About
ZEAL provides creative studio incubation, production, artist management, and a digital lifestyle brand for visual & performance artists throughout the Black diaspora. Our vision is to create spaces for Black artists to thrive. We offer these supports for artists to a) reclaim their birthright as creatives who co-create cultural equity; b) cooperatively own and govern the means of their cultural production; and, c) steward the economic vehicles necessary for arts ecosystems in historically marginalized communities to mutually thrive. Galleries, museums, and theaters have historically limited economic benefit to Black artists. ZEAL is an answer to centralize and cooperatize the arts and culture value chain ecosystem amongst Black artists and creatives, beyond the antiquated business models of traditional arts & culture institutions.
What Makes Us Different?
We are Black creatives who are values aligned and principled in building movements towards owning the means of our own cultural production. When Black creatives are grounded in the legacy of the Black aesthetic that facilitates their leadership development their body of work stands as a purposeful, functional, and committed act of liberation. When defining multimedia visual and performance art that centers and evolves the Black aesthetic at ZEAL this includes, visual art, literature, poetry, music, theater, and fashion design that creates an expression of, and impression on Black culture. We provide economic alternatives that support black artists to thrive.
Desired Impact
- Creating economic sustainability through applied learning of merchandising and commerce beyond the gig economy
- Partnering with Black owned cultural institutions to maximize space use to promote cultural equity in our communities
- Facilitating artist development that centers leadership and healing grounded in the Black aesthetic in community with other creatives
- Uplifting a recognized pipeline of Black artists that are promoted within and beyond traditional art institutions.
Work
Our Cooperative’s Offerings:
Artist Management & Platform Support for Creatives and Artist Collectives
- Artist Management: Making sure the artist is thriving in their leadership upholding their commitment to the creation and promotion of their body of work through business development, and supporting the artist’s production, installation, and publishing process.
- Branding and Marketing: Creating an evolving look and feel for your body of work to targeted audiences that will promote it
- Campaigns & Activations: Designing creative, participatory, & immersive experiences that are results driven
- Network Development: Capacity-building with other Black owned studios across the diaspora through solidarity economy
Our Cooperative’s Programming:
Artist Development Courses Online, Workshops, and Panels
- Money Talks, Value Walks in partnership with Ilekun Wa and Honey & Smoke
- Artwashing & Cultural Equity in Black Communities
- Thou Art Pay Us; Gender & Pay Equity in Cultural Institutions in partnership with Freelancers Union’s Hub
We collaborate through leadership development, skill sharing and consulting with Black creatives as well as organizations, companies, art & literary collectives, cultural institutions, other programs, brands, and platforms that highlight and center Black art and culture.
People
Walter Cruz, Co-Founder, Creative Director
Allen Kwabena Frimpong, Founder, Principal Manager
Antoinette Gregg, Communications and Development Associate
Eilen Mena, Studio Manager
Synead Nichols, Brand Ambassador
Tia Oso, Principal Manager & Cultural Producer, Los Angeles
Keenan Rhodes, Marketing Manager
Ty White, Community Relations Manager
Autumn Breon Williams, Lead Studio Faculty
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This edition of our ZEAL novelty publication is a collection of works from outstanding Black artists check our feature page to learn more about their work. The postcard booklet contains high quality prints of each artists’ work in postcard format. 5”x7” on perforated card-stock. Printed by Black Classic Press .
$30
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