The Black + Gold Artists Exchange brings Black American and Asian American artists together to share stories, exchange creative practices, and explore connections between their communities through art and collaboration. While these communities share parallel experiences of systemic oppression and marginalization, the intersections between their histories and lived experiences remain largely unexplored.

By creating space for artists to exchange perspectives, build relationships, and create together, the project explores those intersections and the possibilities that emerge from them. The resulting work offers audiences a more nuanced view of Philadelphia’s interconnected cultural histories and communities.

More than an artistic collaboration, the Black + Gold Artists Exchange is an exercise in civic reimagining, using creative dialogue and mutual understanding to explore what becomes possible when communities encounter, learn from, and create with one another.


Project Participants

Artists: Gina Kim, Kara Mshinda, Anula Shetty, and Marquis Wright-Lee.

Curators: Romana Lee Akiyama and Michelle Myers

Co-facilitator: Nina “Lyrispect” Ball

The project will culminate in a pop-up exhibition showcasing new works by the participating artists.

The exhibitions and programs will take place on November 14 and 15, 2026, at Asian Arts Initiative and Painted Bride Project Space.

Program schedule forthcoming.
RSVP in advance here.

Visual artist exploring culture, memory, and the emotional textures of everyday life.
Visual artist, anthropologist, and educator exploring memory, diaspora, and intergenerational continuity.
Filmmaker and new media artist working across immersive media, public art, and socially engaged storytelling.
North Philadelphia artist working through poetry, photography, humor, and everyday observation.
Cultural curator and cross-sector leader working at the intersection of social change, equity, community well-being, and arts and culture.
Award-winning poet, author, and educator whose work centers storytelling, cultural memory, and voice.
Cultural curator, educator, writer, producer, and artist working across creative practice, strategy, and community advocacy.

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