find games like stein hoisting and “Texas chainsaw pumpkin carving,” pups in costumes during the special Dogtoberfest day (Sunday), a DJ tower with a dance floor, a “street scramble” scavenger hunt, and more throughout the streets of Fremont. JB
Fremont Oktoberfest, Fremont (Sept 22–24)





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I recommend queuing up some creepy spaceship sounds before you continue reading. Are you sufficiently on edge? You can keep those galactic bleep-bloop vibes going at They Came from Outer Space, SIFF’s new series of mysterious lights, eerie shadows, and otherworldly entities ranging from the yucky and scary (The Blob) to the precious and loveable (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial). It’s about aliens, people, and they’re crash-landing at SIFF Cinema Egyptian all September long. Get into the “non-human biologics” while they’re still, uh, kinda unproven. LC 
SIFF Cinema Egyptian, Capitol Hill (Sept 1–30)





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As a lover of all things analog—seriously, I spend far too much time sifting through 8mm reels and home movies at estate sales—I’d be remiss not to recommend this screening of rare artifacts from Scarecrow Video’s vast physical media archive. Scarecrow’s got everything from feature films to instructional videos, DIY presentations, and weirdo cultural ephemera tucked into their collection, and with help from the archivists at Moving Image Preservation of Puget Sound (MIPoPS), they’re working to digitize and preserve these pieces of local history. Queer, Seattle-specific memories found on the footage include clips from “Neighbors, R Place, and clubs of days long past, lesbian buddy detective films that look suspiciously like they were shot in the offices of the Stranger, [and] interviews with attendees of an International Association of Gay and Lesbian Square Dance Clubs convention.” The city’s queer roots run deep—head to this screening and let your eyes do the crate-digging through Scarecrow’s newly digitized treasure trove. LC
Northwest Film Forum, Capitol Hill (Sun Sept 3)





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If you didn’t catch HUMP! Film Festival’s 2023 offerings earlier this year, here’s your last chance to scope out Dan Savage’s lineup of titillating films featuring all genders and orientations. Before these vids go in the vault, you can feast your eyeballs on a final screening of the sex-positive fest that’s brought kinky inclusivity to the big screen since 2005. It’s worth a venture outside of your sex dungeon, but you can still wear the latex catsuit. LC
SIFF Cinema Uptown, Uptown (Sat Sept 9)





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Back in 2015, Stranger senior staff writer Charles Mudede wrote, “What is this city becoming? What have we lost in the rush and thrust of all these new developments? To whom does this growing city belong? The brilliant Local Sightings Film Festival will show films that reveal the answers to these questions, through features, shorts, and animation that are born here or hereabouts. There’s much to see and much to talk about.” The premise of the hybrid festival hasn’t changed much since then—Local Sightings will return for its 26th anniversary this year, offering up another round of curated screenings and transforming the city into a hub for indie filmmakers who forgo New York or LA for the Pacific Northwest’s endearing eccentricity. The always-great, hyperlocal film festival also offers opportunities for regional filmmakers, emotional storytellers, and documentarians to meet-cute at the festival’s events. I’m intrigued by the two-day found footage workshop, the short film program by “nonbinary trans and queer myth builders” Scumtrust, and the opening feature, Fantasy Gets A Mattress, starring local legend Fantasy A. LC
Northwest Film Forum, Capitol Hill (Sept 15–24)





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Look out for cigarette smoke and midnight jazz riffs: Greg Olson, Seattle Art Museum’s film curator from 1977 until the position’s elimination in 2020, will return with Dark Dreams: The Original Film Noir Series. Olson’s noir expertise has been long praised by local voices like film writer and professor Dr. John Trafton, who deemed this year’s lineup a “thrilling and mesmerizing journey for die-hard noir fans and the uninitiated,” and journalist Charles R. Cross, who called Olson “Seattle’s all-time-best film curator.” Nine films spanning 60 years of noir style will screen at SIFF Cinema Egyptian; I’m stoked for the free Top Pot doughnuts on opening night and the pre-screening noir playlists by film curator Tova Gannana. LC
SIFF Cinema Egyptian, Capitol Hill (Wed Sept 27)





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Listen up, lovers of apple-based libations: This festival billing itself as the “region’s largest hard cider tasting event” is poised to make a triumphant return, with over 150 drinks from more than 40 producers and both local and international options in the mix. The selection also includes mead, cider cocktails, fruit spirits, and more. JB
Lake Union Park, South Lake Union (Fri Sept 8)





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Scoop up al fresco bites and drinks from an array of restaurants, bars, breweries, and distilleries at this annual fundraiser for Community Roots Housing. Look forward to offerings from chef Kristi Brown’s lauded Communion, the West African food business Gold Coast Ghal Kitchen, okazu pan specialist Umami Kushi, Vietnamese street food staple Ba Bar, Renee Erickson’s French steakhouse Bateau and its sibling Boat Bar, and other local names. JB
Capitol Hill Station Plaza, Capitol Hill (Wed Sept 13)





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At this fundraiser feast put on by Seattle Neighborhood Farmers Markets and benefiting the Good Farmer Fund, over a dozen acclaimed Seattle chefs will be matched up with local farms to create a locally sourced spread. This year’s batch of culinary luminaries includes Ethan Stowell, Tamara Murphy of Terra Plata, Sheena Eliz of Manna and Mamnoon, Jack Timmons and Stew Navarre of Jack’s BBQ, Zach and Seth Pacleb of Brothers & Co., and Danna Hwang of China Harbor and Vivienne’s Bistro, and they’ll be whipping up dishes using fresh ingredients from Alvarez Organic Farm, Collins Family Orchard, Glendale Shepherd, Mariposa Farms, and Skinny Kitty Farms, among many others. Plus, there’s local beer and wine, games, raffles, and a silent auction. JB
Block 41, Belltown (Sun Sept 17)





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Award-winning baker, writer, and poet Kate Lebo essentially created a self-contained Pie 101 course in her charming 2014 book Pie School, which contains pie history and lore in addition to guides to creating flaky, buttery crusts and luscious fillings. Now, she’s updated it with even more pastry savvy, including 20 all-new pie recipes. At this event, she’ll present a cooking demonstration and share some slices with attendees. JB
Book Larder, Fremont (Wed Sept 20)





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Though pumpkin beer is a decidedly divisive beverage, Elysian Brewing Company’s annual squash-themed celebration continues to draw fans year after year. The great pumpkin in question—a gigantic gourd weighing in at several hundred pounds—is scooped out, scorched, filled with pumpkin beer, sealed, conditioned, and tapped at the event. What’s more, over 80 pumpkin beers, including around 20 from Elysian, will be poured. All proceeds benefit the all-ages programming at the Vera Project. JB
Seattle Center, Uptown (Sept 29–30)





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Honestly, I don’t know why Modest Mouse sits at the top of this bill. I mean, the Issaquah-rockers are great and all, but the Pixies with Cat Power? C’mon! Despite going through some lineup changes over the years, Pixies founding members Black Francis, Joey Santiago, and David Lovering are still going strong, playing all the crowd-pleasing hits that you’d expect from the influential alt-rock band (if you’re missing legendary bassist Kim Deal, catch her on tour with the Breeders later this fall!) And, an opening set from Cat Power (aka Chan Marshall) will surely make your trek to the Seattle Center worth it. Marshall has a way of making her concerts feel intimate, no matter how large the venue is. AV
Climate Pledge Arena, Uptown (Fri Sept 8)





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Legendary singer, actress, and COVID-safe queen Patti LuPone will help raise money for the Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus with a musical voyage through her 50-year Broadway career. LuPone will belt classic show tunes by the likes Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, Jule Styne, Stephen Schwartz, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter, and Irving Berlin. AV
McCaw Hall, Uptown (Sat Sept 9)





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Between the futuristic technology, jaw-dropping lewks, and Blue Ivy cameos, Queen Bey has the world buzzing with her Renaissance tour. And it makes sense, with her celebratory future-disco album, RENAISSANCE, to have a big ol’ ball to match. Experience the bliss of “BREAK MY SOUL” and “CUFF IT” performed live alongside 67,000 fellow fans, covered in glitter and sequins. Plus, let’s face it, opening for The Queen is simply unimaginable. In true Sasha Fierce fashion, Beyoncé will start the show with a set of career-spanning ballads before entering the intergalactic world of RENAISSANCE. No opener necessary. AV
Lumen Field, SoDo (Thurs Sept 14)





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Throughout his six-decade-plus career, Herbie Hancock has reached all corners of the expansive jazz genre, along with pioneering electronic music and modern R&B. His trailblazing 1973 album Head Hunters has been such an inspiration to funk, soul, and hip-hop that the Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry (an archive of the most significant recordings of the 20th century). But all fancy accolades aside, Head Hunters is a delightfully timeless album that I keep in my back pocket for when I’m feeling musically fatigued. Plus, Hancock’s 47th (!) studio album is currently in the works, and will reportedly include features from music royalty like Wayne Shorter, Kendrick Lamar, Kamasi Washington, Thundercat, Flying Lotus, Snoop Dogg, and more. AV
Moore Theatre, Belltown (Sat Sept 16)





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The Arctic Monkeys are back in town for the first time since 2018 with tracks from their latest release, The Car. As the album’s title (and cover) suggest, the lyrics are full of vehicular references—but make no mistake—this is not an automotive concept album! Rather, cars are used to set the scene for childhood tales, and later, the disillusionment of fame. The album is undeniably cozy and nostalgic with orchestral flourishes, neo-soul-inspired instrumentation, and jazzy croons; bringing to mind the CDs that Starbucks sold back in the day (you know, next to the sugar-free gum and vanilla almond biscottis?) AV
Climate Pledge Arena, Uptown (Fri Sept 22)





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Black & Loud Fest is back and bigger than ever. More than 20 Black-fronted bands will take over all three stages of the Crocodile along with a spoken word poetry slam, a freestyle rap cypher, and a boozy Jack Daniels tasting. The lineup is both genre- and globe-spanning with highlights like world-renowned bassist Nik West (who has played with heavies like Prince, Quincy Jones, and Dave Stewart), British post-punk trio Big Joanie, Canadian punk band the OBGMs, Seattle’s own King Youngblood, and more. AV
The Crocodile, Belltown (Sat Sept 23)





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New York-based Pakistani singer-songwriter Arooj Aftab blends traditional Sufi devotional poetry with gentle folk guitar and ambient elements that perfectly cradle her ethereal voice. On her newest project, Love in Exile, Aftab collaborated with multi-instrumentalists Vijay Iyer and Shahzad Ismaily for a haunting meditation about “self-exile, and the search for freedom and identity, and finding it through love and music” (per press materials). With the album’s atmospheric electronics, neo-classical piano melodies, and heavenly vocals, it will surely sound just as magical live. AV
Neptune Theatre, University District (Sun Sept 24)





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Last year, Samara Joy won the coveted Grammy for Best New Artist, beating out pop radio heavies like Latto, Måneskin, and Wet Leg—and for good reason! On her Verve Records debut, Linger Awhile, Joy puts her own spin on classic jazz standards, making a case for her to join the likes of Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday as Verve’s latest jazz singing sensation. Don’t miss your chance to catch a national jewel at the very beginning of her career (Joy is only 23 years old!) AV
Jazz Alley, Belltown (Sept 28–Oct 1)





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Indie-folk troubadour Weyes Blood (aka LA-based singer-songwriter Natalie Mering) is known for her ’70s soft rock revival sound, lush orchestral arrangements, and Joni Mitchell-esque vocal range—she once described her vibe as “Bob Seger meets Enya.” She will stop by in support of her critically acclaimed 2022 album, And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow, which explores universal topics such as loneliness, connection, and love. Don’t miss an opening set from indie pop artist, and Sub Pop labelmate, Lael Neale. AV
Paramount Theatre, Downtown (Fri Sept 29)





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The treasured Kremwerk complex, which former Stranger contributor Gregory Scruggs called the “undisputed monarch of Seattle nightlife,” is bringing back its forward-thinking electronic music and multimedia festival. Move and groove across two days (and four dance floors) with local and international record slingers like Skin On Skin, DJ Assault, Bianca Oblivion, DJ Warning, and plenty of others. Stay tuned to Kremwerk’s Instagram for future lineup announcements. AV
Kremwerk-Timbre Room-Cherry Complex, Downtown (Sept 29–Oct 1)





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Those goofy, irreverent McElroy brothers will bring their off-the-cuff cult fave podcast, My Brother, My Brother and Me, to the stage for a live edition of the “advice show for the modern era.” Are they qualified to give advice? Uh, it’s debatable—in my listening experience, the dudes might start out offering guidance, but each episode snowballs from there into segments like “Haunted Doll Watch,” “Munch Squad,” and “Celebrity Wine: Why Not?” You’ll probably laugh until you cry, though. LC WaMu Theater, SoDo (Fri Sept 1)





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Your fave doomed romance flick is parodied in this unsinkable musical comedy, which comes complete with original music and fast-paced action that’s more hilarious than tragic. Titanish will crash on stage again after winning the 2022 Broadway World Critic’s Choice Award for best new musical; the escapist spoof “has songs and satire on deck,” according to Crosscut. (Jokes about the Titanic are either too soon or arriving just on time, depending on your thoughts about June’s submersible implosion—either way, the production feels eerily timed.) LC 
Seattle Public Theater, Green Lake (Sept 1–17)





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Long before Chasing Amy, J-Lo, and Air, two Hollywood rapscallions watched the screenplay for Good Will Hunting descend mysteriously from the heavens, and realized they were being tested by a higher power. Although their careers and lives would diverge, one being more of a golden boy and the other being…well…Ben Affleck, their friendship persevered. Matt & Ben is an acidic satire that spoofs the duo’s pursuit of a red-carpet dream, and the playwright understood the assignment—she’s Mindy Kaling, so she’s been on a red carpet or 20. LC
ArtsWest, Junction (Sept 7–Oct 1)





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If there’s anything I love more than reading for pleasure, it’s hate-reading for pleasure. Enter Celebrity Book Club with Steven & Lily, in which cool-kid comedian hosts Steven Phillips-Horst and Lily Marotta tear the memoirs of “drug-addled starlets, oddly obsessive restaurateurs, brass-knuckled female realtors, and boring gay politicians’ even more boring gay husbands” into paper shreds like so much hamster bedding. Pop culture stans should find something to like about the podcast—it’s been described with many tempting adjectives, including “unhinged, brilliant” (W Magazine), “drawly, ironic, camp” (Times of London), and “riotous” (Dazed). In other words, you are going to laugh your ass off, probably. Namaste, chicas!! LC
Barboza, Capitol Hill (Sat Sept 9)





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You might’ve caught Will Rawls’s work recently—the New York-based artist has popped up with installations and exhibitions at Adams and Ollman in Portland and the Henry Art Gallery over the last few years. As a choreographer, performance artist, curator, and writer, Rawls’s work is wide-reaching, and [siccer] is no exception. It’s part-live performance, part-stop-motion animation, and its title references the Latin adverb sic (which is typically used in brackets to denote an “error” when quoting someone, underscoring the perceived inaccuracy of their speech). To Rawls, “[sic] is a useful metaphor for how the language and gestures of Black bodies are captured, quoted or misquoted, and circulated to appear strange in various media.” As a writer, I’m excited to see how Rawls interrogates the limits of citation. LC
On the Boards, Uptown (Sept 28–30)





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Playwright à la mode Lauren Yee, who wove together immigrant narratives and music-led comedy inYoung Americans, is back with Cambodian Rock Band, which follows a survivor’s return to Cambodia after escaping the murderous Khmer Rouge regime 30 years prior. I’m a big fan of Yee’s dramaturgical sensibility, which often seeks to reclaim forgotten or overlooked histories. (She’s also slated to pen the musical adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time, so expect to see her name again!) What’s got me most riled up for Cambodian Rock Band, though, is its live band, which will play jangly Dengue Fever hits and classic Cambodian oldies. LC
ACT – A Contemporary Theatre, Downtown (Sept 29–Nov 5)





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Ann Patchett, an award-winning author and one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in the World, is also living my dream life—she owns the ultra-quaint Parnassus Books in Nashville, where she sometimes shows up with her rescue pup, Sparky VanDevender. (Maybe Sparky is living my dream life, actually.) Anyway, Patchett’s the author of many novels, nonfiction works, and children’s tomes, and you’ve likely seen them lining the bestsellers tables at Elliott Bay Book Company. (Her novel The Dutch House was a Pulitzer finalist.) Melinda French Gates will join her for this event, and all tickets, with the exception of a limited number of pay-what-you-can tickets, will snag you a hardcover copy of Patchett’s forthcoming novel Tom Lake. LC
McCaw Hall, Uptown (Wed Sept 6)





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Literary cool guy Chuck Palahniuk, aka the writer my high school boyfriend loved to impress me with (hope you’re well, Evan!!), will drop by Third Place Books to celebrate the September release of his Welsh horror satire Not Forever, But for Now. (The promotional copy describes the book’s central figures as two privileged brothers who “enjoy watching nature shows, playing with their pet pony, impersonating their grandfather…and killing the help.” Of course, murder’s more complicated these days.) Whatever your opinion of Palahniuk, who self-describes his work as “transgressional fiction,” you’d be hard-pressed not to be the teensiest bit interested in what he has to say. You can lean into that itch of intrigue at this signing event, which promises an “author/fan experience unlike any other,” and may include flying body parts, fake choking, and/or perfume. Who doesn’t love a good rumor? LC
Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park (Sat Sept 9)





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When Nicole Chung graduated high school, she was eager to leave her overwhelmingly white Oregon hometown, but as her life on the East Coast unfolded, she witnessed the stark differences from the paycheck-to-paycheck world of her childhood. In A Living Remedy, Chung meditates on the “specific, hollow guilt of those who leave hardship behind, yet are unable to bring anyone else with them.” She’ll chat with Kalani Kapahua, manager of Third Place Books’ Ravenna store. LC
Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park (Wed Sept 20)





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When the Canadian author and social activist Naomi Klein found herself being continuously confused with a certain COVID conspiracist with a similar name (cough, Naomi Wolf, cough), she did the opposite of what I would do (delete my social media and disappear forever). Instead, her digital doppelganger inspired a book on what Klein deems “collective vertigo,” a distorted sense of reality that grows increasingly scrambled by social media, AI-generated content, echo chambers, and contradictions. (We live in hell, and her new name is X.) According to Klein, Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World “grapples with the wildness of right now.” She’ll dig into it at this talk. LC
Town Hall Seattle, First Hill (Thurs Sept 21)





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Don’t miss the last season matchup between these two Pacific Northwest teams, who are arguably the premier rivalry in MLS. It’s Labor Day Weekend, so you know the Timbers Army is going to be traveling up for the match. The teams drew in June, but the Timbers won the last four matches before that, so it’s important to show your colors (that’s Sounder Blue and Rave Green), Seattle. Sounders ’til we die! SL
Lumen Field, SoDo (Sat Sept 2)





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The Frye Art Museum has always been one of my favorites, and not just because it’s totally free—the curation is consistently on point, blending thoughtful nods to historical movements with the most contemporary work on the scene at any given moment. Marking their 70th anniversary, A Living Legacy brings together eight recently acquired artworks by art stars Amoako Boafo, Sky Hopinka, Gisela McDaniel, Bony Ramirez, Tschabalala Self, Ann Leda Shapiro, and Sadie Wechsler, each of whom responds to or complicates “[narratives around] landscape and portraiture traditionally associated with the Frye’s founding collection of nineteenth- and twentieth-century European and American art.” Artistic production and acquisition is an evolving, imperfect process—head to this exhibition to see what the artists themselves have to say about it. LC
Frye Art Museum, First Hill (Sept 1–17)





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Arctic “highways”—a modernized way of describing the flowing exchange of art and culture—were alive and well before the creation of artificial borders and nation-states in northern regions. Artist-curators Tomas Colbengtson, Gunvor Guttorm, Dan Jåma, and Britta Marakatt-Labba explore this history of cultural exchange in Arctic Highways: 12 Indigenous Artists of the Circumpolar North, which spotlights contemporary art and handicraft by Indigenous artists from Canada, Alaska, and Sápmi (the traditional Indigenous territory now called Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula in Russia). I’m popping on my mittens and ear-warmers to catch works by Matti Aikio, a Sámi artist with a background in reindeer herding, and Finnish urban Sámi photographer Marja Helander, whose snowy snapshots tell vivid stories. LC
National Nordic Museum, Ballard (Sept 1–Nov 26)





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Rocks: They’re not just rocks anymore. Landscape photography of geological forms has actually played a central role in “shaping the experience of the American West,” helping to evolve our attitudes toward nature and—in some cases—encouraging (or at least entangling) with industrial capitalism and settler colonialism. As with all things related to humans living on planet Earth, it’s complicated. This exhibition may center images of rocks, but I promise it’ll be interesting; covering about a hundred years of photography, from “documentary images produced as part of 19th-century geological surveys to modernist pictures made with artistic intent in the 20th century,” A/political Rocks includes works by recognizables like Ansel Adams, Timothy O’Sullivan, Carleton Watkins, and Edward Weston, among others. LC
Henry Art Gallery, University District (Sept 1–Jan 14, 2024)





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Named after a popular Haitian proverb, “Remember the rain that makes your corn grow,” this exhibition of mid-20th-century Haitian paintings aims to cultivate a spirit of gratitude and perseverance. The storytelling scenes of each painting draw from Haitian landscapes, communities, spirituality, and nature to reflect on daily life on the island; I’m intrigued by Barbara Earl Thomas’s folkloric iconography, James Washington, Jr.’s spiritual animal sculptures, and Jamaican artist Ebony Patterson’s use of sequins in funereal scenes. LC
Seattle Art Museum, Downtown (Sept 1–Feb 1, 2024)





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Gigantic, hand-built, recycled troll alert!! On September 18, Danish artist and environmentalist Thomas Dambo will unveil the final troll sculpture of his Pacific Northwest-based project, Northwest Troll: Way of the Bird King, which has seen six massive Nordic trolls land in scenic spots across the region, including Bainbridge Island, Issaquah, Vashon Island, West Seattle, and Portland. The trolls, which are “characters in an environmental story penned by the artist,” serve to illustrate critical lessons of environmental stewardship. The trolls will be installed for at least three years, but you can be among the first to see one in person by heading to the National Nordic Museum. Spy the other troll spots on Dambo’s online map, too. LC
National Nordic Museum, Ballard (Mon Sept 18)

RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment

Gunman Ryan Palmeter who killed 3 had listed Eminem and Machine Gun Kelly as ‘valid targets’ for ‘kill on sight’

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA: A gunman who killed three Black people at a Dollar General store in Florida left a manifesto in which he called Eminem and Machine Gun Kelly “valid targets” who should “be killed on sight.”

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He also claimed that he had once been close enough to Kelly, but missed an opportunity to shoot him.

Also Read: Celine Dion is doing everything to fight stiff person syndrome but there is little to ‘alleviate her pain,’ reveals sister

Ryan Palmeter, 21, was a White supremacist who hated anyone who was not White or who associated with Black people.

How long was Ryan Palmeter’s manifesto? 

He wrote a nearly 30-page manifesto that expressed his racist views and his desire for a race war.

Rayan Palmeter was a Oakleaf High School attendee (@ryan_palmeter/Twitter)
Rayan Palmeter was a Oakleaf High School attendee (@ryan_palmeter/Twitter)

Also Read: How did Jack Sonni die? Dire Straits pays tribute to the ‘other guitarist’

In his manifesto, the excerpts of which were seen by Rolling Stone, he singled out Eminem and Machine Gun Kelly, two White rappers who have collaborated with Black artists and have a large fan base among Black people.

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He accused them of being “n***r lovers” and “honorary n*****s” who had “stared the abyss” and “become a n****r”.

Also Read: John Mellencamp: ‘Small Town’ singer’s mystery GF revealed as multimillionaire socialite Kristin Kehrberg

He said they should be killed on sight along with any other non-White person.

“Eminem … stared the abyss and the abyss stared back,” he wrote, adding, “Walks the edge of n*** lover and honorary n****.

“Fell off not because his new stuff sucked but because the lyrics were gay annoying liberal shit…ROE for Total N*** Death is to include Eminem … as a valid target and he is to be killed on sight.”

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 20: Eminem attends the 'Southpaw' New York Premiere at AMC Loews Lincoln Square
Ryan Palmeter said Eminem was a ‘valid target’ who should be ‘killed on sight’ (Getty Images)
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Did Ryan Palmeter attempt to kill Machine Gun Kelly?

Ryan also revealed that he had once been in Ohio where Kelly is from and had missed an opportunity to shoot him.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 12: Machine Gun Kelly attends the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards at Barc
Ryan Palmeter also revealed that he had once been in Ohio, where Kelly is from, and had missed an opportunity to shoot him (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

He wrote, “Colson Baker (aka Machine Gun Kelly): Honorable n***r. To be killed on sight like Eminem because I didn’t get a shot at him up in Ohio”.

Neither Eminem nor Kelly have commented on the manifesto or the shooting.

The FBI is investigating the incident as a hate crime and said that Palmeter acted alone and had legally purchased the guns he used.

Palmeter killed himself after shooting four people, three of whom died, at the Dollar General store in Jacksonville on Saturday.

Who did Ryan Palmeter praise in his manifesto? 

Palmeter also praised Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ conservative policies and Timothy McVeigh, who killed 168 people in the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995.

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He noted, “he now lives in our hearts.” 

FBI Director Christopher Wray said, the investigation into the shooting up to this point “reveals the perpetrator of Saturday’s attack through his own writings, through the references he made, and through his actions, make clear his intentions, his actions, his motivations, his hate.”

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RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment

Beyond BUTTER: The creamy center of ‘the nation’s most popular art fair’

When Mali and Alan Bacon created BUTTER, they had no idea it would blow up in just three years. 

The Black fine arts fair was created in 2021 to uplift Indy’s Black visual artists and introduce a new blueprint for equity in the arts. The unique model of BUTTER ensures artists do not pay a fee to showcase their work and 100% of the profits go directly to the artists, said Mali Bacon, co-curator and creative director of BUTTER and executive director of GANGGANG.

“BUTTER is our tactic; it’s our approach to see if we can have any type of equitable impact here,” Alan Bacon, co-curator of BUTTER and president of GANGGANG, said. “This specific event/program/tactic really allows us to test and challenge the dichotomy between this value and worth as it relates to Black visual artists and also allows us to challenge directly the monolithic, stereotypical, maybe approach to what art is and who creates Black art.”

Alan Bacon (L) and Mali Jeffers (R), co-founders of GANGGANG. (Photo provided by GANGGANG).

The making of BUTTER

Mali and Alan Bacon, the married couple and unstoppable force behind BUTTER and cultural development firm GANGGANG, said they first had the idea for the fine arts fair in early 2021 and posted a “soft announcement” on social media for their inaugural show over Labor Day weekend that September. They worked quickly to book a meaningful venue, find sponsors and get the word out to local artists. 

Together, GANGGANG, — which is a team of 11 people — approximately 50 artists and makers, and about 100 creative entrepreneurs helped build the first BUTTER. As for the name of the show, “BUTTER” was all Alan Bacon’s idea.

“I kind of described how I want people to feel at the fair, and the vibe that it can create, and just how we can get people to connect with it because at the end of the day, it’s an art fair, and that has an exclusive kind of tone that comes with it right off the bat,” Mali Bacon said. “He was like, ‘You should be cool like butter, you know, smooth like butter, make you feel high like butter.’ And so, we went with that because it’s something that is familiar to people.”

Alan Bacon said they knew BUTTER would be “something big” but could not predict how quickly people would rally around it in just three years.

“This is only year three, and people kind of discuss BUTTER as if it’s been a mainstay in Indianapolis for much longer than it has,” Mali Bacon said. “We work really hard to provide a context worthy of the art that we’re showing. Our equitable model is the unique thing. It’s nationally known to be a new blueprint for equity in the arts.”

BUTTER is made possible each year through the combined efforts of GANGGANG, approximately 50 artists and makers, and about 100 creative entrepreneurs in Indianapolis. (Photo/Solo Mabry)
BUTTER is made possible each year through the combined efforts of GANGGANG, approximately 50 artists and makers, and about 100 creative entrepreneurs in Indianapolis. (Photo/Solo Mabry)

Beyond BUTTER

Beyond BUTTER, Mali Bacon said she and her husband live very full lives, from working with GANGGANG to raising a family. She said they have been working together since the very beginning, and their partnership allows them to work better and faster — encouraging and fueling one another. Part of that partnership includes fostering healthy relationships with their five children.

“It’s a really important time — four of them are in high school, and we have a freshman in college — and so just as important as our careers are right now and the work that we are doing to service society, just as important is our presence in our children’s lives as we prepare them to be servants of society,” Mali Bacon said. “We have to do a great deal of integration and a great deal of communication with our teenagers about why this work is so important and why it has to happen now.”

The couple’s carefully constructed balancing act is a welcome one, and all that they do is tied together with a common thread.

Social and economic impact of BUTTER

Alan Bacon said they expected only about 1,000 people to show up the first year. However, BUTTER exceeded their initial expectations in an incredible way, bringing in 4,000 guests and selling $65,000 worth of art.

READ MORE: BUTTER 2 upped sales, attendance in 2nd fine arts fair

The next year, they moved the art fair to The Stutz to accommodate their growth, which ended up attracting some 8,000 patrons and selling more than $250,000 of art and $210,000 in post-sales in a single weekend. 

“The economic impact and the gross sales and commissions after BUTTER that continue to have the economic momentum from just showing at BUTTER, that has translated to just a greater story as it relates to how this is hopefully increasing appreciation and validation of Black visual art and Black visual artists,” Alan Bacon said.

Not only did BUTTER grow exponentially, but the art fair gained national attention, attracting The New York Times, who covered the fair in 2022. 

BUTTER is now easily a half a million-dollar art fair, and Mali Bacon said it is made possible through generous funding from local sponsors in the public, private and philanthropy sectors — including AES Indiana, JP Morgan Chase, Newfields and the Indiana Convention Center.

The impact of BUTTER has begun to reshape the narrative of Indianapolis by giving the city a new talking point for those discovering Indy and what it has to offer residents and visitors.

BUTTER 3 will feature 49 local, national and international artists alongside live music, DJs, speakers and panelists at The Stutz Aug. 31-Sept. 3. (Photo/Eric Lubrick)
BUTTER 3 will feature 49 local, national and international artists alongside live music, DJs, speakers and panelists at The Stutz Aug. 31-Sept. 3. (Photo/Eric Lubrick)

“It’s not just the Indy 500; suddenly, only after three years, now we’re talking about this new art fair, the nation’s most popular new art fair,” Mali Bacon said. “We’re talking about how to make Indianapolis an equitable city and how we’re leveraging the arts to do that here. And so, that’s the bigger conversation that we’re going to want people to notice.”

For its third year, BUTTER will take place in the newly renovated Stutz factory building in the Indiana Avenue Cultural District of Indianapolis, 1060 N. Capitol Ave., Aug. 31-Sept. 3. The show will feature 49 exhibiting visual artists from across Indiana as well as some from New Orleans, Detroit, New York City and Ghana, Africa.

READ MORE: BUTTER returns to Indianapolis this September

Since there are not as many returning artists, this year’s BUTTER will look a little different; however, Mali Bacon said they are still excited to show the world “what the nation’s most emerging Black visual artists have to say right now.”

In addition to uplifting Black visual artists, BUTTER highlights other genres of art, including live performers, DJs, speakers and panelists, that will make the art fair a multi-dimensional and multi-sensory celebration, Mali Bacon said.

“I think at the core of all of it, the through line between what we do at GANGGANG, and who we are as a couple, as a romantic partnership, and who we are as parents — the through line there is love,” Mali Bacon said. “That is the center of it all. That is what we push for in it all. That is what everybody feels at BUTTER. That is our purpose.”

Tickets range from $20-$175 and are available to purchase at butterartfair.com.

Contact staff writer Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848 or chloegm@indyrecorder.com. Follow her on Twitter @chloe_mcgowanxx.

RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment

Tremaine Emory Leaves Supreme, Alleging Systemic Racism

Photo: Lexie Moreland/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images

After two seasons as Supreme’s creative director, designer Tremaine Emory has left the streetwear brand over accusations of systemic racism within the company. In a resignation letter obtained by the Business of Fashion, the designer cited senior management’s “inability to communicate” about the alleged cancellation of a collaboration with Black artist, filmmaker, and cinematographer Arthur Jafa and the lack of transparency around the purported move as central to his decision to leave. “This has caused me a great amount of distress as well as the belief that systematic racism was at play within the structure of Supreme,” Emory wrote in the letter.

Emory was hired as Supreme’s creative director in February 2022 in the brand’s first high-profile appointment since it was acquired by VF Corp for $2.1 billion in 2020. Supreme’s spring-summer 2023 line was the first collection under Emory’s direction, and previews from its upcoming fall-winter line — Emory’s last — have been widely lauded by fans, with Complex calling it Supreme’s “best season in years.” A creative who has worked with Ye and Virgil Abloh, Emory is also the founder of the brand Denim Tears, which tells stories of the African diaspora through clothing. Meanwhile, Jafa frequently explores Blackness in America through film, notably his 2016 video installation, “Love Is the Message, the Message Is Death,” which distills a century’s worth of collaged footage depicting Black resilience and the ongoing violence against the community into a seven-minute montage.

Supreme pushed back on all of Emory’s allegations in a statement to the Business of Fashion, asserting that the brand disagrees with his “characterization of our company and the handling of the Arthur Jafa project,” which it claims has not been canceled. Emory responded to the statement in an Instagram post on Friday, calling it “a lie to hide the systemic racism that lies deep within Supreme and almost all white-owned corporations.” Adding that he’d initially hoped to work with the brand for change, Emory said he was instead “told I was racially charged, emotional, and using the wrong forum by bringing up systemic racism in a meeting where I was asked if we should work with a Black female artist while this Jafa project was secretly shut down without anyone talking to me.” In the wake of his resignation, Emory recounted a conversation he had with Supreme’s founder, businessman James Jebbia, and said Jebbia “agreed with all” of his points and said he would “change Supreme … he’s gotta stand on what he said to me.”

The Cut has reached out to Supreme for comment. We will update this post if we hear back.

RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment

Black Opry Revue set for Saturday at Franklin Theatre

The Black Opry Revue will perform at the Franklin Theatre on Saturday.

The showcase performance will feature a variety of Black artists in country, blues, folk, and Americana music, including Nick Tabron, Layna, Lori Rayne, Tyler Bryant, Ally Free, Carmen Dianne, Aaron Vance, The Kentucky Gentlemen, and special guest Wendy Moten.

Supporting acts will include Ping Rose and The Anti Heroes.

Doors open at 7 p.m. for the 8 p.m. show, with tickets available online starting at $50.

More information about the Franklin Theatre, including additional shows, can be found here.

RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment

In the Summer of ‘Barbie’ and ‘Renaissance,’ Will All Women Finally Get the Recognition They Deserve?

beyonce-renaissance-tour-awards-economy-grammys
Blue Ivy Carter and Beyoncé perform onstage during the Renaissance World Tour on Aug. 11, 2023 in Atlanta. (Kevin Mazur / WireImage for Parkwood)

Currently, three women—Barbie, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift—seem to be running the world, or at least the economy, judging by record-shattering tour and box office revenues. But, as in the case of Beyoncé and other female artists of color, this success does not translate to deserved recognition from prestigious institutions.  

Feb. 6 is a date now infamous to Beyhive Twitter. I was among those who expected to see Beyoncé’s seventh studio album Renaissance, an homage to house music, ballroom and Black queer creatives. It is the very album that has now sparked a record-breaking world tour and was expected to win Album of the Year at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. But, when the award went to Harry Styles for Harry’s House, many young women of color like me felt robbed.  

The late-night betrayal prompted a deep dive into the Grammy Awards. I discovered that it has been more than two decades since a Black woman was awarded Album of the Year. (Lauryn Hill won for The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1999.)

Before Lizzo’s 2023 Record of the Year win, the last Black woman to hold the award was Whitney Houston in 1994.

Despite Beyoncé becoming the most Grammy-awarded artist in history, she has only won one award from the four major categories: Album, Record, Song of the Year and Best New Artist. She won Song of the Year for Single Ladies in 2010.

The Recording Academy has often relegated Beyoncé and other Black female artists to discreet categories like Best R&B Song/Performance, Best Rap Song/Performance and Best Urban Contemporary Album—all presumably code for Black.  

How has the one-and-only Beyoncé been under-recognized by prestigious institutions, especially given the undeniable genre-building influence of Black artists and female artists of color? The message young women absorb is that unless you are a one-in-a-generation talent like Lauryn Hill or Whitney Houston, female artists of color can kiss goodbye any hope of wide-scale recognition by the Recording Academy. I’m reminded of the phrase girls of color like myself heard growing up: “We have to be twice as good to get half as far.” 

The underrecognition and snubbing of female creatives, particularly women of color, transcends the Grammys. During this past Oscars, the Academy nominated no female directors. This repeated offense, called out by many including Natalie Portman in 2018 in part inspired new inclusion standards for films seeking Oscar nominations. But for now, only three women have ever won Best Director and only five have won Best Original Screenplay.   

The message young women absorb is that unless you are a one-in-a-generation talent like Lauryn Hill or Whitney Houston, female artists of color can kiss goodbye any hope of wide-scale recognition by the Recording Academy.

As a culture, we place considerable emphasis on awards and national recognition. While the Oscars nominating no female directors and the Grammys snubbing Beyoncé may seem arbitrary, it reflects—and, more importantly, shapes—what the public sees as valid art. When rap and R&B are sidelined during major awards, along with female artists themselves, those institutions signal that these genres and creatives are culturally unimportant, even when they dominate the economy. We all deserve better. 

Now amid the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes, these questions of who deserves apt recognition for their labor are especially relevant. Just as writers and actors are the backbone of the entertainment industry, female creatives (particularly women of color) have shaped music, film and TV, but do not see their contributions duly recognized.    

The dual strikes have already disrupted the timing of the Emmys, which are postponed until January. I would love to see the unions’ demand for more equitably compensated work go even further than winning fair contracts and delaying the award show season.

Maybe the strikes, combined with the thrilling Barbie and Renaissance summer, will forever change how we see female creatives and artists of color. Then they can finally get their flowers, and we can all watch it play on television screens across the world. 

Up next:

U.S. democracy is at a dangerous inflection point—from the demise of abortion rights, to a lack of pay equity and parental leave, to skyrocketing maternal mortality, and attacks on trans health. Left unchecked, these crises will lead to wider gaps in political participation and representation. For 50 years, Ms. has been forging feminist journalism—reporting, rebelling and truth-telling from the front-lines, championing the Equal Rights Amendment, and centering the stories of those most impacted. With all that’s at stake for equality, we are redoubling our commitment for the next 50 years. In turn, we need your help, Support Ms. today with a donation—any amount that is meaningful to you. For as little as $5 each month, you’ll receive the print magazine along with our e-newsletters, action alerts, and invitations to Ms. Studios events and podcasts. We are grateful for your loyalty and ferocity.

RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment

‘Girls Trip’ Producer Will Packer To Be Honored At National Black Arts Festival Gala

Will Packer, the producer of films such as Girls Trip and Think Like a Man, will be honored Oct. 7 at the National Black Arts Festival (NBAF) Gala.

“NBAF is excited to honor critically acclaimed film producer Will Packer as our 2023 NBAF Trailblazer in the Arts Honoree,” NBAF’s executive director Stephanie Owens said in a statement. “We are thrilled to celebrate his success in elevating Black actors and Black culture on screen at this year’s Gala.”

Packer’s films have amassed over $1 billion at the box office, with his eponymous production company also producing digital and televised content. The Florida A&M University alumnus produced the 2022 Academy Awards.

In a statement, Packer, a resident of Atlanta, where the NBAF is headquartered, said he was “in awe” of the NBAF for its work that “impacts, supports, and amplifies Black arts.”

He added, “I am thrilled and humbled to receive this honor from the NBAF.”

The NBAF is a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to highlighting and celebrating the achievement of artists, including media professionals in the Black community. The 2023 theme for its annual gala is “Mahogany.” The affair will seek to curate an immersive night of vintage glamour, with a setting encompassing an array of brown hues.

The gala will not only spotlight Packer and his groundbreaking efforts in media, but also feature another Black trailblazer, famed chef Marcus Samuelsson, who will curate the event’s menu. The eight-time James Beard Foundation winner has owned and operated many acclaimed restaurants, including Red Rooster in Harlem and MARCUS Montreal.

The NBAF is celebrating 35 years of uplifting Black arts and those who create it. Tickets to and reservations for the commemorative event at Atlanta’s Southern Exchange Ballroom are available now.

Support for the NBAF Gala is provided by Fulton County Arts and Culture, Georgia-Pacific, and Georgia Power. Major funding is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners.


RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment

A Black Catholic church urges Columbus bishop to not close it 

Parishioners departing Holy Rosary & St. John Catholic Church on Columbus' Near East Side on Aug. 17, 2023. The parish, one of just a handful of majority-Black Catholic churches in the region, are asking Bishop Earl Fernandes not to close their church as part of the diocese's "Real Presence Real Future." In May, the diocese said it intends to close 15 churches, including nine churches in Franklin County.

In January, Columbus Catholic Diocese Bishop Earl Fernandes celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day with several hundred parishioners at Holy Rosary & St. John church on Columbus’ Near East Side.

The parish, one of just two majority-Black Catholic churches in the diocese, sits at 648 S. Ohio Ave. in a gradually gentrifying neighborhood just a few blocks from Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Many congregants were excited to welcome Fernandes — who in 2022 became the Diocese of Columbus’ first bishop of color and the first Indian-American bishop of the Latin Church in the United States — to their house of worship.

“He gave a wonderful homily,” said Fern Upshaw, 62, who has been attending the church since the early 1990s.

At the time, many parishioners were worried about their future. Amid diocese-wide declining Mass attendance, a shortage of priests, and a two-year feedback initiative dubbed “Real Presence, Real Future,” an advisory commission had just recommended 19 parishes for closure. The commission recommended Holy Rosary & St. John stay open, but be administered as one parish with St. Dominic Church, another predominantly Black Catholic congregation. Still, some worried that the bishop could close Holy Rosary & St. John, where parishioners say 70 to 80 people worship each Sunday.

According to multiple parishioners who attended, the bishop allayed those fears during the Mass.

“He did say at the Mass, ‘Holy Rosary St. John — you have nothing to worry about,’” said Upshaw. “He got just about a standing ovation. We took that to mean that our parish was going to remain open.”

Four months later, however, the diocese announced in May its final decision that 15 churches would have to close — and Holy Rosary & St. John (HRSJ) was among them. Members were told they would instead worship at St. Dominic church, located at 455 N. 20th St. in the Mount Vernon neighborhood.

Many HRSJ parishioners felt blindsided by the news.

The Diocese of Columbus declined to comment specifically on what the bishop said at the 2022 MLK Jr. Day Mass, but a spokesperson said the bishop “has always been forthcoming with his intentions … he has spoken to many churches that were slated to close and was purposefully frank so as to not imbue false hope.”

The spokesperson, Jason Mays, also said the date for closure has not yet been decided and will be finalized by the church’s pastor, the Rev. Ramon Owera, who also pastors St. Dominic, at an undetermined date.

“Bishop Earl K. Fernandes, and the leadership of the Diocese of Columbus understand that the merging of parishes is a difficult and emotional process for parishioners,” Mays added. “… Each of our parishes and parishioners have unique needs, we have worked to take those into account and will continue to work to be sensitive to those needs.”

The diocese argues that closing HRSJ is necessary because of declining attendance and deteriorating facilities, whose repairs they say could cost millions. They also cite the fact that St. Dominic, another predominantly Black Catholic church, is nearby.

St. Dominic is less than 2 miles away from HRSJ by car, although the two churches’ neighborhoods are separated by Interstate 70, and HRSJ parishioners say the cultures of worship differ in their emphasis on tradition and service.

Upshaw and a group of other parishioners who are advocating for HRSJ to stay open say that the costs of repairs are a fraction of the Diocese’s estimates, and they could raise the money through grants. Moreover, they say their church plays a vital role in the community by housing a nonprofit community kitchen, food pantry, learning center and a medical and dental clinic.

The group has collected hundreds of letters in support of the effort, and requested an audience with the bishop to make their case.

“I am very upset with the diocese…,” Upshaw said. “Would Jesus come to the Diocese of Columbus and say, ‘Hey people, we’ve got to close up shop, and we’re going to start with the poorest churches?”

Fern Upshaw and other parishioners at the Holy Rosary & St. John Catholic Church on Columbus' Near East Side are upset that the Catholic Diocese of Columbus has earmarked the church as among 15 slated for closure.

A ‘beacon of light’ for the neighborhood

HRSJ is a twin-spired, Gothic-style church constructed in 1898, which originally served German immigrants and later Italians, according to current parishioners. After Interstate 70 was built in the 1950s, bifurcating the neighborhood, both the area and its church became increasingly African American.

Only a small fraction of Catholics in Ohio identify as Black, and many of them are more recent African immigrants. By contrast, parishioners say HRSJ today is around 80% African American, most of whom are the descendants of enslaved people.

HRSJ has incorporated elements of African American culture, commissioning extensive murals by Black artists and renaming its offices the Bakhita Center, after a Sudanese-Italian saint. In the 1970s, HRSJ became the first Catholic church in Columbus to have a gospel choir, according to Shirley Hairston, an 83-year-old church member. The church has hosted an MLK Jr. Day Mass since the early 1990s.

An old photograph of the Holy Rosay & St. John gospel choir

Adrian Moore, 40, the parish’s financial chairperson, said the church was a refuge for his mixed-race family growing up.

“Back in the day, when my mom, who was Italian, would go visit churches with two Black kids on her arm, we weren’t really accepted. And when we actually walked into Holy Rosary, man, we were welcomed with open arms,” he said.

Today, parishioners grow vegetables and flowers in garden plots on the church’s grounds, where they also gather for cookouts and other community events.

The church’s St. John Center is home to nonprofit groups that are “a beacon of light in the community,” according to Upshaw. Last year, the community kitchen served 150,000 meals, she said, and the learning center’s GED program and medical and dental clinics served low-income community members.

Elizabeth Cary, 40, said the social work is central to the community’s identity.

“I would not go to a church that does not have those values,” she said.

With the closure of HRSJ, the future of such programs is unclear. Mays, the diocese spokesperson, said decisions have not yet been made about “what ministries will continue, how they continue, and where.”

Parishioners prepare flower beds at Holy Rosary & St. John Catholic Church's garden in April.

Nationwide church closures amid declining attendance, lawsuits

The Diocese of Columbus currently has around 100 parishes spread over 23 counties in central and southern Ohio. When the bishop announced the 15 church closures in May, it was the largest contraction in local history, but it followed a trend set by other dioceses in the Northeast and Midwest. The American Catholic Church faces a dwindling number of priests, a decline in church attendance and lawsuits brought by victims of abuse by clergy, which have cost dioceses and religious orders billions of dollars.

Most church properties, including HRSJ’s, are owned by their respective dioceses. A parish’s main expenses include clergy salaries, utilities, building maintenance and insurance, according to the Rev. Tom Gaunt, executive director of Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate. Some dioceses across the country subsidize poorer churches, though other dioceses’ ability to do so is limited.

Moore said HRSJ receives no funding from the Columbus diocese for any of its missions or ministries, and instead relies on donations from the pews, grants, and other contributions from outside donors that support the parish directly.

Upshaw said the parish’s budget is around $350,000 and it is financially solvent, finishing last year around $140,000 in the black.

“We don’t ask for any money from the diocese; we understand that that well is dry,” she said.

A debate over costs

One of the diocese’s reasons for closing HRSJ is the cost of necessary repairs for the church building, the St. John Center, and the rectory, according to Mays. The diocese provided the parish initial estimates needed over a five-year period, totaling more than $2.7 million.

But when the parish solicited more detailed estimates from contractors, they found that some of the repairs were much cheaper than originally estimated, while others were not urgent — totaling less than $600,000 over five years, according to records provided by the parish.

In one example of cost-savings, the diocese had projected $95,000 for replacing the St. John Center’s slate roof, but a contractor found that missing slate could be repaired for just $1,750.

“I appreciate what the facilities department at the diocese did, in terms of doing the (initial estimate) report,” said Gary Rhoades, 73, the parish’s facility manager. He said the parish’s lower estimate “would be in my opinion, an absolute minimum amount of work that needs to be done.”

Upshaw said it seems unfair that the diocese would cite such costs as a reason for closure while at the same time donating $200,000 to Protect Women Ohio, a group opposing the abortion measure on the November ballot.

“I’m not against the right-to-life groups, but we are people here today,” Upshaw said.

She also noted that another diocese facility, the St. Thomas More Newman Center in the University District, is in the midst of a $3 million renovation.

Mays, the spokesperson, said that the Newman Center plays an important role in ministering to college students and its renovation was paid for by outside grants, not the diocese.

Some parishioners said they worried HRSJ could be sold.

Mays said the HRSJ property has not been evaluated for demolition or sale, and that the diocese does not stand to profit from the sale of any of its churches because the money would go to whichever parish a closed church had merged with.

“(Sale) is not even on the table at this point,” Mays said.

Parishioners at the Holy Rosary & St. John Catholic Church on Columbus' Near East Side are asking Bishop Earl Fernandes not to close their church, saying it is not only one of only a handful of predominantly Black Catholic churches in the diocese, but is also a 'come-as-you-are church."

A ‘come-as-you-are’ church

The diocese told The Dispatch that another reason for closing HRSJ is low attendance, citing a fall in average Sunday Mass attendance from 138 in 2013 to 65 in 2022.

Upshaw said that the numbers fell during the COVID-19 pandemic, as they did throughout the diocese, but have since risen to 70 to 80 each Sunday and are continuing to grow.

Parishioners said that while Catholicism is losing young people nationwide, HRSJ is attracting them.

Sheena Costa Flowers, 38, said part of the appeal is that HRSJ is a “come-as-you-are” church that welcomes people from all backgrounds.

“We all have times of need, whether it be financial need or physical need, whether it just be a shoulder to cry on, or a place to belong. And I think that you will find all of that there,” she said.

The group opposing HRSJ’s closure recently polled 55 church members, and found that just 5% said they plan to attend St. Dominic if HRSJ is closed and they are forced to merge. Some said they planned to attend other Catholic parishes, while others said they would leave Catholicism altogether, the members said.

Costa Flowers said that St. Dominic did not feel as inclusive to her, adding that it was “built with a lot of longtime, legacy families.”

“St. Dominic’s is most definitely not a bad church, but they have a different personality,” said Upshaw. “They are more traditional … whereas we are much more intrigued by seeing Jesus in each other. …We’re growing by reaching out to people in the community and saying, ‘What can I do for you? Let me tell you a little bit about God.'”

If and when HRSJ closes, Moore knows what he will miss most — the people.

“We call it the community of Holy Rosary and St. John for a reason,” he said.

Peter Gill covers immigration, new American communities and religion for The Dispatch in partnership with Report for America. You can support work like his with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America at: bit.ly/3fNsGaZ.

pgill@dispatch.com

@pitaarji

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