Ernest Eugene Barnes, Jr. was born Friday morning, July 15, 1938 in Durham, North Carolina during the Jim Crow era. He lived with his parents and younger brother in what was then-called “The Bottom,” a community near the Hayti District of the city. His father, Ernest E. Barnes, Sr. (1899 – 1966) worked as a shipping clerk for Liggett Myers Tobacco Company in Durham. His mother, Fannie Mae Geer (1905 – 2004) oversaw the household staff for a prominent Durham attorney and Board of Education member, Frank L. Fuller, Jr.

On days when Fannie allowed “June” (Barnes’ nickname to family and childhood friends) to accompany her to work, Mr. Fuller encouraged him to peruse art books and listen to classical music. By the time Barnes entered the first grade, he was familiar with the works of such masters as Toulouse-Lautrec, Delacroix, Rubens, and Michelangelo. When he entered junior high, he could appreciate, as well as decode, many of the cherished masterpieces within the walls of mainstream museums – although it would be many more years before he was allowed entrance because of segregation. 

A self-described chubby and nonathletic child, Barnes was taunted and bullied by classmates. He continually sought refuge in his sketchbooks, finding the less-traveled parts of campus away from the other students. One day Ernest was drawing in his notebook in a quiet area of the school. He was discovered hiding there by the masonry teacher Tommy Tucker, who was also the weightlifting coach and a former athlete. Tucker was intrigued with Barnes’ drawings so he asked the aspiring artist about his grades and goals.  Tucker shared his own experience of how bodybuilding improved his strength and outlook on life. That encounter would begin Barnes’ discipline and dedication that would permeate his life. By his senior year at Hillside High School, Barnes became the captain of the football team and state champion in the shot put.

A product of 1970’s Baltimore, Rodney “BUCK!" Herring has always been moved by the urban visual and cultural landscape which followed him to Hampton University where he majored in art. Now, a 26-year veteran of professional graphic design and crusader of culture through expression and art, Rodney aka “BUCK!” is a multifaceted creative. As a graphic designer his work has spanned from creating innovative campaigns for government agencies to conceptualizing and creating effective brand aesthetics for businesses and consumer products. His effective and unique use of words, visuals and messaging has also manifested unforgettable, experiential marketing events for numerous corporate clients.

Based in Washington, DC, BUCK!’s work is reflective of his views regarding expediting the evolution of humanity, black consciousness and the current political regime. His latest body of work; EX STASIS/Odysseus Rising “What Doesn’t Kill Us Makes Us Stronger,” is based on the fragile conception of balance between socially conceived supermen and mythologized pariah, both of which negate our humanity. In addition, it poses the questions: How does a human navigate and grow with the knowledge of enmity and love at the whim of a narrative? Does he fall prey to either narrative? Does he create his own carefully crafted narrative to the benefit of just himself or to the benefit of humanity?

BUCK! utilizes passages of text and varied typography layered with boldly silhouetted or highly contrasted forms to explore the various layers of the human experience. As an impetus for such explorations Buck! delves deep into his own vices in an ongoing journey of spiritual discovery. Each piece mirrors the aesthetic of graffiti, emulating its cultural significance - as if a poster or piece of art were not finished unless “the people” were able to provide additional language to express themselves. This body of work, expressed through words and images, reflects the zeitgeist and is designed to expose the emotions of the viewer activating the nerve that connects each one of us to the core of Humanity.

Charleston, South Carolina native, Leroy Campbell’s art speaks of the contributions to humanity through the African American perspective. More than just art, each piece serves as Campbell’s tithe, as he uses his gifts and talents to teach others about the richness of the Gullah/ Geechee heritage and the beauty of his people.

Leroy Campbell describes humanity like a garden. In the 1300s Native Americans invented a system of gardening called “Three Sisters,” which involved strategically planting corn, beans, and squash together. The corn provides support and structure for the beans to grow. While the beans pull nitrogen from the air, returning it to the soil and enriching all the plants. The squash, planted at the base, spreads its large leaves, which offer shade and protection, keeping the soil moist and cool. When each of the plants is whole and thriving and healthy, it is able to reach its full potential and contribute to the garden. If one of the plants becomes sick, it affects the balance of the garden.

Master gardener, painter, storyteller, and lover of souls, Leroy Campbell paints a beautiful hope for humanity through his art and through his words. In telling the stories he knows best, he is offering the wisdom and lessons of the elders as a gift to us all. As part of the human experience, we are all searching for our place in the garden, our purpose, our connection, our significance in this world. Those stories are the most powerful gifts in the universe as they provide a sense of self and a foundation of wisdom based on patience, love, and discernment. Campbell’s vision is of a healthy garden, where each is whole, liberated and validated, where people are free to love who they are and in turn nurture others around them.

Leroy Campbell’s paintings, infused with history, tie the past to the present in the practice of sankofa, the understanding that you can’t move forward until you receive the lessons of the past. The vulnerability of his art, his soul, his ability to tell a story through the use of acrylic, paper, tapestries, and organic materials, creates an opportunity for conversation, for something real, for the human connection that we are all desperately seeking.

Written by Laurie McCall for Pink Magazine

Everett Dyson is a highly sought after fine artist & illustrator who uses art via traditional means of creating to bring more exposure to the arts in underprivileged parts of the world. This is most true in his hometown of Detroit, MI where Dyson has collaborated with cultural institutions & corporations to lift up fine & performing artists through the Heidelberg Project, Revolve Detroit & his own gallery The Untitled Bottega from 2011-2014. Dyson is most widely known for his book The 13th Peace & 100 Halos, both published documenting of his creative process throughout his “Grace & Majesty” collection based on famed ABT Principal soloist Misty Copeland. His latest contribution to literary culture comes as illustrator to the highly anticipated Jay Z: Made In America, where Dyson was commissioned to interpret and illustrate 40 chapters of Dr. Michael Eric Dyson’s newest book. These illustrations will be showcased at Art Basel at HAL (Hampton Art Lovers) Gallery on December 5, 2019.

“Life is full of joy and adversity. We can be consumed by them or lifted by them.” Krystal Hart is a contemporary artist living and working in North Carolina. Hart’s near death experience was the adversity that became the catalyst for the work that engulfs her. Hart received her BFA from New York Institute of Technology and is a distinguished recipient of various honors and residencies including a 2007 Chair Person Fine Arts Award, a 2009 and 2012 Limner Society Residency, a 2011 and 2017 NC Regional Artist Grants, and the 2018 Mass MoCA Masters of Abstraction Workshop in Residency.

“Beauty and adversity dance together in something bigger than us.” Krystal’s practice juxtaposes dualities of life. She reconstructs fragments of memory, debris, upcycled psyche, prayers, symbols, scars, hope, loss and emotion regenerating on an ethereal stage.

IN the STUDIO 

Krystal employs regional soils, inks, metals, pigments, and minerals intermingled with man-made materials  or structural  imagery to further explore the dichotomy of our delicate existence. The organic and inorganic materials and process also hints to the glass and metal in her body. Getting to know people and their stories is as much apart of her process as being in the studio. Krystal travels to slum communities, volunteers with cancer patients, and sits under the stories of war veterans, refugees, trauma victims, and any who will share their life with her. As actions of intercession she paints the joys and sufferings of lives onto various substrates.

Phillip Shung highlights the beauty in everyday life through his portraiture and street photography. Whether in his hometown of Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, or Dakar, Senegal, Shung brings into focus the nuances of the African Diaspora wherever they are. His approach is interdisciplinary — blending the best practices in photography, art, creative direction, design, and interactive development.

Shung found his passion for photography, working as an art director with world-renowned photographers for the past 20 years. He has since honed his style of portraiture through his world travel and interest in capturing real people across the globe.

“One way to describe my photography is intimate,” says Shung. “I aspire to highlight the humanity in my subjects.” When Shung travels, he is in search of locals dwellings to provide an intimate perspective of his subjects and their environment.

Since 2011, Phillip Shung has been a partner at Pixod Design Studio as well as a founding member of The Bklyn Combine, a non-profit community organization dedicated to mentorship and providing critical education, leadership, and social support to youth and young adults in low-income and under served communities.

Basil Watson describes his art as “The harmonious expression of one’s vision of life.” This personal description of his lifelong passion is what defines him. For more than 40 years, he has been translating life's most important themes -- positive emotions and attitudes, the spirit of freedom and spontaneity, strength, beauty, energy and vigor - into finely crafted works of art.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, and the son of internationally renowned painter, Barrington Watson was the first student of color to attend the Royal Academy in London. It was a natural progression for Watson to study at the Jamaica School of Art. Upon graduation, he went on to establish a successful career as Jamaica's leading sculptor. The Government of Jamaica awarded Basil the Order of Distinction (Commander) in recognition of his contributions in the field of art. The most notable of his achievements include having monumental works installed on three campuses of Jamaica's primary universities. He has also had signature works installed/ presented at two of the island's major stadiums.

Most recently Basil created monumental works for his island home honoring accomplished Jamaican athletes, including Olympic champions, Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, among others. He has also rendered creative works of cultural icons like The Hon. Louise Bennett, as well as the National Heroes. Basil is currently working on a 12-foot sculpture of Dr. Martín Luther King Jr., commissioned by the City of Atlanta.

A native of Harlem and Bronx , Gil Ashby is best known for his successes in the academic world and Illustration arenas. Ashby earned both his Bachelor’s degree in Illustration and Masters in Visual Journalism from the School of Visual Arts in New York . He received his first Certificate of Merit from the NY Society of Illustrators soon after his first contract to compose an album cover for Arista Records. Over his several decades as a working artist, Ashby’s work has been published in a wide a range of venues and publications, from children’s books to Courtroom Artist for NBC. His first teaching opportunity came shortly after Grad school where he was offered land accepted the position to coordinate the portfolio preparation program at a the note for profit Arts program The Children’s Arts Carnival Harlem. In 1999 Ashby left new York for the opportunity to establish and Chair the Illustration department at the College of Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan- after a decade of successful growth an national recognition of the program 2011 his tenure culminated with Ashby receiving the Distinguished Educators of the Arts award from the New York Society of illustrators. Ashby continues to serve as an Associate Professor of drawing and foundations at the college - while pursuing opportunities to exhibit and publish his personal. Most recently, Ashby’s work was selected to appear in the on line archive of American Illustrations 38s annual Competition, of which 470 artist are selected from an international pool of 7000 artist. He currently resides with his Wife Maura and children Madison and Mathew in the “D.”