Philadelphia Black Artist Fellows to participate in Black History Month Showcase at the Hyatt in Center City

Five Black Artist Fellows are slated to show their artworks in a Black History Month exhibition at the Hyatt Centric in Center Center City Philadelphia this February 2024. The Hyatt’s bi-monthly Makers Series features local artists or makers and their collections to be displayed in the hotel. The events are free to attend and open to the public. The Hyatt Centric is located at 1620 Chancellor St, Philadelphia, PA 19103. A special Hear the Makers discussion panel is slated for Thursday, February 15th from 6-8 pm. The event is free to attend and open to the public. The Hyatt Centric is located at 1620 Chancellor St, Philadelphia, PA 19103.

The Black History Month Showcase will feature three current and two previous Philadelphia Black Artist Fellows, a program of Mural Arts Philadelphia. The event is designed to highlight a mix of the city’s talented Black artists, whose work has been thoughtfully curated by local art guru Ginger Rudolph, who helps to oversee the Philadelphia Fellowship for Black Artists.  Her extensive curatorial portfolio includes Fishtown electrical boxes, South Street murals, and installations at SuperFine! DC Art Fair, collections for Paradigm Gallery, and much more.

Featured artists include:

Caff Adeus (2021 Fellow), a self-taught black American painter, mixed-media artist, and photographer currently focused on creating paintings from an autobiographical point of view that defies norms, stereotypes, and monolithic rhetoric by using a blend of cultural references and iconography.

Jillian Rock (2023 Fellow), a self-taught multidisciplinary artist focusing on the exploration of place and placemaking – specifically, the intersection at which the past, present, and future play on the narratives of Blackness and memory. Rock’s art teaching practice is centered on creating curricula around social justice, identity, and creating an experience that deepens community and encourages expression individually and, most importantly, collectively.

Devon Harrison (2020 Fellow), an animator specializing in glass and chocolate sculpture trained at Delaware College of Art and Design, as well as the University of the Arts. Harrison hopes to help his community find their voices through crafts and avoid being shoved into “checkbox” careers.

Steven CW Taylor (2023 Fellow), also known as “The Time Thief,” is an award-winning visual artist and photographer. Taylor’s transformative art captures the essence of his extensive travels and cultural experiences, earning him prestigious placements as a 2023 Mural Arts Black Artist Fellow, as well as the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists (PABJ) Visual Journalist of the Year.

Kendra Dandy (2023 Fellow) is an illustrator and social media sensation whose designs are licensed worldwide in categories that include home decor, beauty, apparel, and lifestyle. With a style and voice that is uniquely her own, Dandy has been profiled by Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, InStyle, and PopSugar. She is a champion for up-and-coming artists and protecting the copyright of digital creators.