Shumate Spotlight: Prince Shakur on How Black Artists in Ohio Are Coping and Creating During Times of Political Unrest

For more than a decade, the Shumate Council has been a Wex leadership group supported by a generous endowment from Renée and Alex Shumate. Council members and other partners collaborate with the Center on opportunities and methods for engaging Black audiences and contemporary art, including contributing essays engaging directly with contemporary art and related issues.

Each month, we'll highlight some of the work emerging from the Shumate Council Blog, kicking things off with this compelling essay by guest essayist Prince Shakur. Shakur, a prolific and nationally acclaimed writer, shares their thoughts on how Ohio-based Black artists are coping and creating during political unrest. Shakur writes that "art can serve as a vital avenue for Black people to express the complexity of our lives; perhaps even soothe our wounds," and goes on to examine how pain and creativity interact and are currently showing up in the work of these artist. Read the entire essay.