By Bridgett Holden
In conjunction with inspiration from an article written by Monique Welch in the Houston Chronicle aptly titled ”6 Black Artists You Need To Know Who Are Part of Houston’s Booming Art Scene,” Reggie Stewart, founder, and CEO of Eternal Light Entertainment, (ELE) created Roho Ya Msanii, the Soul of the Artist Series that ran from March to April to present and provide a platform for four of the artists mentioned in Welch’s article to display their artwork to the community at the Agora Haus, a private upscale location in The Heights pro bono.
Roho Ya Msanii, the Soul of the Artist, is a series of art mixers designed to share the essence of each artist with the public,” stated Stewart. “Eternal Light works in the art and music industries and one of our missions is to feature up-and-coming artists. When I read Monique’s article, I was inspired by their individual stories and unique talents. I wanted to provide an evening and space for each artist to showcase their art, showing Houston why they are artists we need to know.”
The Soul of the Artist kicked off on March 10th, featuring 45-year-old Akaimi Davis a.k.a. “Akaimi the Artist” who travels back and forth from San Antonio to Houston for treatment from rare a form of leukemia known as large granular lymphocytic leukemia. Davis has undergone chemo for two years and went full-time with her art shortly after.
“This was an amazing opportunity,” stated Davis. “I enjoyed being able to showcase my art with a beautiful mix of people at a beautiful venue, and the energy in the room was impeccable! I can’t wait to see what’s to come!”
On March 24th, Soul of the Artist featured Audrianna Woods a.k.a. “Miss Audrii” who is the youngest of the artists, (27 years old). Woods has been painting for five years, and went full-time three years ago, with this as her first featured art showing.
“I am beyond excited to be a part of Soul of the Artist put on by Eternal Light Entertainment,” stated Woods!” “Painting has become my way of expressing who I truly am and is my way of spreading love and light into the world. I believe it’s special to connect with who you are and where you come from, and I’ve made it my mission to show that within my artwork!”
The next artist featured on April 7th was native Houstonian Michael Temple a.k.a. “Madd Kyng.” The 29-year-old, jumped into art full time after graduating from San Diego State University. He has worked on projects for Houston rapper Tobe Nwigwe, Astroworld, and installations inside the new Museum for Black Girls in Uptown Park Mall.
“Through consistent hard work, opportunities flow like water,” stated Temple. “I am grateful for this opportunity to grow my presence in Houston’s art community.”
Closing out the series on April 21st was Doug James Jr. a.k.a. “Art by Nato.” This native Houstonian’s father is Doug James Sr., Klein ISD school board member who has been a pivotal inspiration behind his son’s art. James Jr.’s first big break came when Spike Lee contacted him via Instagram about an art piece he did of Denzel Washington’s portrayal of Bleak Gilliam in the film Mo’ Better Blues. Once James Jr. realized it was the famous producer, they planned for Lee to purchase the art from James Jr. Many of his pieces highlight music artists, political leaders, and other notable figures in the Black community.
“I’m honored and blessed beyond words to be a part of the Soul of the Artist Series,” stated James Jr. “When I heard the title of the mixer, I knew it meant that as an artist you need to put your entire soul into everything you create. I love creating pieces that resonate with me, my life experiences, and much more. I always use this quote from one of my favorite artists, Jean Michel Basquiatto who said, “I don’t think about art when I’m working. I try to think about life. Life is your canvas. Paint your piece in the way God intends you to do. The world is yours.” This reminds me of why art is imperative.
Although statistics show that 0000.2% of artists become successful, Stewart acknowledges a lot of work goes into producing an art show, securing the venue, creating the buzz, making sure people attend, etc. And unless the artist has an agent or gallery working with them, it’s almost impossible for them to pull it off. However, with the recent event, Stewart could not be happier with the outcome.
“Whenever you create a plan and can execute it flawlessly, the experience cannot be described as anything other than unbelievably successful,” stated Stewart. “Because of the great team I had, we were able to offer each artist the experience we planned with them from the beginning. Both the artist and audience left each evening having truly enjoyed themselves and that was most rewarding for me.”
There could be a foreseeable change on the horizon for the art industry in Texas. According to Texas Monthly Magazine, “From all reports on the front, the art scene in Texas is being infiltrated by artists from all over the country. Welch’s article states, “Houston is an art mecca,” and movoto.com states that “Houston is rapidly gaining a reputation as the premier fine art fair in the South and the next ‘Art Basel Miami.’” With a quirky, fresh approach to the visual arts, Houston’s art community is booming.”
“The purpose of this series was to provide these amazing artists with a platform to display their art and share their soul to the audience, and from the incredible response from those that attended it appears that those expectations were not only met but were far exceeded,” said Stewart. “We had high expectations and it’s truly a great feeling when you can achieve your goals.”
Although the Soul of the Artist Series has concluded, Stewart plans to create this experience again in Houston and in other cities in Texas, working with gallery owners and curators to shed light on up-and-coming artists.
“We are looking at presenting this series at different venues throughout the city of Houston and then take it on the road to major cities in the country,” stated Stewart. “We want to continue to provide this platform for Black artists to share their art and soul, but equally important, to be compensated financially as fairly as possible, for their time and talents.”
Photo Credit: Rashad Olurebi, Ishoottolive Photography
