- How would you describe yourself artistically?

- Hmm.

That's a great question.

I see myself as a creative, I'll start with creativity.

Number one.

The importance of that is because it doesn't limit you to how you express yourself.

And so I can work in a variety of different media, whether it's digital or whether it's paint on canvas or illustration.

I just like the idea of being able to be free to use whatever medium best allows me to express myself.

- Gotta have the freedom, you know, just be relaxed.

That's how you go.

- [Stephen] Mhm.

- So what about themes of your work?

Like does your work follow a certain theme or are you inspired by any outside influences that show within your work?

- There isn't a particular theme when it comes to my work.

I would say I've been inspired by a variety of different types of art, but not only art, but also in the areas of science.

For example, photomicroscopy, looking at cells, looking at things that can't be seen with the unaided eye.

The idea of dots and patterns and being able to see those in nature, but also to see how those are expressed in various cultures around the world, has given me the freedom to create connections in ways that were not easily clear to me when I was very young.

'Cause I love to do cartoons.

I love to do illustration caricatures.

People like Al Hirschfeld who used to be an illustrator with the New York Times, with his beautiful lines and movement.

Those inspired me.

But as I began to discover Australian Aboriginal dream time art and dots and the way in which this related to worlds and existence that go beyond the everyday, that connect generations that move through time.

To me this was liberating.

And so I find that by connecting dots, lines, science, art, and also music, because music has a very strong vibratory effect on me and of course people in general.

And so by fussing these together in a creative way, it allows me to go beyond the limitations of any particular time and place, but extend my interests and my expressions to go around the world and around the universe in many ways.

- Wow.

That's beautiful.

So that unity and connection piece is extremely important to your work.

- Absolutely.

Absolutely.

And the reason why it's also important because it is undergirded by a philosophy of bringing people together, bringing communities together.

And the, part of this came through the environment in which I was raised.

We had a lot of music, we had a lot of art, but there was always a social consciousness that came from my parents and was instilled in me the importance of family, however you define family.

Family was by choice, by spirit, by a way of linking people together and finding the best values in each person and bringing those out, raising them up and finding that everyone has something to contribute.

And when I was very young, I had the opportunity to see Martin Luther King at Hunter College.

And the way in which people came together around this idea of uplift, of support of one another to see beyond individual differences, embracing them, acknowledging them, but not being limited by them, to find higher values in community with one another.

And so I think my work, if there is an underlying theme, it's about the freedom of expression.

It is also recognizing and observing things in nature, in human behavior and community in general.

And finding the best values out of those situations in order to bring them to light and to show the opportunity to use these as a catalyst for change in positive transformation.

And I think that the arts are a vehicle for that kind of transformation that has a positive value for humanity.

- Oh, I 100% agree.

Art truly can change and shift cultures.

It is one of our leading forces with that.

- Yes.

- [Jade] Well, thank you.

- Absolutely.

- That's beautiful.

You have a heavy like hand in the education within the arts.

So give us a little bit about like why is education important in the arts and what's your favorite part about being an arts educator?

- Well, I started out working for a theater and dance service organization in New York City.

Being an administrator in that context had a lot of value in it.

But one thing that I noticed is that I wanted to do something that allowed me to use the visual arts in a way that something that I really love, in a way that could inspire people, inspire young people.

And so I was at a Brooklyn Museum retrospective of the work of Romeo Bearden.

Coincidentally, somebody came over to me and said, "Hey, there's a principal in the Bronx that's looking for an art teacher.

Would you be interested?"

And I'd completed my graduate work and I said, "Yeah, I would be interested."

And went up there, the interview, and that launched my academic career, you might say.

- Wow.

- My interest in education.

And so I did that and it was great because I had a chance to work with young children who did not necessarily see art as a career pathway.

They were just enjoying the idea of creating.

And I would always introduce something that had to do with art history.

I tried to provide a historical context so they can understand how the arts developed, the different communities that the arts developed, and to recognize that they also had something to contribute, something to say.

And so when my students, some of whom were some of the early hip hop break dancers and so forth, like the New York City Breakers, and one of my students was a member of that, I would use the classroom after school to have them work on developing a spring festival of the arts.

So we would create backdrops for the stage.

We would, they would practice their break dancing in the room.

And this is back in the early eighties.

And then also poetry, script writing.

And it was an incredible coming together, various aspects of the arts along with my colleagues, you know who helped to work with these young people.

So that really excited me, the idea that if we could find ways to create opportunities for young people and also their parents to see the viability of the arts you know, that this is something that would, that could be feasible if we put the energy and put the pieces in place that allowed this to manifest.

And so that's been really exciting for me and I've continued to do that in a variety of ways.

- It's one of the best parts.

- [Stephen] Yes.

- And you also like tell the parents, hey, look at me.

I used to also be a little kid.

(Stephen and Jade laughing) - [Stephen] Yes.

- Who was in the same position who just strived to just find creativity.

And now I'm a very successful artist trying to then pass it on.

- [Stephen] Yes.

So it's just like look right in front of you who's trying to teach.

Like it's true, you really can be a successful, career driven artist.

- Absolutely.

- It's gotta break that stereotype.

- Mhm.

Mhm.

So I know you're involved with Black Dimensions Art and Hamilton Hill.

Wanna give us a little bit of your background with those two organizations?

- Oh, listen, one of the things that I've really enjoyed coming to the Capital Region 25 years ago, was being introduced to Black Dimensions in Art and the Hamilton Hill Arts Center.

I can't say enough about the people who have been involved with that, those organizations.

Margaret Cunningham, being one of the key founders not only the Hamilton Hill Arts Center, Mickey Kahn as well.

Both of them were part of the founding of the Black Dimensions in Art which grew out of Black Arts Incorporated.

This organization today is giving opportunities for artists who are international.

They're giving opportunities for young people to learn from professionals.

They are also, and specifically Black Dimensions in Art, one of the things that we've done is we've partnered with SUNY Schenectady.

I developed a program called Art Through the Microscope where the young people at Trinity Alliance did observational studies of different types of cells through the microscope.

And then they did not only observational drawings, but also then a creative version inspired by what they observed.

And what this did, Jade, was it gave young people an opportunity not only to be creative, but also to see the importance of science and creativity working together.

- Wow, that's great.

Great resources there.

And does Black Dimension Arts or Hamilton Hill have any events or programs coming up that you think the audience should know about?

- Well, I can speak specifically to Black Dimensions in Art.

We have coming up a photographic exhibition at the Art Center in Troy.

We have our 50th anniversary exhibition which is going to be at the Albany Institute of History and Art.

And there are many other things.

And right now we're working on a documentary film in partnership with the co-creation initiative at Skidmore College through the MDOCs program.

- [Jade] Awesome.

- So we're very thrilled about that as well.

- Well, sounds great.

Well, folks need to check Black Dimensions Art out, Hamilton Hill, and your work, personally.

And thank you again for joining us.

- Oh, thank you Jade.

Appreciate being here.