‘Black Art in the Park’: Honoring Black creativity and community

Claire McLean
Thu, 08 Oct 2020 00:15:02 +0000
Arts & Life, Events, Instagram Page, News, art, Black Art in the Park, event, events, goodale park, ohio state, ohio state university, osu

“Black Art in the Park” will take place Oct. 10 at Goodale Park. Credit: Ashley Kimmel | Arts & Life Editor

This weekend, Columbus will be celebrating Black creativity and ingenuity in the city’s first-ever “Black Art in the Park.”

The event, presented by Kendra Spencer, CEO of publishing company Blaque Diamond Ink, and Maria Holland, founder of nonprofit organization HydroHelpers, will be held at Goodale Park Saturday. The event will feature spoken word poetry, dancers, singers and small business vendors selling handmade jewelry, cosmetics and sunglasses, Spencer said. Good & Tasty Barbecue will also be selling food, Holland said.

Local singer and songwriter Lyrikal Goddess will be in attendance as well as performer Laila Hameen, known for her one-woman show “Laid Off,” Spencer said.?

Spencer and Holland began their partnership over a year ago. Starting off as friends, they soon began working together as business partners when the idea of “Black Art in the Park” emerged, Holland said.

Holland said she noticed how COVID-19 disproportionately affected entrepreneurs of color and decided to host “Black Art in the Park” to introduce these entrepreneurs to a new customer base and provide them with networking opportunities.

“I always kind of feel out of place going to the art festival,” Holland said. “So to be a part of that, I feel like it speaks to who I am.”

Spencer said she is excited to share the talents of each vendor with the community and introduce her own network to the public.

“It’s just gonna be a great night where we’re just celebrating Black artistry and creativity,” Spencer said. “A lot of times when people say art, they just think of certain fields, but this is celebrating anybody that’s creative and everybody that’s creative.”

Spencer said in order to follow safety guidelines and avoid spreading COVID-19, every vendor will be required to have hand sanitizer at their table and face masks will be required for all vendors and guests.

“Black Art in the Park” will take place Saturday from 2-6 p.m. The event is free and will take place at Goodale Park, located at 120 W. Goodale St.

Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled Laila Hameen’s name. The spelling has been corrected.