Seven artists, seven vibes, and one soul are on display at Blak Grit, an art exhibition curated by seangarrison at Northrup King Building, Gallery 332, which opened on August 9.
A year in the making, abstract artist and curator seangarrison envisioned the exhibit that uplifts seven distinct Black male artists local to the Twin Cities, all with similar “art attitudes.”
The featured artists include “visual jazz” projectionist Miko Simmons; Afrofuturism aficionado Ron Brown; human spirit capturer Flahn Manly; sculptor, painter, and chef Shea Maze; emerging multidisciplinary artist Dio; and veteran “analog collage” artist A Drew Hammond.
Before you reach Gallery 332, signs of trigger warnings guide the way to prep patrons for the moving mixed-media experience. Once inside, a wonderland of artwork entices folks to embark on a gritty journey. Chalk outlines lead to the back corner, filled with projections of images and epitaphs in motion over jaw-dropping works done by Miko Simmons.
While the direction of the faces displayed in the main room lead the way, some pieces require 3D glasses (provided) to make already-alive works leap off the canvas. Expansive portraits by Flahn Manly are hung throughout. His works showcase the spirits of Black folks and captivate viewers to take in the fullness.
Dio’s works expand a wide range of topics, all raw in expression. The impulse for pieces like “Murda Musik (Killin Beef)” might be to look away; however, it demands the viewer look even deeper and interrogate themselves and the statements reflected within the art.
Shea Maze’s unique sculptures are each intricately made of gourds using natural pigments after a two-year drying process. Ron Brown’s bold take on the ancestors and America through an Afrofuturistic lens and Drew Hammond’s contemplative collages conjure contemplations of both past and present.
The gallery flows through the complex ranges of Blackness by way of the complexity of each artist. Whether abstract, visceral or sculpted, the space is set up intentionally to guide folks through the exhibition. A story is told at and through each piece.
“A lot of the work [propels you] from love to heaviness,” seangarrison noted. “The set up of the space was necessary—there isn’t a centered piece because we all sing the same song. Everybody grabbed a different instrument. If one person was out of tune, it doesn’t work.”
Don’t get it twisted; these brothers may be in tune, but they have their own voices and are not speaking on or for one collective experience. As stated on the exhibition’s webpage:
“We are not a monolith. Ain’t no group thought here. We are on seven different frequencies when combined to compose a unified sound of grit. The kind that fortifies our backbones when faced with the adversities of america; moving us to create beauty, joy, hope, love, and most definitely truth.”
Far from a monolith, seangarrison was intentional about the types of artists selected and how it impacts the exhibit. “How do I deal with colorism?… The collective of men span color and age range,” seangarrison affirmed. “We all got different viewpoints just being Black.”
Asked about the meaning of “Blak Grit,” seangarrison stated, “It takes a certain amount of audacity or nerve to be Black and still smile and be super dope.” He is no stranger to audacity. The abstract artist has been at this for decades starting as a writer 38 years ago and serving as a visual artist “with intent” for the last 12 years. “I’d rather do art 27 hours throughout the day than 27 seconds doing anything else,” he boasted.
A staple in the Twin Cities art scene, seangarrison received national attention for his piece “Walking on Air” created in response to the Chauvin trial back in 2021. Now, he showcases another standout piece he hopes will wake folks up, one that is impossible to miss upon entering the exhibit.
“The bullet is a modern-day noose,” he proposed. “Our bodies are a vehicle—we go on forever.” Constellations map the sculpted piece “They Are Still With Us” the artist designated as a tribute to Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman and mother who was murdered by a white officer in her home on July 6, 2024. It’s a tribute meant to be seen more than described, a piece meant to elicit a response, reaction, and/or change.
Art as a vehicle for change is something artist A Drew Hammond fully believes in. A true master of mixed media collages, Hammond said, “Not only is it my responsibility as an artist to participate in exhibitions that help us denounce and dispel the marginalization of African American arts, it’s also my privilege to be in a space with African American artists who I respect and exhibit with over the years. [Also] there is something about being called to arts by artist and curator seangarrison. It’s an offer you just can’t refuse.”
For these seven artists, art is a call to action, an amplification of their voices. It is meant to stir the soul and imbue the mind. “Art has an impact,” seangarrison emphasized. “I don’t want anyone to leave the space and just think ‘that was cool.’ I want them to leave changed.”
Blak Grit Art Exhibition runs now until August 31 from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Northrup King Building Gallery 332, 1500 Jackson St. NE, Minneapolis. Learn more about the Blak Grit experience and the featured artists at www.seangarrisonartist.com/blakgritexhibit.