Nando sees art not just as an aesthetic pursuit, but as a tool that has helped him study the interaction of powers that have shaped his identity. His work is influenced by the vast heritage of artists from Centro, Norte y Sur América—muralists, painters, and intellectuals who reveal the revolutionary potential of art.

Charles Jean-Pierre is a master at challenging his audiences. As a Haitian-American artist, his work focuses on the tension among political, social, and economic structures, drawing from his family roots. His works are beautiful, layered, and intense.

A native of Washington, DC, Beverly uses clothing, photography, and street art to creatively teach the effects of gentrification to her community. She calls her viewpoint “Artivistism” and focuses her efforts on Barry Farms, Congress Heights, and historic Anacostia. (portrait by Eric Alley @thestonestudio)

Adrienne's works are visually stunning and immediately potent. She describes her work as “rooted in the resistance of the hegemonic gaze and representation of socialized black trauma as art.” She pulls from the deep history of color and form used in West African designs. For her “[c]olor and form represent tribes, places, spaces, and who I am fundamentally."