Commentary

INCLUSION IN ART

Racial Diversity in the Visual Arts

Over the years Inclusion in Art has grown and shifted. It has experienced growing pains and although many of them have gone, there are some that still exist. One of the major hurdles of Inclusion in Art is breaking the perception that it is a "Black" only organization. I think this misconception comes from the strong presence of African American/Black artists participating in exhibitions. While it is true that several of the exhibitions sponsored by Inclusion in Art have featured African Americans, there have been events such as SKIN 2007 that had more participation by White artists than by any other group. Because race was a subject in the exhibition, it was assumed that it was an event that focused only on "artists of color".

I approached a good friend of mine to participate in SKIN 2007 she is a White artist whose work is beautiful and absorbing. I explained to her that the exhibition dealt with ideas of physical beauty in our society, concepts of internalized racism, and physical perception of self. She answered my invitation with a question. While she was exited to be a part of the event, she wondered why I would ask her, a White artist to participate in a show whose subject matter was race. This thought while not an indictment on her person illustrates how people can sometimes place themselves in an area away or above the rest of us. The fact of the matter is race does apply to all of use. We are all artists of color but there is still the mindset that some of us are not. This is why Inclusion in Art is necessary. The goal of the initiative has never been to segregate and create a community of color in Oklahoma's visual arts community, but rather to unite it. If certain racial groups and underserved communities have no exposure or representation, it makes sense that the vehicle to address that concern focus on that population in need. There is no mystery that the art community of Oklahoma is predominately White. With that being said, it is also one of the most inclusive minded communities you can find here.

The shift in Inclusions physical appearance is a direct result of our commitment to bringing previously underserved and under represented artists into the fold. It is also the result of a community that embraced their creative people and now have an interest in participating as patrons and as artists. Would this new found openness had happened if the African American community didn't have visible Black artists participating and acting as ambassadors? I think I can answer that question confidently.

People tend to identify first with a physical representation and then with other similarities. The ability to relate physically comes first. That is unfortunate but true. I was reluctant to approach a gallery because I was many times the only Black artist. Once I became part of the Oklahoma art community, I found that it was one of the most accepting communities I've had the privilege of being a part of. How many artists failed to integrate because they didn't see people they could relate to visually. Inclusion in Art needs ambassadors of all races to bring more diversity to the arts community. I have worked in both the African American and Latino communities in Oklahoma. During the beginning phases of Inclusion in Art, we had a strong Latino presence. Artists like Magali Pinero Hernandez helped us break language barriers and we were able to have a presence in the Primavera Festival. The interest was incredible but there was still the issue of communication, in this case it was verbal. Miss Hernandez was instrumental in our outreach efforts. With assistance from proactive artists and patrons, we can reach people who have been ignored creatively.

If you want to know if Inclusion in Art is a Black thing, it is not. It is an initiative that can only extend the hand of racial diversity. It is up to the communities, the patrons and the artists to take that hand and be supporters and leaders.