Category Archive: ART

Chi Modu: Defining a Decade

The 90s era of hip-hop saw artists like Tupac, Notorious B.I.G., Snoop Dogg, and many others rise to stardom. The slow, melody-heavy nature of gangsta rap echoed through speakers across the country, with listeners hungry to learn more about these soon-to-be cultural icons. Artists like Notorious B.I.G, Nas, and Jay-Z repped the east coast while Tupac and Snoop Dogg occupied the west coast. With a music scene that was untamed and relentless, 90s hip-hop needed someone capable of documenting the rough-rider era. That, someone, was Photographer Chi Modu.

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ArtPop: Accessible Art, Open Experiences

It’s a Saturday morning, and I’m riding down a busy road as my mom drives - the only visible scenery outside my window is the bland repetition of business signs and advertisements when I spot something out of the corner of my eye that brightens the entire road. On a billboard high in the sky is a beautiful abstract work of art; it takes my mind off the road for a moment and allows me to enjoy a sight that I haven't been able to view for a while: public art. 

ArtPop (Art + Public Outdoor Project) Street Gallery, a nonprofit organization based out of Charlotte, North Carolina, is known for investing in artists and public art. The organization was launched in 2014 and has reached 16 cities and 12 states since.

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Evgeniy Monahov: Vulnerability Accessed Through Painting

A sketch is the first step towards the beginning of a masterpiece for artists. Once the pencil hits the canvas, there's no telling where the sketch might take the artist. The beauty in each unbeknownst sketch that an artist elicits puts forth the possibility for a masterpiece in the future that awakens emotions in us that we might not even be aware of. Artists that have this cognizant ability, allow their artwork to dig deep and arouse those same feelings of happiness, sadness, and anger that music and poetry bring out of us. Moscow bred painter Evgeniy Monahov symbolizes sketches as the blood of his paintings. 

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Mel Douglas: Making Her Mark with Glass Art

Glass is considered one of the most exciting and most dynamic art forms in Australia. It’s capability to transform endlessly is one of the reasons why The Tom Malone Prize is awarded each year to a skilled Australian glass artist. It’s been 18 years since its inception and each year its winners receive $11,652 for demonstrating their ability to reinvent and challenge themselves by finding new ways to distill human experience in accessible and enlivening ways. Mel Douglas was able to sweep the stage twice by winning this prestigious award both in 2014 and most recently in 2020. 

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Kate Cooper: Consumerism + Digital Art

Whether consciously or not, every day we consume media profiting from the idealization of the female body. Magazines, advertisements, and computer graphics constantly push a certain standard of beauty that is portrayed through the digital world. In response to this, artist Kate Cooper creates digital art addressing the issues regarding physical appearance and consumerism. 

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NXTHVN: Empowering the Youth

The neighborhood of Dixwell located in New Haven, Connecticut stands in stark contrast from its surroundings. Nearby, Yale University’s campus offers a look into the privilege that can be found in New Haven. Dixwell, on the other hand, is a neighborhood often ignored by the privileged because of its economic challenges. In the early years of the nineteenth century, Dixwood was an art and music hub, specifically focusing on jazz. Now, with the help of local entrepreneurs, the predominately African-American neighborhood is returning to its artistic roots. 

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