Description
“NASHVILLE, TN: Black & Proud” (acrylic paint, oil/wax crayon, and pencil on heavy watercolor paper) celebrates the profound influence of African American artists and traditions on American music. Inspired in part by a red-lined map of Nashville shared by Shawn Whitelow, whose portrait appears at the work’s center, the piece incorporates the Cumberland River and honors musicians connected to the city, including Ray Charles, Little Richard, and Jimi Hendrix. It also recognizes Fisk University’s Jubilee Singers, whose preservation and global presentation of spirituals helped shape a foundational American musical tradition. Surrounded by flames evoking slavery, the Civil War, and racism, these figures embody the creative brilliance and resilience from which American music continues to rise.
