WE HERE: An Exhibition by the J’Parlé Artist Group highlights the creativity and resilience of BIPOC artists here in Tulsa. A collection of multimedia artwork curated by the Pärlā Arts Committee, WE HERE acts as the visual arts component of the Pärlā Creative Festival, an eight day festival running from September 15 – 22, 2024 which will focus on themes of togetherness, solidarity, and community.
J’Parlé was first established in May 2012 with the launch of a literary magazine by Jerica D. Wortham, a Tulsa native. Wortham saw the need for a platform that served artists and gave them the space to talk about what they found important. The mission of J’Parlé has been to ensure that every voice is given a chance to resonate, making it a hub for diverse and powerful storytelling. Since its founding in 2012, J’Parlé has since added:
- An after-school mentorship program for middle and high school students in creative pursuits such as writing, songwriting, studio engineering, and videography.
- A scholarship fund with the Adriuna Rae Cole Awards for the Arts for high school seniors and a second scholarship for nontraditional students and working adults that support continuing education in degree and certificate programs.
- En Chante’, a free public art display which features work by local artists, located at the historic “Steps to Nowhere,” provides visibility for artists and beautifies the community without financial barriers.
- A community garden in partnership with Black Wall Street Market, teaching participants to grow, consume, and sell produce; additionally, it offers economic opportunities for youth and promotes healthy eating habits.
- Pärlā Creative Festival, an eight-day festival championing Black creativity and serves as a placemaking events, featuring dance, theatre, film festivals, culinary arts, wellness activities, and more.
- (B)Light an initiative inspired by the Beat the Blight Project in Newark, NJ, (B)Light transforms blighted properties in Tulsa into public art spaces, enhancing community aesthetics and property values, while also providing representation and inspiration for BIPOC residents.
- Placemaking which consists of four signature shows occurring quarterly and highlights artists from Tulsa, Oklahoma, as well as regional acts from Arkansas, Texas, Kansas, and Missouri. Showcases include poetry, live music, dance, comedy, and live visual paintings, and provide BIPOC artists with paid opportunities to present their crafts.
We are thrilled to display this exhibition during a year where the OCH is exploring the theme of “space.” The show is “a bold declaration of our limitless potential and our moment to shine. In a world where our voices are often marginalized, we are claiming out space and making our presence felt,” says the Pärlā Arts Committee. It also showcases the way that Tulsa is moving forward as an inclusive space that honors the diversity of its community members after the centennial commemorating the tragedy that is the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921.
This display of diversity can be shown in many ways, but one way that is most relevant for this moment is how it displays the culture of its citizens. The vehicle with the greatest impact is the arts. Creatives have a way of creating belonging within a city, as most either have an appreciation for the arts or hold some level of creativity in their own lives. The challenge creatives face is finding opportunities to share their stories, experiences, and visuals that do not match the majority. The lack of opportunities and devaluation of the arts in general but even more substantially for BIPOC creatives leave a community where a great deal of the population is denied the opportunity to truly see themselves integrated into the fabric of the community, reducing the sense of belonging. This lack of belonging leads both the creative and locals to find their belonging in other cities and states, significantly impacting the community’s economic structure.
WE HERE runs until September 28th at 101 Archer, Wednesdays through Saturdays from noon until 5 p.m. To stay up-to-date with OCH events, bookmark our homepage at humanities.utulsa.edu or follow us on social media.