From Detroit to New Haven to Dakar, residencies established by Black artists are training artists of color in a way that art schools can’t.
More than a decade ago, artist Titus Kaphar hatched an idea: to create a modest studio space for a small group of artists in New Haven that would offer a nurturing place to experiment outside of the pressure-cooker environment of art school. Today, that seedling vision has blossomed into NXTHVN, a multimillion-dollar non-profit arts hub in Dixwell, a predominantly Black section of the city, complete with an artist incubator, gallery, and apprenticeship program. Soon, it will expand to include a co-working space, a cafe, and a theater.
Black artists have always taken it upon themselves to create spaces of support and validation for their peers. But more recently, this activism has taken on a new form: the creation of high-profile artist residencies.
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