Pandemic taught us new ways to help our artists and foster collective healing
Black Art Heals: A formalized manifestation of what our organization does. But it took COVID-19 and George Floyd for us to name it.
In February 2020, Kamora’s Cultural Corner was beautifully melding the arts with social justice and community building in Hartford. Our final event in our building on Albany Avenue was a Basquiat Canal Zone party, in which artists came and painted our walls, leaving our mark on a building that we would probably never return to. We moved to 56 Arbor St. and held a grand total of two events before the world shut down.
Within 48 hours, all of our workshops and events were canceled, and all of our revenue streams dried up. Not only wasn’t the KCC bringing in money, but we also weren’t able to support artists if we couldn’t provide a venue; or so we thought. We focused on moving our Open Mic nights online and figured out how to pass the hat virtually through Cash App or Venmo as well as grow our monthly donors through Patreon and redirect much of that money to direct aid to Hartford artists and creatives. March and April were rough, but we were able to give away a grand total of about $360. And we were able to introduce the artists we loved to a much larger audience.
In June we partnered with the UConn Health Disparities Institute, the Asian and Asian American Studies Institute and the Afro Yaqui Music Collective of Pittsburgh for an online Black Art Heals event that brought to (online) life the idea that creating, participating and witnessing art brings the soul-level healing necessary to address our current societal ills. It was a great idea and a hurdle that almost seems quaint in March of 2021. Would we be able to authentically connect with our audience if we weren’t in space together? If we weren’t able to connect with each other? Once the engagement began, that fourth wall came down, and I’d like to say that that’s when I stepped into the 21st century. Twenty years late: not too bad. We were able to showcase AND PAY our artists. And we were able to bring in more of the amazing artists whom we love but whom we hadn’t found ways to present in the past.
Overnight our friends with mobility issues, child-care issues, the ones who live on the other side of the country were now able to join us and add to the richness of our events. In July we hosted a community conversation with national transgender activists and leaders including the late Monica Roberts, which was necessary because along with COVID-19, America was now dealing with racism and finding herself in over her head. Being able to provide a virtual space for regular and honest exchanges through community conversations and workshops has proved invaluable over the last 12 months, and we’re doing it in ways that we wouldn’t have considered if we hadn’t had to stop and re-create all of the ways that we support our communities.
We now incorporate our Black Art Heals artists in our workshops and trainings, which is much easier to do virtually and allows us to continue supporting artists directly while providing the healing aspect that we know is necessary if we are going to benefit from this interesting moment in American history.