A City Artist Corps-supported interdisciplinary exhibition/screening experience.
WOKE ARTArt as a catalyst for awareness, unity, and community.
WOKE ART was an interdisciplinary arts and community experience created to showcase Black filmmakers, visual artists, musicians, performers, and storytellers using their work to inspire awareness, encourage unity, challenge racial oppression, and uplift communities of color.
Bringing together 11 New York City artists across multiple disciplines, WOKE ART created a space where film, visual art, music, performance, and storytelling could exist in conversation with one another. Rather than simply exhibiting creative work, the experience invited artists and audiences to gather around a shared belief: art can entertain while also opening minds, starting conversations, and moving communities forward.
WOKE ART was presented with support from New York City's City Artist Corps initiative in partnership with the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA), with the initiative supported by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) and the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME).
At a Glance
11 NYC artists featured across multiple creative disciplines
Showcased Black filmmakers, visual artists, musicians, performers, and storytellers
Brought together film, music, visual art, performance, and interdisciplinary storytelling
Centered creative work exploring awareness, unity, racial justice, and the upliftment of communities of color
Supported through New York City's City Artist Corps initiative in partnership with NYFA
Connected to a citywide arts recovery initiative supported by NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) and Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME)
Created opportunities for artists and audiences to connect through art, conversation, and community
Welcomed guests from across New York's creative and entertainment community, including individuals connected with Showtime
The Impact
WOKE ART demonstrated what can happen when art becomes more than something audiences observe. By bringing multiple artistic disciplines and perspectives into one shared space, the experience gave Black artists a platform to be seen and heard while inviting audiences into conversations about identity, awareness, unity, and social change.
It embodied an idea that continues to inform FYHA's work today: stories can create connection, connection can deepen understanding, and understanding can become a catalyst for change.
