We began in 2017 with a straightforward goal: to make space for rigorous, complex conversations about contemporary black art.
From the start, we’ve been interested in what happens when people have the time, structure, and support to think deeply and write honestly about black creative practices.
- Our Arts Writing Incubator gives writers a place to develop ideas, workshop their writing, and publish through our annual journal, A Year in Black Art. The incubator helps participants build the confidence and skills to place their work in regional and national outlets, contributing to a broader, richer dialogue about Black art today.
- Our newest publishing platform, The Brief, is dedicated to short, accessible arts writing that makes you feel again—writing that resists preciousness and pretentiousness. We want to think with art the same way we think with pop culture or sports. The Brief responds to the art world’s need for fresh eyes and clear voices.
- Through Public Programming, BES brings black artists, curators, writers, and culture workers together for conversations, collaborations, and commissioned projects. We’re focused on sustainable creative networks and ethical public engagement—programs that value artists’ time, labor, and ideas.
When you give to BES, you’re not just donating—you’re investing in Black arts infrastructure. As a thank-you, donors can receive BES swag and in-print publishing projects, directly embedding you in a community committed to thoughtful criticism, ethical collaboration, and an ongoing, evolving conversation around Black art.
Swag
We invited Berlin-based artist Diana Ejaita to design our new round of swag, and we couldn't be more ecstatic about what she dreamt up. Ejaita's artistic practice is rooted in illustration and textile design—you can see her work on New Yorker magazine covers and in museums and in the garments she creates.
We gave her just one prompt: to incorporate the phrase "You are having a black aesthetic experience." For many years, we began our Arts Writing Incubator sessions by talking about participants' recent black aesthetic experiences. This could include trips to museums to watching black movies to simply being in space with black people. One of the very first people to be in the Incubator, Brian Evans, suggested using the phrase on merch. We're super excited to have Ejaita continue our legacy of manifesting this phrase.
Publications
emily mulenga
the newspaper
Products
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