My intent for my artwork is to create pride and unity and my longterm goal is to seek ways in which my artwork could support Cincinnati’s Black Community.
Update July 12th, 2021
• I’m currently using my East Walnut Hills project as a way to create opportunities for Black artists as well as artists to gain experience with murals.
• I’ve been thinking a lot about public art and how unfortunately it can feel linked to gentrification. I am wondering if there are ways that Cincinnati’s Black communities can also have additional murals created within their communities and possibly create opportunities for artists within their communities.
Update December 2nd, 2020
• I plan to create a way to use my social media to ask members of communities, cultural and geographic, what is important for their representation and how they wish to be represented. I may have mentioned earlier, are there landmarks that might have meaning to a group of fellow Cincinnatians and it may be a place I may overlook? Along with the Black community, I want to share places that represent Latinx, Asian and LBGTQIA communities. I am planning to update my skyline artwork next year — and I would love to include some of these updates.
• I have been trying to research some of the first Black architects and architecture. It’s sad, the work of William Lawrence may be gone now. My Google map research hasn’t yielded a result, but I plan to look in-person. http://oldsite.architecturecincy.org/dictionary/L.html
Update November 5th, 2020
• I have drastically and proactively increased my patronage of Black Owned Businesses, from an occurrence that was infrequent to once or twice weekly.
• I am taking steps to inform my work and educate myself to ensure I represent many communities in my work — intending to create a 2021 Skyline of downtown Cincinnati.
• I am taking steps to be a better mentor and educator to students when I return to instruct Spring Semester — by analyzing my biases and attempting to be more in the moment and interacting with others without making assumptions. I also need to watch more “Where are the Black Designers?” content.
• I am still asking myself and searching for more ways to continue — feel free to connect if you have any recommendations or suggestions.
Update September 30th, 2020
I created a round of branding work for ArtsVille and also presented a mural concept. I am currently working on a large commission and plan to reconnect once this project is completed.
I will be connected with the Parks and Arts Committee about a mural project in our neighborhood — I am hoping to create an opportunity for a Black artist in our community (Madisonville is nearly 60% Black and I don’t want to be overly represented in our community with too many projects) and to assist that artist on the project if they have not created a mural before.
Update August 6th, 2020
I collected and documented reference photography for much of Madisonville — small business, homes, churches, parks and rec centers. I do have to document some of the larger businesses and new development as well if I want to be able to represent everything.
I’ve been asking myself questions about the role of my work and the best way to represent everyone within a community. I wish to seek the right balance of being informed but also not being the sole representer of a community that I am not part of. As mentioned below, I will use interviewing processes to engage residents of communities but I also wish to set aside time prior to engaging others to educate myself of cultural centers and backgrounds.
I’ve been lucky to be busy on client projects and I haven’t had much time to follow through yet on the projects mentioned below.
On the subject of Madisonville: the City Council of Cincinnati voted 7-2 to continue to support the developer phase 3 of their project. Admittedly, I felt too busy to properly educate myself on all-sides of this project to be able to write city council about a position of being against or for the project.
I will be connecting with the Parks and Arts Committee about some thoughts for Creative Placemaking and my observations of previous projects.
Update July 24th, 2020
I took reference photography of the Cincinnati Federation of Colored Women’s Club and Harriet Beecher Stowe house. Planning to illustrate in the upcoming months — I’m hoping this work can be used for fundraising and sharing their stories.
Update July 20th, 2020
I created a round of ideas to help Artsville in Madisonville re-open as well as fundraise. Once I connect with Kathy, we plan to set in place some art projects that will help their space. I will share progress as we continue. I also plan to volunteer there in the future, hopefully with printing classes in some Covid-Safe manner.
I’ve been ideating and I will document some Creative Placemaking ideas from my years of work in Madisonville.
For the Neighborhood project, I have been visiting many more businesses within my community of Madisonville first. I’ve been taking reference photography and I plan to create a royalty-free piece of artwork that I hope foster community pride.
To continue with awareness and to continue the conversation I am interested in creating on two pieces of artwork:
1. Black Lives Matter Cincinnati poster, for people to display in their windows
2. Black Lives Matter letterpress poster with action steps to continue to fight for change
I suppose I wish to use my platform and my audience to continue to push for change, but I also want a way to do so responsibly. Potentially collaborating with a black creative or designer for this project, OR, featuring or providing the platform and resources for this creative if that would be helpful.
Update June 22nd, 2020
My friend Caitlin suggested the idea of Neighborhood artwork, perhaps community passports and/or maps that help small businesses.
– While visiting neighborhoods document and share the businesses there
– Have conversations with residents about their favorite places and activities in their community
I am planning to provide this artwork royalty-free for community members to use as they wish.
In the future I could share this work as a printed booklet or digital download.
Caitlin also suggested connecting with the Cincinnati Federation of Colored Women’s Club — their headquarters is in a Samuel Hannaford building and they may need fundraising to support upkeep.
Update June 12th, 2020
Thank you to everyone who has connected with me. I am excited to be working with others in home neighborhood of Madisonville.
I am will be focusing on using Creative Placemaking with fellow artists and art educators in my community, I am excited to begin working with Artsville.
I plan to look into housing issues in my community to see how I may contribute, not sure if i can assist using art in the fundraising process.
Short term, I am making a monthly donation to LISC of Greater Cincinnati:
https://www.lisc.org/greater-cincinnati/
I also plan to connect with my alma matter of DAAP to see if there are ways I can aid Black designers at the collegiate level.
Update June 8th, 2020
I will increase my support of Cincinnati’s Black community. When thinking of my privilege I value the freedom and economic support to pursue the happiness my creativity provides me. When asking myself how can I be of help, I focused on supporting the Black creatives and businesses owners that are my neighbors in this city.
Working with community members to stop the cycle of gentrification.
We are currently struggling with this in my neighborhood of Madisonville, where rents have tripled and residents are being priced out of their homes.
https://www.wcpo.com/news/our-community/new-10-year-housing-strategy-aims-to-create-and-preserve-more-affordable-housing-in-hamilton-county
In full transparency, please read below where I have failed my community.Create artwork that celebrates black communities.
a. Draw “geometric style” versions of black neighborhoods for those communities to feel unity and pride. I would like to provide this artwork as royalty-free to the community councils and businesses.*
b. Organize art pop-ups in these communities where residents can paint or print this artwork.**
c. Create “heritage-style” drawing of famous black landmarks.
i. Donate art prints to causes, seeking out black charities.
ii. Provide facade drawings of black businesses on behalf of their owners.*
iii. Sharing the work on social media (all year long, not just February)Continue acting as a mentor to Black creatives on their career paths.
I will seek to provide jobs and opportunities to Black creatives.
Sharing the work of Black creatives on social media, supporting more Black businesses with my income and also sharing them on social media.
Support Black musicians with free or at-cost gig posters or album artwork.
Provide design work for Black businesses.*
Visit schools and provide art experiences to Black students.**
* Free/at-cost/or trade-for services depending upon the size of the project and time commitments
** I need to COVID-Proof these activities.
Feel free to DM or contact me if you want to work together.
I will be updating my business plan to ensure a continued dedication of my commitment — sharing on the business plan on my site in the future, sharing the results annually.
My firsts steps will be to connect with members of my Madisonville community.
Creative Placemaking
I want to thank ArtsWave and Design Impact for providing me with a framework for creative placemaking. I learned to interview community members when creating my artwork, listening to them about important aspects of their communities that make them belong and feel proud.
I want to thank Duke Energy — their 2017 project enabled me to interview their employees from all over the city and I learned about and visited many more Black communities as part of that process.
I also want to thank my friend Caitlin from Design Impact, she really helped me grow while I was working on these projects.
Madisonville History Mural
In 2016 and 2017 I worked on a mural where I documented the history of Madisonville, a Black community on Cincinnati’s east side. I contemplated our society for many hours when creating that piece. When we began planning in 2014, the goal was to create a piece that inspired pride in the community and would invite the many motorists driving through to stop and support our businesses. I had hoped economic development and community pride would provide more opportunities for Black businesses and more jobs for our community. Our community is experiencing gentrification now — some business rents have increased and the rising property tax may force some out of their homes.
Update 7/24/2020 — I would like to support a future effort of another artist replacing this mural IF the community would like to replace it. The wall tends to get damaged over time and I this surface could feature many voices over time.
Mentoring
One rewarding aspect of the Madisonville project was being able to connect with a couple younger Black artists. My intention was to provide them experience with a career in the arts. I will continue to be honest and acknowledge that I failed to allocate time to provide a more meaningful mentorship to those two artists. I am currently working to be more organized and allocating more time with current mentees.
Please visit https://www.billiterstudio.com/black-lives-matter for free artwork to support the movement.
Some other ways to support I have found in my research:
Ohio Innocence Project
Spring Fundraiser
From UC’s College of Law, to overturn wrongful convictions:
https://impact.uc.edu/project/20689/wall
Support Local
Black-Owned Businesses
This website is really great
https://thevoiceofblackcincinnati.com/
Here is a list of local restaurants that Cincinnati.com shared in February:
https://www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/2020/02/11/black-owned-restaurants-cincinnati/467275900
http://cincinnatirefined.com/eat-drink/7-black-owned-local-businesses-you-can-support-today-cincinnati
Sign up to be a
poll worker
Typically many older adults work the polling stations but they are at risk due to COVID19,
you can apply to work a polling station here:
https://votehamiltoncountyohio.gov/become-poll-worker/
Sign petition for Breanna Taylor: http://chng.it/drrT9qj7sx
Sign petition for Ahmaud Arbery: https://www.change.org/p/district-attorney-tom-durden-justice-for-ahmaud-arbery-i-run-with-maud
A map based upon 2010 Census information:
http://racialdotmap.demographics.coopercenter.org/
Currently reading:
”So You Want to Talk about Race” by Ijeoma Oluo
http://www.ijeomaoluo.com/
Next:
”How to be an Antiracist” by Ibram X. Kendi
https://www.ibramxkendi.com/how-to-be-an-antiracist-1
This podcast is a great as well:
https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch