Next month, artists from Louisville and beyond will showcase and sell their work that pays homage to Black culture, history and heritage.
“Artists and Afros” will be the first fine arts show held at the Norton Healthcare Sports and Learning Complex.
Artists from other places — like Atlanta, Dallas and Chicago — will bring their paintings, sculptures and mixed media pieces to celebrate how art and culture intersect to create art, said Norton Healthcare Sports and Learning Center President Sadiqa Reynolds at a news conference Tuesday.
The facility is typically used for track and field events, but Reynolds said the Sports and Learning Center is the perfect place to host the inaugural arts show.
“We knew when we built this facility that we were going to do other things, and our focus really is on highlighting the best of us,” Reynolds said. “And so this facility is about Black excellence everywhere you see.”
“Artists and Afros” is free to attend, and will feature music and refreshments. The arts show will also host local vendors. Interested vendors can apply online.
“We really do see this as a partnership for our city,” Reynolds said, “and that's part of the reason we built this facility, so that we, too, could participate in economic development in a way that was meaningful for residents in the West End, but also Louisville residents.”
Shauntrice Martin is a local artist who will be selling one of her pieces at the show. The canvas is covered in bright blues, greens, purples and yellows with flowers surrounding a woman’s face and afro.
“It's representing what we want to portray at ‘Artists and Afros.’ So you see here, the flowers, the vibrancy. That's what a lot of Black artists don't get to show. We're expected to just paint pain.” Martin said.
She said that the art show is meant to show the multifaceted experiences of Black communities.
Martin is also the founder of OKIKE, an organization that provides professional development to artists of color, who are often overlooked in the art industry. She hopes to provide support to artists participating in the show.
In 2022, research showed that art by Black artists made up 1.9% of the $187 billion made at art auctions in the U.S. from 2008 to 2022.
“When I founded OKIKE, it was because a lot of Black artists struggled to get their foot in the door. When they did get their foot in the door, they were underpaid and overworked, and that's across industries,” Martin said.
She said the show will feature great up-and-coming artists.
“Artists and Afros” was created in partnership with Louisville’s E&S Gallery, one of the oldest Black-owned fine art galleries in the country. Owners and husband-and-wife-duo Walter and Cathy Shannon said they are excited for the future of this event in their hometown.
“We're used to traveling to other cities, but it was such an enormous opportunity for us to help bring some of the artists we represent nationally to our home here in Louisville,” Cathy said.
All proceeds made from art pieces will go back to the artists.
“We hope people understand that this is about supporting these artists, giving them an opportunity to really show off their work, to make the money that they need to contribute to their families and to contribute to our society,” Reynolds said.
“Artists and Afros” will take place Oct. 5 and 6 at the Norton Healthcare Sports and Learning Complex, 3029 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd.
