Roy Rudolph DeCarava

Born in Harlem, NY in the year 1919, American artist Roy Rudolph DeCarava studied multidisciplinary art styles as a child and mastered the art of photography. As a native New Yorker, Roy fell in love with the city of Harlem and its profound historical ties to blackness. His roots run deep, as the majority of his work celebrates Black life, Black media, Black family, and Black music. Spanning 60 years, Roy presents his art through black-and-white imagery, illustrating beauty within the different nuances of gray. His message is clear, his impact is strong: Black is Beautiful. 

“Black people have a spiritualism, maybe because for so long they had nothing else.”

~Roy R. DeCarava

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Carrie Mae Weems

Born in Portland, Oregon in the year 1953, American artist Carrie Mae Weems is celebrated for her thought-provoking work across the world. With media ranging from digital typography to cinematic installations, Weems is most notably known for her strides in the art of photography. She immerses herself in the world of politics, combining her fervor for activism with dramatic storytelling to create a collection of photographic masterpieces. Carrie Mae Weems will continue to inspire a generation of artists who seek just one thing: The Truth.

“My responsibility as an artist is to work, to sing for my supper, to make art, beautiful and powerful, that adds and reveals; to beautify the mess of a messy world, to heal the sick and feed the helpless; to shout bravely from the roof-tops and storm barricaded doors and voice the specifics of our historic moment.”

~Carrie M. Weems

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