- 2 days ago
Visual Artist Hebru Brantley, Hattiloo Theater founder Ekundayo Bandele, and jazz musician and New Orleans native Wynton Marsalis discuss the importance of incorporating fine arts in the Black community, representation, and the future of their respective crafts.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Happy Sunday, Essence.
00:02How y'all doing today?
00:04My name is Oakley Jones, entertainment editor
00:06here at Essence.
00:07And today, we have an amazing panel called
00:10Expanding Your Palate, How to Explore
00:13the Many Facets of the Arts.
00:16So today, we're going to talk about the importance
00:19of incorporating fine arts in the black community,
00:21its representation, as well as the future of art.
00:25So we have an amazing list of panelists today.
00:28And I want y'all to make some noise for my first guest.
00:31He's an entrepreneur and founder of the Lifestyle brand.
00:34I'm looking for Sharon Stallworth.
00:39And founder of the Lifestyle brand, Robotic Minds,
00:41Mr. Kendall Hearns.
00:43For an important notice.
00:47Sharon Stallworth, please report to the nearest security
00:52personnel for an important message.
00:56Next, we have recording artist, producer, and educator,
01:00T-Ray the Violinist.
01:07What's going on, brother?
01:10And next up, we have an amazing director, storyteller,
01:14and filmmaker, Mr. Edward Buckles.
01:16All right, so how y'all doing today?
01:30Y'all good?
01:32Doing good.
01:33Yes, sir.
01:34So for this first question, I just wanted to congratulate you,
01:37my brother, on all your success.
01:40And with your film, Katrina Babies, as well as the new film that you have,
01:44there in New Orleans that I'm assuming everybody's seen last night.
01:48I wanted to ask, how do you feel about all your success right now?
01:51And where do you see yourself going in the future?
01:54Man, thank you for that.
01:55I appreciate you, man, for real.
01:57Man, honestly, man, I was telling somebody backstage, like right now,
02:02I'm just at a place where I'm just like riding, you know what I'm saying?
02:05Obviously, I'm being intentional, but I'm really just riding through all of this.
02:10So I haven't really had a chance to even really process most of it.
02:13But I'm grateful because I know I put the work in, right?
02:16And I was really intentional about, you know, the space that I wanted to occupy
02:19and like the impact that I wanted to make.
02:22So that's what's keeping me at least like aware of it, right?
02:25But things are happening so fast and so, you know, just like every second something is changing,
02:33I haven't even really had a chance to really sit in it, you know what I'm saying?
02:37I'm proud of you, my brother.
02:38You know, I've been seeing your growth for a long time.
02:40Kendall, so my next question is for you, my brother.
02:43Can you talk to me about your company, Art House, and what's its initiative and its goal?
02:48Yeah, we're an art collective based out of Chicago, and the idea was artist management.
02:55You know, a lot of creatives, they just like to create.
02:58And so sometimes the business side suffers because that's what they want to focus on.
03:04So we tried to bring, you know, that back-end support to a lot of artists to help them,
03:09you know, just continue to grow.
03:10So that's what we're about.
03:12And then how were you able to connect with McDonald's for that collaboration that you had
03:17for the All-American game?
03:18Relationships, man.
03:20You know, I've been around a long time.
03:23I come from sports management, so I play basketball.
03:26I represented a few guys in the NBA who actually played in that McDonald's All-American game.
03:31So, you know, just connected with people and, you know, just because of my background,
03:36they thought it would be a great idea to have me design the court for the McDonald's
03:40All-American game this year.
03:43So my next question is actually going to be for all three of you gentlemen,
03:46but I wanted to start with you, T-Ray, you know, with you being a musician.
03:50When did your relationship with music begin?
03:53My relationship started at the age of eight years old.
03:56That was when I first got introduced to the violin and just arts in general.
04:00So that's where my journey really started with music.
04:04All right, Kendall, when did your relationship with art begin?
04:06At what point in your life?
04:082012.
04:09I collected my first piece of art from an artist and a good friend of mine named Hebrew Brantley.
04:15He's from the South Side of Chicago, like me.
04:18Hebrew has, man, grown into an incredible artist.
04:22His art is rooted in Afrofuturism, so it tells a lot of stories about the culture.
04:28And he's in amazing collections from Jay-Z to Swiss Beats, George Lucas, who started,
04:36who created Star Wars.
04:38And so, you know, as he's grown, so has the value of my art.
04:42So I'm really appreciative, you know, that.
04:45But yeah, that's how I got started.
04:48So, Buck, same question for you, my brother.
04:50When did your relationship with art and filmmaking, when did that start for you?
04:54Man, honestly, it started after Hurricane Katrina because, you know, obviously, I think that
05:01it's been there.
05:02I think that, you know, the way that my mind worked and things that I was attracted to as
05:06a kid, now it makes sense.
05:08So it's been there.
05:09But I think that it became intentional.
05:13After Hurricane Katrina, when I was just, you know, outside being like a knucklehead and
05:17getting in trouble, and my mom gave me an ultimatum.
05:20And she was like, yo, you're either going to find a summer camp to go to, or you're going
05:24to go to Harry Lee's boot camp.
05:28And like, if you know Harry Lee, he was like this super racist sheriff.
05:33And my mama threatened to send me to his boot camp because I was getting in trouble.
05:37So I found out about my cousin, Anthony Beans, Black Theater.
05:43And, you know, every year he does, I think, five or six August Wilson plays.
05:48And as soon as I got into that theater that summer, my whole identity changed as an artist.
05:55And, you know, I begin to view, like, the world in, like, a different, you know, way.
06:00So I would say that, you know, Hurricane Katrina is definitely, like, responsible for shifting my
06:06focus and, like, you know, allowing me to be able to, like, view things, I guess,
06:10like, through, like, an artistic way.
06:11Why do you think it's important to keep black art alive?
06:16I mean, man, I feel like our art has been kept from us from, like, you know, for so long.
06:23I feel like our art, you know, has been stolen from us.
06:25I feel like, you know, our art has been co-opted and, you know, quote, unquote, remixed,
06:32but really just copied.
06:33And I think that now we're back in this space where it's finally coming back to us and where
06:38we're on the stage just talking about it, right?
06:41You know, having four black people right here talking about it, I mean, that's already challenging.
06:47Like, you know, normally it's, like, mad, like, prestigious people from, like, the institutions,
06:52like, who don't look like us talking about our art.
06:55You know what I'm saying?
06:56So I think that it's important for, you know, for us to take our narratives back in that space
07:00and understand that we do hold weight in that space, you know?
07:04Not just our paintings, not just our art, but ourselves and our, you know, perspective.
07:09Kendall, same question, my brother.
07:11Why do you think it's important to keep black art alive?
07:13It's our stories.
07:14And I think, you know, for the most part, a lot of people process easiest by visual.
07:19So to see it, it sparks conversation.
07:22You can learn from it.
07:23And it's just our expression.
07:25So it's important.
07:26But I want to speak on something you said because, you know, you have an artist like
07:31Jean-Michel Basquiat, right, who none of us really own his work.
07:36You know, when you think about the institutions and collectors that own his work, they're not us.
07:41So that's why we need to participate more because, you know, when it's time to sell,
07:46if you decide to sell, you know, you should, we should be a part of that.
07:50You know, and unfortunately for him, I don't think his family gets to participate in that much either.
07:55They license a lot of stuff now, but, you know, we need to tell our stories, be a part
08:01of our stories, collect our stories, you know, so 10, 20 years from now, you know, whether, again,
08:07you decide to sell or pass down to your child, then they have, you know, that value.
08:12So that's why I think it's important.
08:16Yeah, please.
08:16Like, you know, something you said, like, also sparked something.
08:21It's like, so I got a chance to meet Basquiat's sister.
08:24Okay.
08:25Right?
08:25Yeah.
08:25And, you know, they did a show last year at the same time that the show in London with,
08:34it was a show that was based on his work with, what is it, Warhol?
08:39Warhol, yeah.
08:39And, look, it was just something about that whole narrative because it seemed like the two shows were competing.
08:48Yeah.
08:48And, like, it seemed like, you know, like, the Warhol show had sponsors from, like,
08:57Louis V, and his sisters were fighting to even get access to, like, you know, like,
09:05their work and, like, marketing it.
09:07So I think that it just goes back to this bigger conversation of how we are viewing art in our spaces
09:13and taking it seriously, right?
09:15Yeah.
09:15When we see it happening, but also just making sure that we own it, you know, like, all the way around.
09:21Like, you know what I'm saying?
09:21So it's like, even right now, you know, all of my art, I'm also putting it in my niece's name.
09:27You know, I'm putting it in my family's name, and I'm making sure that I'm getting the catalog.
09:31You know what I'm saying?
09:31And so, like, I think that we just have to get serious about, you know, how we really take up space in this art space.
09:39So we don't want to be in a situation where we have something that's worth billions of dollars,
09:44but we don't have access to it, right?
09:45Don't eat none of that.
09:47Don't eat none of that.
09:48That's wild when you think about it.
09:49It's wild.
09:51And, you know, we're living in a space where black culture is the culture.
09:57Like, we've heard that time and time again, but also we're the biggest consumers,
10:03but we own the least amount of IP, intellectual property, and the things that we create.
10:10So I think it's very important for us to understand the value of what we're bringing to the table,
10:15and also not be afraid to not only from a monetary standpoint, but just in general be able to
10:22negotiate and ask for what we believe we deserve.
10:26Because a lot of times, even myself included, you know, I've been a full-time, I used to be a full-time
10:31music educator and teacher, and I just crossed the threshold of 10 years full-time as an artist.
10:38And one of the things that I struggled with early on was understanding the value of my art
10:42and what I'm bringing to the table.
10:44Not like a quote-unquote hourly rate thing, but just the time and the years that I put into
10:51building this craft.
10:53And I think that a lot of times we can put ourselves in spaces where we may feel the imposter syndrome,
10:59or we ask for less in hopes that they'll say, okay, yeah, cool.
11:05But if we ask for more, we're like, eh, I don't know, you know.
11:08So you have to be confident in the value of your art and what you're bringing to the table.
11:13And then, like you said, Buck, about ownership.
11:15You know, continuing to own and copyright trademark your intellectual property.
11:19Like, that is very important.
11:21Yeah, great point.
11:22I'm glad you said that, though, my brother.
11:24I wanted to bring it back to you, too.
11:26What are some of the challenges that you faced as a musician early in your career?
11:32I will say, specifically as a violinist, the misconception that the violin
11:37can only do one type of music or is only able to play in a certain capacity.
11:44When I hit the stage, I bring a lot of energy.
11:46Whether it's a cover song or an original, I make sure that I'm connecting with the crowd.
11:50But there have been times where I have played in spaces where
11:54my client or whoever I was working with saw me as, for lack of a better term, less than in the space.
12:01And I am very intentional about making sure that they understand, like, I'm not a violinist.
12:07I am a performing artist, a performing and recording artist.
12:09And I want people to be empowered when they come to a show and understand that there's, you know,
12:15there's a multitude of opportunities and making sure the next generation sees what a black man with
12:22a violin can do or any instrument, you know, whether it's a camera, whether it's a paintbrush,
12:28whatever it may be.
12:29So, yeah.
12:31And then, Kendall, you and Buck kind of briefly touched about it, you know, about accessibility
12:35and things of that nature.
12:36Can you talk to me about what are some of the challenges you faced in the creation and
12:40development of ArtHouse?
12:42Um, honestly, I think because of when I started ArtHouse and how wide the art market was,
12:52I didn't really face any challenges.
12:54I didn't.
12:55But to me, the challenge was, you know, helping artists, to his point, understand their value.
13:01You know, a lot of a lot of artists work with brands, do these brand partnerships.
13:05And, you know, sometimes the brands will take advantage if you let them.
13:09And so, you know, for me, it was more so about helping the artists understand their value and,
13:15you know, get the most of their work.
13:18And then for you, Buck, you know, I remember when you were doing like music videos and now
13:22you're doing documentaries and films and everything.
13:24In your development and your journey, what are some of the early issues that you faced as a filmmaker?
13:29I think for sure some of my early challenges was understanding how to balance or prioritize
13:40my personal IP and versus what I needed to pay rent, right?
13:46So, like for example, you said I used to do music videos, right?
13:49Now, if you think about those music videos that I was working on and like, you know,
13:53and I still added like a level of ArtHouse to it, right?
13:56But like those artists and like those songs didn't really like reflect, you know, this, right?
14:03It didn't really like reflect Katrina babies.
14:05Like it didn't like really, you know, it can't really sit on the same shelf.
14:10But I was doing those things to pay the bills, right?
14:12So, I think that one of my early challenges was like just learning to understand and like
14:18be patient about if I put my personal IP first, that's going to take me further than any celebrity.
14:25Any viral song can take me forever.
14:28So, now I've just been really intentional.
14:31Now that means that I say no a lot and pass up on like a lot of money.
14:34But I just have this brand and this IP that I'm trying to build and, you know, just like streamline.
14:42So, you know, I can, I can just always like, you know, in 50 years, when people look like,
14:49look back at my work, they can be like, Buck did that, right?
14:52And it makes sense, right?
14:53So, I would say that.
14:56How would you just, oh, my bad, brother.
14:58You good.
14:58I was going, I wanted to add something to what he said about, you know, understanding about with the brands.
15:04Sometimes it's better to say no and keep your dignity than to say yes and sell a part of yourself or undersell yourself.
15:11So, that's all I wanted.
15:13And that always comes back.
15:15I think it's respected when you are able to turn down some money that you know in your heart is short.
15:21And, you know, I think if somebody wants to work with you bad enough, they'll come and make that correct.
15:27So, it always comes back.
15:31T-Ray, as a violinist, man, how has your music helped you, I guess, in your journey toward mental health?
15:39So, you know, how has being a musician, how has that helped you in your life?
15:42Yeah, so when I write my original music, I write it from, I would say up until now, I've written music and produced it from a very introspective place.
15:52So, every song, even though it may just be an instrumental song or it may have a vocal feature on it, there's a deeper meaning and purpose in it.
16:01So, I have a song that's called It's My Time, and it's totally instrumental.
16:05But the goal, but the premise of the song is that we all have a unique ability.
16:10We should be empowering those around us, and we should understand that every day is our time, not just the beginning of the year, not just when we get a new job opportunity, not just when we move to a new city or connect with a new person.
16:22Every single day is our time, and we're all building, I use the term brick by brick, because everything that we're doing is built one brick at a time, and there's a foundation for us to continue to elevate and bring others up and be able to work across and up.
16:36So, Kendall, for you, my brother, with you being so immersed in the art scene, I kind of wanted to talk to you about when a person wants to purchase some art, and they may not like, what steps should they take if they're trying to get a piece of art?
16:52You know, a lot of people don't know what to look for and don't know what to do when they want to purchase a piece.
16:57What advice would you give them?
16:59You start with buying what you like.
17:01If it says something to you and it speaks to you visually, that's the start.
17:06You know what I'm saying?
17:07A lot of people try to start thinking about investment, and especially when you're a beginner, you're doing too much real quick.
17:14Like, just buy what you like first.
17:17So, I would say that.
17:19Yeah, buy what you like.
17:20And then what about things like authentication and stuff like that?
17:23I know I have a lot of friends that are in the art world, and sometimes they run into that issue.
17:27How would you know whether a piece, you know, if it's from a basket or something like that, something is real or not like that?
17:32Yeah, so whether you're buying from the artist directly or a reputable gallery, just doing your homework.
17:38But most times, I encourage people to buy from artists directly or, you know, a company like Art House who represents the artist because that way you know it's authentic.
17:48Like, yeah, I would just say start there.
17:53So, Buck, for you, my brother, you make a lot of black art, too, and you do it for our people and everything, too.
17:59What is something that you would want people to know about your work if they haven't heard you before?
18:04You know, I have been thinking about that a lot lately.
18:10You know, I think that even this is, like, right on brand with, you know, like, the Essence covers, you know.
18:17So, when I got that assignment to, like, shoot these covers, it was a special one for me because for the first time ever, I felt like I was able to take my work.
18:29So, context, my focus is on everyday people versus celebrity, right?
18:35You know, I'm a big fan of garden parks, a big fan of people like...
18:39He the one.
18:40Huh?
18:40Yeah, he the one.
18:41Yeah, exactly.
18:41So, and I just loved how he made everyday people look larger than life and, like, look like stars.
18:47Now, when I accepted that, that, you know, I guess that fate, I kind of also accepted, okay, well, that means that there are certain things that, like, your work won't ever do, including being on a cover of a magazine.
19:03Because on a cover of magazines are who?
19:05Celebrities, superstars.
19:06So, when Corey Stokes hit me up and was like, yeah, shout out Corey, you know, I want you to shoot the cover of Essence magazine, the first question that I had, I was like, okay, well, like, who's the star?
19:21Whatever, like, you know, like, who's the celebrity?
19:23And he was like, nah, I want you to do exactly what you do and, like, put that on a magazine, you know what I'm saying?
19:29So, that was just, like, a four-circle moment and, like, I guess, like, to, you know, like, answer your question, I just want people to understand that, like, my work is real and, like,
19:36I have personal relationships with everybody I work with, you know, and it comes from a real place.
19:42And it's a, you know, it's my form of activism by showing, you know, how beautiful we really are and how strong we really are, you know?
19:49So, I think that that's what I really want people to, like, take away is that, you know, there's so much beauty inside of us as everyday people, as regular people, right?
20:00And that's really important to me.
20:02T. Ray, when you hear the phrase, black art, what does that mean to you?
20:08Black art is a reflection of our lives.
20:12It's not only the creative side, but just how we live in our day-to-day lives.
20:19I feel like that's what black art is, you know?
20:21It doesn't mean a musical composition.
20:26It doesn't mean pen to pad.
20:27It's how we live, you know?
20:30Yeah.
20:32Kendall, what does black art mean to you, my brother?
20:35Man, it's our stories.
20:37It's relatability.
20:38You know, when I look at black art, it takes me down memory lane.
20:42It's nostalgia.
20:43We share a lot of the same stories.
20:45And so, to me, it's just us.
20:49It's who we are.
20:50It's what represents us.
20:52And I honestly think it's what will be here after we're long gone and continue to do that.
20:59Same question, Buck.
21:00What does black art mean to you, my brother?
21:01I mean, black art has been saving this country and this universe since, like, before we were even here.
21:11Facts.
21:11It's been literally saving us.
21:14Yeah.
21:15Like, you know, if you think about the Harlem Renaissance.
21:17By the way, if you go to New York, there's this really great Harlem Renaissance show up at the Met.
21:25And my girl, Sage, put it together.
21:28So, go and check that out.
21:30It's really, really, really beautiful.
21:31But, you know, when I think about black art, I don't just think about paintings.
21:35I think about writers.
21:36You know, I think about people like James Baldwin.
21:38Yeah.
21:38I think about people like Nikki Giovanni.
21:40I think about Langston Hughes, right?
21:43And the list goes on and on and on.
21:47And if you think about the impact that those people had, you know, like, if you think about, you know, Dr. King's writings, that's art.
21:55Like, that's literally art, right?
21:57And, like, I think that we've been saved by black art forever.
22:05You feel me?
22:06So, it's everything.
22:08It's the savior.
22:09You know what I'm saying?
22:09It's the savior.
22:11Facts.
22:12Well, this was an amazing, dope conversation, gentlemen.
22:14I really appreciate y'all for coming to New Orleans, too, and just having a great time here, Essence.
22:19I want y'all to make some noise for E. Buckles, Kendall Hearns, and T-Rater Violinus.
22:23Thank y'all.
22:23I appreciate you, fellas.
22:25So, by the way, I got to show up at the Ace Hotel right now, and it's going to be the covers of Essence magazine and, like, some of the other photos.
22:35And it's in partnership with Essence, and y'all come pull up.
22:39All right, for sure.
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