This story is part of the Arts and Culture Reporting Corps, sponsored by the Springfield Regional Arts Council.
With Black History Month coming to a close, along with the history-making production of “The Color Purple” from Mosaic Arts Collective and Springfield Contemporary Theatre closing last weekend, there’s a new opportunity to celebrate and support diverse artists in the Ozarks throughout the month of March.
The third annual “Show Your Colors: Artists Showcase” exhibit will premiere at Creamery Arts Center during First Friday Art Walk Friday, March 3, from 5-7 p.m.
A project of the Artists Empowerment Collective, a committee of Springfield Regional Arts Council, Show Your Colors is an exhibition that celebrates and amplifies visual and performing artists of color from Springfield and surrounding areas.
Show includes 2D and 3D visual arts, as well as music and poetry
One participating artist is Ashley Laren, a Springfield visual artist who describes herself as the kid who was always doodling on her papers in class. Laren has been painting for about five years, in addition to drawing and making clay jewelry.
Laren’s art is inspired by her own explorations in nature and this show will include artworks inspired by a recent trip to Maine.
“I painted stunning fruit trees, mushroom-covered trees, and waves crashing across rocks,” Laren said. “I also have included a few pieces inspired by places I would like to visit: red rock desert mesas and fields of fresh flowers with mountain peaks in the distance.”
Laren is excited to be part of this immersive show where attendees can experience both 2D and 3D visual arts, as well as music and poetry.
“It’s amazing how much has happened for the POC community in Springfield just in the last 3-4 years,” said Keisha McMillen, operations manager for the Arts Council and chair of the AEC committee.
Artists Empowerment Collective launched in 2020
McMillen has worked at the Arts Council since 2020. She was part of the original group that would become Artists Empowerment Collective, which started to meet that summer.
She recalls how, in the wake of COVID stress and alongside renewed Black Lives Matter support in the community, some began to wonder, “What can we do as artists to develop a better community? To be advocates for ourselves, let Springfield know that there’s something we can do to help with cultural healing?”
What began with a small group informally meeting to talk about questions like these grew into a grassroots showcase of art and performance called “Show Your Colors,” which provided a space where artists of color could feel recognized, respected and heard.
Now in its third year, the showcase will take place for the first time at Creamery Arts Center. For McMillen, this third year shows that, “we deserve more than just a pop-up venue. We can have a month-long exhibition, and we can sell our work.”
Showcase meets SRAC's goals of advocating, educating and collaborating
The Springfield Regional Arts Council strives to advocate, educate and collaborate, and this showcase combines all three.
“Art has the power to shape our understanding of the world and the people in it,” said Sarah Abele, director of marketing and development at SRAC. “By promoting inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility in the arts, we ensure that everyone has the opportunity to see and appreciate different perspectives and experiences.”
McMillen believes that art can make an impact for the artists themselves as well as the community at large, with “life-changing, world-changing things going on in communities all over, the initial reaction to that is to start to feel anxious, depressed, burnt out from everything in the world,” she said. “You come to a spot where you’re like, is it just another day feeling like David against the giant, or are you going to grab your slingshot and say, ‘What can I do?’
“Those who are true artists do it because they love it. They do it because it heals something. It’s a way of celebrating and expressing your identity, showing your colors and empowering yourself. If you can use your art to empower yourself, who’s to say that a number of artists can’t come together to empower their community?”
As an artist, Laren has been part of “Show Your Colors” since its start in 2020. She’s excited for the 2023 exhibit because, “the past years have left so many local artists, at different stages of their practice and careers, inspired and motivated to pursue their dreams and build community in this place we call home. In a town like Springfield, it is especially important for artists of color to not feel marginalized and to have a platform to express themselves in a welcoming and encouraging environment.”
A chance to support artists of color and learn from them
The “Show Your Colors” event is a chance for the community to come together and support artists of color while learning from their unique points of view expressed through their art. For McMillen, an important part of advocacy is that first step of showing up.
“People ask, ‘How can they be an advocate?' A lot of people think there’s a right way versus a wrong way,” McMillen said. “If you know artists of color, just talk to them. Ask them about their art. Go to their showcases and performances. Buy their art. Plug yourself in and ask; that’s the best way you can be an advocate.”
