A Panel Discussion on NATIVE

Reggie Black is a multimedia artist and designer using text to navigate trauma, hope, and optimism. Intersecting hand type artistry, graphic design, and abstract painting, his work has exhibited internationally in cities including Bangkok, Hong Kong, New York City, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C.

A self-taught artist who began his practice on pen and paper, Black has since conceived of new processes using both analog and digital techniques to create his signature hand type.

Black has presented talks with Apple, Advertising Week, Floyd, TED, and Zound addressing the importance of art, design, technology, mental health, and vulnerability.

Jason Reynolds is an award-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author. Jason’s many books include Miles Morales: Spider Man, the Track series (Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and Lu), Long Way Down, which received a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, and a Correta Scott King Honor, and Look Both Ways, which was a National Book Award Finalist. His latest book, Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, is a collaboration with Ibram X. Kendi. Recently named the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Jason has appeared on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and CBS This Morning. He is on faculty at Lesley University, for the Writing for Young People MFA Program and lives in Washington, DC. You can find his ramblings at JasonWritesBooks.com.
Image: James J. Reddington

We’ve all often heard reference to a “creative spirit” inherent in those who invent, develop, build, analyze, make and/or create. Spirituality is much more than doctrine or practice, it’s a soul-deep rhythm of living with a heart tuned to wonder. But, our world is noisy, and the noise can make it impossible to hear, to see, to move and be moved by that rhythm. Pursuing silence, therefore, becomes a necessary part of the creative process to reorient, ground, and receive.

Reset and recenter with us. On July 22, Lori Parkerson, of Selah will be leading small groups through an exercise in creative silence. If you were on 14th street between 2006 and 2018 you’ll remember Lori’s shop Redeem, a boutique and gathering place for all us creative misfit toys.

To participate, just register for this event like you normally would. We’ve only got 50 spots open for this one. Once you’re registered our team will reach out to you and ask you to select a one hour time slot between 7:30 am-10:30 am. It might be a bit uncomfortable at first, it will be beautiful. Registration, as usual, opens on Monday at 10 am.

Chela Mitchell is a distinguished art gallerist known for her unwavering dedication to the world of contemporary art. With a keen eye for emerging talent and a passion for fostering artistic expression she plays a pivotal role in shaping the cultural landscape.

Born in Washington DC, Chela developed an early appreciation for the arts as she left her hometown to pursue her education at Rutgers University. While at Rutgers, Mitchell
would spend time in the New York Fashion world where she used fashion as a way to express her love for the arts.

Chela Mitchell's journey into the art world began in New York once she decided to leave the fashion world and fully dedicate herself to her true dream of becoming an Art Gallerist. She began her career as an Art Dealer and Advisor, building her foundation in New York and setting a huge advantage for herself and her future gallery. In 2020, Chela Mitchell decided to leave New York and return home to Washington DC to further build her gallery.

Chela Mitchell founded her gallery in 2021, a dynamic space that has quickly gained recognition for its commitment to showcasing cutting-edge artists who push the boundaries and open new perspectives. Under her leadership, Chela Mitchell Gallery has rooted itself in community cultivation, the richness of culture and the amplification of unique voices in the fine art and design.

Since opening her gallery in June, Chela has created a unique voice for the art scene in DC, allowing emerging artists to have a larger audience for themselves at art fairs such
as; NADA( New Art Dealer Association), PHOTOFAIRS, and FRIEZE. Mitchell also made history by being the first gallery to represent DC at these fairs.

Chela Mitchell continues to shape the art scene, fostering creativity and providing a platform for artists to thrive. She remains dedicated to her gallery’s mission of making change within not only the DC art scene, but her community as well.