Some evenings stay with you the way a good song does. You walk out humming it, and days later it’s still there.
The Art of Business was one of those. On Tuesday, September 29, The BLKPRNT brought sixteen artists and five chefs into one room for Black Entrepreneur Week in Raleigh. I was lucky to be one of the artists. I’m still turning the night over in my mind, so I wanted to write a little of it down here.
The BLKPRNT called it an intimate evening celebrating creativity, culture and the entrepreneurial spirit of our community. That’s exactly how it felt.
Every wall and table held someone’s work. Paintings, prints and pieces I wanted to stand in front of for a long time. Each one carried the hands and the story of the person standing beside it. [Add a line about the venue or how the room was set up.]
I brought [name the pieces you showed, e.g. a few nature paintings and ACEO cards]. Seeing them next to so many other artists’ work reminded me why I keep painting, one piece at a time.
The evening paired art with food from five local chefs, and the two belonged together. A plate, like a painting, is made slowly and by hand. Then it’s offered to someone you may never meet again.
[Add one dish you remember, or a chef you’d like to thank by name.]
My favorite part of the night was the talking. Someone would stop at my table, look a little longer at a painting, and ask where it came from. So I’d tell them about the trail, or the slow morning, or the song that was playing while I painted it.
Then I’d walk over and hear someone else’s story. How they started, what keeps them painting or cooking, which piece they almost didn’t bring. Every table had one, and I left with my head full of them. [Add one story or something someone said that stayed with you.]
To me, Black Entrepreneur Week is about people building something of their own and making room for each other along the way. I felt that all evening. Running a small, handmade business can feel quiet and solitary some days. That room reminded me I’m part of something bigger, and I’m grateful I got to be in it.
Thank you to The BLKPRNT for putting this evening together, and to every artist, chef and guest who came. [Add any names you’d like to thank.]
If you’d like to see the pieces I brought, they’re in [the shop / my gallery]. And if you were there that night, I’d love to hear what stayed with you. You can always reach me through my contact page.
— Jewell
