A newsletter from ya gurl, B

You inspire me.

Last newsletter many of you submitted anonymous responses to some heavy-hitting questions.  I was a so touched and in awe of how varied the responses were, I almost anonymously shared them all back with you (but that felt like a breech of some unspoken trust so I kept them for myself). But know that you have inspired me to keep understanding other people's perspectives and struggles through this Panini we're all in.

I'm currently preparing an exhibition that shares my pastel portraits of friends and mixed media self-portraits. Presented alongside these works will be audio interviewing the pastel subjects. This month long show will be a space for people to meditate on what is the new normal. This show will be called...

uh...oh...eh!.. you guessed it

"The Color of Normal"

Exact dates TBA, but pencil in mid-June to mid-July for "The Color of Normal"

HEHEEE! Chicago Journalist Britt Julious interviewed me about the changing music landscape in Chicago, and the many unknowns we face!  

"What comes next for the Chicago music community is a test of patience and drive. How does the industry adapt to a changed world after months spent outside of it? The unpredictability of the pandemic has left a community fractured. As the world makes efforts to pick up the pieces from the shattering of our everyday conventions, so too does Chicago’s music community. What we will experience moving forward may not look the same as before, but it is better than nothing at all. That is for certain."

Marshall McLuhan, War and Peace in the Global Village

NICE THINGS. 

Deeper ruminations to come on NFTs, taxes and flailing about in Capitalism as an artist.

For today, here's some nice things. Drink water, call someone you love, don't be peer pressured into being busy.

~Sentrock is a Chicago-based muralist interviewing unique perspectives, including Caleb Pendleton, a black male florist. A great listen for artists.
 

~For Black History Month, comedian Amber Ruffin explained why we actually need a White History Month ✍🏻

~Family pride: My Aunt is starting a beautiful initiative called "Women Healing Women Healing Earth" that teaches low-income women skills in gardening, cooking, and resilience. My cousin produced this sweet visual promo!

~Stitched CMYK Studies Merges Printing and Embroidery! Gorgeous and jarring. 

~Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars have formed Silk Sonic and I won't stop listening to this perfection.