Jeff Williams:
Welcome to Community Voices, a production of NPR Illinois. I'm your co-host, Jeff Williams, in the studio with me today, Austin Wells. Austin, how's it going?
Austin Wells:
Good. How are you doing, Jeff?
Jeff Williams:
And Jaliyah Ross, how's it going?
Jaliyah Ross:
It's going well.
Jeff Williams:
Both of you are in here. Basically, you're co-curators, correct, of Noir VI: The Truth. So far so good. I've said everything right so far.
Austin Wells:
Absolutely.
Jeff Williams:
So yeah, if either one of you want to start, kind of tell us a little bit about this year.
Austin Wells:
Okay, so this year we have the 6th installment of the new art series. We're super excited for what we have to share with you. One of the things that we are trying to make sure is known is black art is getting the opportunity to be seen and to be heard.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, absolutely.
Austin Wells:
Especially in specific spaces and museum spaces. It's really important for us to make sure that artwork is acknowledged on the professional level. Collaborating with the Old State Capitol.
Jeff Williams:
Very nice. Yeah, that's great.
Austin Wells:
Yeah.
Jeff Williams:
And so, then over the last few years, it's traveled around some, started off at first it was at the Illinois State museum, correct? The first years? first three years, and then I knew they had some things they had it like they're taking care of some structural issues there and so had to move at that point and then it was at I believe the Dana Thomas House then, is that correct?
Austin Wells:
Yes, for the 4th installment.
Jeff Williams:
The 4th installment was probably had to do some border scrambling to try to find a new space because of not knowing where to turn because of the construction.
Austin Wells:
Absolutely. We were kind of last minute had to scramble and find the Dana Thomas house that actually led to the collaboration with the historic sites, Springfield Historic Sites now. And so we are partnering with them. The Illinois State Museum is partnering with the Springfield Historic Sites and kind of finding new locations to do the show separate from the Illinois State Museum.
Jeff Williams:
Well, that's nice to have it travel and have it in different historic locations and this year being at the Old State Capitol. Jaliyah, how long have you been involved?
Jaliyah Ross:
So, this is actually my first year being involved. So that's why I'm kind of just sitting here when you talk about like previous years. And I'm also very excited for that reason that I am here now. Just being a part of something that has had history and traveled on, I'm glad to be working here now, especially being at the Old State Capitol. I feel like it's super symbolic, especially to tie into the theme. It just all goes together really well. So I'm excited to see how that turns out. Because being behind the scenes has been just really good.
Jeff Williams:
There's a lot goes on putting on an art show that's behind the scenes that some people think it's a snap of the fingers and there's a lot involved. So do you want to talk a little bit about your background in art?
Jaliyah Ross:
Yes, I've been into the arts since I was a kid, just as far as like just having a love for music, certain music, dance. I thought I was going to be a ballerina when I grew up. So just seeing that and noticing that art has been a part of my life since I was a kid, cooking, baking, all type of things. Arts, yeah. just the arts in general. Being here and being a part of Noir is like a full circle moment for me. I am a full-time licensed esthetician at the moment. So, I do so many things. I do photography here and there. It's just so many different things I do. So, to be involved in this, it's nice to get my curator side out and just for people to see what I'm capable of outside of doing makeup.
Jeff Williams:
Well, it's a great learning experience too, you know what I mean? And be able to… I saw some of your artwork over in Jacksonville, is that correct? Some of your photography, Pierre Jacques' studio over there. That's cool. Austin, do you want to tell us a little bit about your art background?
Austin Wells:
Yeah, so I am from, born I'm a high school art teacher. I've been teaching for the past 14, 15 years, I think, something like that. I've been producing artwork probably since I was about 8 years old. So my first piece of artwork when I was 8 and kind of evolved throughout my career into producing large-scale murals. I kind of got a little bit more of that recognition for creating large-size artwork or large murals, especially after completing the Sonia Massey mural. got some specific recognition for completing that. And I was really honored to be able to represent her in a respectful way. So that was important to me. But my artwork is specifically like a social commentary about the way that American people are identified and viewed in popular culture and social media. It's really important for me to kind of create this social dialogue about cultural identity, belonging, especially black representation within the arts. That is extremely significant in my artwork.
Jeff Williams:
Working on larger scale pieces, you know, it's a little different when you get into the larger scale. It's a physical thing; you know what I mean? You get, even just a large-scale painting is different than smaller ones. Sometimes you can kind of be tighter. Don't get me wrong, I also work on smaller pieces too. But a lot of times you go from the wrist or maybe the elbow.
Austin Wells:
I was literally just about to say this. I love the way you just explained that. I always say when I teach and tell my students, you can draw with your wrist. It's a little bit tighter, a little bit closer, more intimate is the word that I use. You can draw with your elbow. That's a little bit larger scale. Now we're on a big piece of paper, 18 by 24 inch. Then you can draw with your shoulder. And I like to draw with my shoulder because it's kinetic. So now I get to work within this space, work within the wall. And it kind of is a funny moment I have a lot whenever I'm spray painting or whenever I'm creating mural on a wall. makes all them punishments, those timeouts when you were a kid, you're forced to face the wall. It makes sense now. (laughter) Right?! So now that I'm standing here staring at a wall making art, it was like, oh, this makes sense. When I was in trouble back in kindergarten, they said, you know, go put your nose on the wall or some type of funny punishment like that. It makes sense why I like walls.
Jeff Williams:
Exactly. When you're working on murals, our larger scale public art, you know, people come by. It's a nice interaction that happens like that.
Austin Wells:
And I think that's important for this art show for Noir VI. We are trying to create a social dialogue. We would like audience and viewers. We invite them not only to look at individual pieces of artwork, but with this artwork being at the Old State Capitol, we're inviting for a broader cultural dialogue that is going to encourage our participants and viewers to have some of those tougher conversations and to be forced to think and reflect upon their own truth. That is something that we really want to make sure the point is brought across, is not only look at the artist and think about the representation of truth as a theme for the art show, but we would like our viewers and participants to also think about their own personal truths. How does that relate to our current realities and our current cultural climate, our current historical climate as well?
Jeff Williams:
That's how you grow. You're not trying to poke purposefully at somebody in a contrite manner, but to let them think, to let myself think, it basically just expands your understanding. And then you can come back to where you were And maybe it's pivoted a little bit, but it's just the process of learning. The more the better you can make any informed decisions about the world or about yourself.
Austin Wells:
Absolutely, and exposure is extremely important if you're not exposed to some of these. scenario, some of these images, you might not even get the chance to grow and to reflect upon a perspective separate from your own.
Jeff Williams:
Right.
Jaliyah Ross:
Yeah, it's nice to get outside of yourself sometimes just so you can see, like you say, others, you know, way of life, way of living, all of that because you don't want to stay so boxed in and you think that, and it can be completely harmless, you know, for you to not know, but that's why it's important to get into rooms where you are able to shift your perspective and be able to say, okay, this is my truth, but this is also happening in their world too.
Jeff Williams:
Yeah, exactly. Once again, getting back to the Noir VI show at the Old State Capitol, when does that open?
Jaliyah Ross:
June 12th. It's going to be June 12th at 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Jeff Williams:
And will that be the opening reception?
Jaliyah Ross:
Yes, opening reception. Everybody's invited. Then I believe it'll be inside of the Old State Capitol all the way until September.
Austin Wells:
September 13th.
Jeff Williams:
September 13th, that's very good too.
Jaliyah Ross:
So it's nice because even if you don't make it to the reception, you can come in and view it.
Austin Wells:
Yeah so, you'll be able to access the art show through the Adams Street or Washington Street entrances. One side has a wooden ramp and that'll be the Adams Street Plaza side. The other side will be the Washington Street side. For the opening reception on June 12th the parking garage will be open for attendees to park down there. We'll make sure that we have somebody guiding guiding. Yeah because there is a little bit of the trick culture with downtown Springfield and parking. But we have created an opportunity with partnering with downtown and partnering with the historical sites and the Illinois State Museum and the Old State Capitol to create parking spaces and provide this opportunity using this beautiful structure.
Jeff Williams:
And that is free, right? The opening … actually anytime you go to view it is free, correct?
Austin Wells:
Absolutely. We're going to try to create some additional days throughout the summer, maybe some artist talks or some tour dates where we'll have some of the artists maybe be present to present some of their artist statements or to further the dialogue about the theme of truth as our theme for Noir VI.
Jeff Williams:
Absolutely.
Austin Wells:
We have about just a little further detail. We have 26 artists in the show. We'll have 26 pieces in the show. We are looking to have about 18 of our artists on that main floor that you come in on those two entrances and then about 8 artists on the 2nd floor. Once you walk up the stairs on either floor, there'll be artwork on the right and left side or the, I think it's going to be the north and south side of the building. And then our award ceremony will be roughly, oh, 615-ish on the June 12th on opening reception. In Representative Hall and Representative Hall is a very powerful location, a really beautiful location. location that we got to learn some history about on the specific location. But from the inception of the building until I want to say it was 1867, there was no black American allowed to hold session in the old state capital. And Frederick Douglass was the first black representative to hold session in the old state capital. And so when we're in that space, when we're in Representative Hall, there is this powerful feeling and cultural connection to our ancestors. But just to the theme of noir. No matter what history tries to do, we're going to make sure through our efforts that our history is not erased.
Jeff Williams:
Right, absolutely. Sometimes things in this area, if you're from a space, sometimes you almost overlook certain things and don't think about the significance of things that happened here. I remember going out to Gettysburg when I was in Philadelphia for an art show. I'd mentioned this before on a like with another guest, but all of a sudden it's like, oh yeah, there's, when I was there and you see these cannons lined up on these two other sides and all of a sudden just start to think of it. I was like, man.
Austin Wells:
It's no longer in a textbook. Now it's in your face and forces you to think about it.
Jeff Williams:
Yeah.
Austin Wells:
Unfortunately, I didn't get to see Barack Obama when he spoke at the Old State Capitol on the lawn, but oh, that would have been an incredible and a powerful moment. But to stand on that lawn or to go into the different rooms, you know, the state room, the law office room, that treasury.
Jaliyah Ross:
Was a welcomed in, that's really powerful.
Jeff Williams:
It's crazy to think about in a way, you know, to sometimes wrap your mind around things. I remember also also going to Charleston, South Carolina, and the first time seeing the Charleston slave markets that still, it's like this big building like the Parthenon just chiseled in there, Charleston slave market. At first it was like when I saw that, I was like, man, that's just crazy to see Our band toured through a lot of southern cities and stuff, so we got to, we were there for a while and we'd drive, we wouldn't fly in, we'd drive, so we'd be in these different spaces. And it seemed to me, at least from the outside, from the small amount of time that I was there, in a way, having that there still seemed to, at least the portions I saw heal or work good. This reminder kind of didn't push it away and let everybody remember that this was that this was something and it almost to me at least seemed like that town came together more so than maybe some other some other some other some other spaces so even though it when I first saw like man that's crazy to see but everybody sees it and I think it makes everybody like, we need to all, think that.
Jaliyah Ross:
Honestly, that's why I feel things like Noir is really important because when living in today's days where they're trying to take out certain history, it's like, okay, if you're going to take it out the book, we're going to put it in your face. So it's nice to be able to host this and actually have people express themselves. Because one thing about us, we don't, we, you could take away our try to take away our voice, but we have art that we use to express ourselves. We always find a way to express ourselves. So it's nice to see the things, even when it's uncomfortable when you first see it. It's nice to still see it because it reminds you that, okay, this is not just something that was written down. This is something that happened. And we need to be reminded as much as possible that this is something that happened before and that's still happening today. So that's why I'm really excited about Noir and for everybody to see the pieces that we have coming in because it's like art being plastered in a place that did not welcome us at a certain point.
Jeff Williams:
Absolutely. Once again, we are in the studio with Austin Wells, and Jaliyah Ross, Noir VI, The Truth, and some of the artists. Where's the representation from this year?
Jaliyah Ross:
It's been people from all over, really. We had someone that's originally from Detroit, but he's in Chicago now. So, we had a few Chicago artists for sure. We had some people from St. Louis. it's been a variety and it's also nice to get different people from different places because they have their own troops from where they come from. Yeah, we have people coming in from Chicago, local, St. Louis.
Jeff Williams:
Love it, love it.
Austin Wells:
One of the great parts too is we have generational artists. That is something that makes us so proud is we have an artist as young as 19 or 20 years old to an artist that's going to be represented that's 85 years old. And we get to see each perspective from and those artists. So to tell a much more modern story with representations from pop culture and modern imagery through a film called Centers, we have an artist that's representing imagery through that. We also have an artist who will be representing artwork over a time period, demonstrating through bottle caps, showing their range of black culture and artistic culture within their artwork, using that as a medium. We're really excited to be able to present this diverse group of artists and what their stories are. And we invite our participants to engage with our artists at the opening reception or throughout any opportunity and to ask questions and to invite a more reflective dialogue about the artwork.
Jeff Williams:
Anyhow, I know you both have to get run into another meeting, but yeah, thanks again, both of you for stopping by. Like I mentioned earlier, Austin Wells, Jaliyah Ross, Noir VI, The Truth. What are the dates again?
Austin Wells:
June 12th, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The art show will run until September 13th. And we really appreciate this opportunity, Jeff. It was really nice getting to speak with you.
Jeff Williams:
Yes, it was nice to talk, nice to talk. Thank both of you so much!
Austin Wells:
Thank you, Jeff.
Jeff Williams:
Thank you. Community Voices is a production of NPR Illinois.
