In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Denver Art Museum Learning and Engagement department, in partnership with the University of Denver, held a series of talks and workshops with young BIPOC creatives on January 7 and January 8. The youth, ages 13–19, created poetry and mixed-media paintings to support an exhibition on DU’s campus throughout Black History Month.
Black History Tomorrow, as this event was titled, was a celebration of our community's BIPOC youth artists with the intent of empowering them to imagine and depict their own futures, as well as to understand the influence that they wield as artists. The weekend kicked off in the Martin Building’s Creative Hub with a talkback with R. Alan Brooks, local comic book creator and current featured artist in our Storytelling Studio.
On Saturday, January 8, the youth created paintings based on their vision of the future with facilitator Jacqueline Withers, and had poetry workshops with local spoken word artists, Bianca Mikahn, our Associate Director of Youth and Community Engagement J.C. Futrell, and Hakeem Furious.
All artwork will be displayed at DU with a gallery opening on February 3 in the Community Commons on campus. During Black History Month, the DAM will be hosting a poetry slam featuring all the work written during the workshops. Stay tuned for more information!