The Masur Museum of Art Presents:



Many Rooms: The South Got Something to Say

The Black Creatives Circle of North Louisiana presents:

K’shana Hall-Davis, Drék Davis, Benicia King, and Vitus Shell


Exhibition on View through November 6, 2021


Public Reception: Thursday, September 16, 5:30 – 7:30 pm

Artist’s Talks: 6:00 pm


Masur Museum of Art

1400 South Grand Street


This exhibition showcases the work of members of the Black Creatives Circle of North Louisiana.

 

The BCCNL is a service organization focusing on increasing the connection and visibility of Black creatives within North Louisiana. The exhibition will represent various themes from each individual artist, which collectively derives inspiration from the Biblical scripture John 14:2, “There are many rooms in my father’s house.” Each room entwines with each other distinguishing the multiple conversations that are being held yet concealed within the South. Each artist will do a brief talk about their work starting at 6:00. This event is free and open to the public.

 

Artists Bios:

 

K’shana Hall-Davis: K'shana Hall-Davis is an American artist working in mixed media and photography. She is originally from the south side of Chicago but was raised in North Louisiana. Her method of expression is predominately abstract and is heavily influenced by her culture and experiences as a black woman. Her use of mixed media gives her work its unique texture and has been featured from fashion runways to museums. K'shana is also a frequent contributor to local charities and has worked with the NELA arts council to help educate youth about art. She is a ULM alumnus and currently serves as the vice president of the Black Creatives Circle of Northeast Louisiana. BCCNL is a non-profit whose mission is to support black creatives, educate and encourage the visibility and success of black creatives in their respective fields.

 

Drék Davis: A native of Monroe, Georgia, Davis is a 2006 graduate of the University of Georgia Fine Arts program - with an emphasis in drawing and painting. Primarily a mixed-media artist, Davis is also a former columnist for the Athens Banner-Herald and Code Z Online: Black Visual Culture Now. Davis has presented papers at several academic conferences, including the HUIC Conference (Hawaii University International Conferences) Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, for which he discussed manifestations of Hip-Hop culture in the visual arts. His work has been featured in the Politics Issue of Callaloo: A Journal of African Diaspora Arts and Letters, ColorLines, and over sixty exhibitions. Mr. Davis is Professor, and Head of the Department of Visual & Performing Arts at Grambling State University, in Grambling Louisiana.


Benicia King: Raised in Grambling, LA, King has studied photography in Seattle, WA (Art Institute of Seattle & SCCC), Los Angeles, CA (USC) and completed her Bachelor’s in Digital Art from Grambling State University. King’s lens-based work primarily revolves around her melanin community. Her methods include conceptualizing in the studio, environmentally in one’s element, or capturing in the moment experiences. Benicia has also gained photography experience within the fashion industry working with modeling agencies and wide range of events. This also includes working with marketing companies abroad in Milano and Sicilia. In conjunction with her fine art career, Benicia created a business called 9efer, LLC in which she combines all of her artistic practices with business development as one needs the other to sustain. Whether that be from designing products, packaging, and labeling or through social media content. In all, with her commercial and fine art experience working congruently, Benicia’s work provides a unique and complex perspective to viewers.


Vitus Shell: Shell is a mixed-media collage painter born in Monroe, LA, where he lives and works. His work is geared toward the black experience, giving agency to people from this community through powerful images deconstructing, sampling, and remixing identity, civil rights, and contemporary black culture. He received a BFA from Memphis College of Art, 2000 and an MFA from the University of Mississippi, 2008. Vitus Shell has been in residence at Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Anderson Ranch Art Center, Hermitage Artist Retreat, Mass MoCA, Joan Mitchell Center, Skowhegan School of Art, and Masur Museum of Art. To date, he has accumulated an impressive list of achievements, some of which include: participating in exhibits at universities, museums, and private galleries across the country including The McKenna Museum of African American Art, Stephen F. Austin University, Miami University, Oxford, OH ; painted murals for the National Civil Rights Museum’s NBA Pioneers exhibit, Indianola City Pool in Indianola, MS, Union Parish Elementary School in Farmerville, LA; and being commissioned to do public art by the Memphis UrbanArt Commission. Shell has received numerous grants including the Joan Mitchell MFA Award. As of 2020, Vitus Shell is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Louisiana Tech University.

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