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April 2026 Culture Picks: LA Edition

Our LA Culture Picks are dedicated to the music lover in you. Set up shop at Blue Note Los Angeles for an incredible lineup this month, including five-time Emmy Award winner Jane Handcock, genre-fluid singer-songwriter and bassist Aneesa Strings, six-time GRAMMY Award–winning jazz vocalist Samara Joy, hip-hop artists KOTA The Friend and Paul Russell, gifted musical siblings Infinity Song, and GRAMMY Award–winning R&B vocalist Durand Bernarr.

You can also catch a vibe at Ari Lennox’s Vacancy Tour at YouTube Theater.

For visual arts lovers, be sure to check out Photography and the Black Arts Movement at the Getty, Arthur Jafa: The White Album and SPACE IS THE PLACE at the Hammer Museum, and A New Song: Langston Hughes in the West at CAAM.

#CulturePicks #ArtsAndCulture #BlackArtists #BlackCreativeEcosystem #LAArts #CulturalCalendar

April 2026 Culture Picks: DC Edition

Our DC Culture Picks offer a little something for everyone. Catch The Wiz at the National Theatre, get your R&B fix with the R&B Music Experience at Capital One Arena and “The Velvet Voice” David Michael Wyatt at the Howard Theatre, laugh out loud with Sherri Shepherd at Lisner Auditorium, or see GRAMMY Award–winning duo Clipse, along with Matthew Whitaker, Gabby Samone, Wé Ani, and Black Alley, as part of The Best of the Apollo at the Howard Theatre.

You can also feed the visual arts lover in you by checking out the Nick Cave: Mammoth exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Basquiat x Banksy exhibition at the Hirshhorn Museum.

#CulturePicks #ArtsAndCulture #BlackArtists #BlackCreativeEcosystem #DCArts #CulturalCalendar

✨ Introducing: Culture Picks

Your monthly guide to what’s happening now in arts and culture.

In honor of Jazz Appreciation Month and National Poetry Month, we’re highlighting standout events across Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, DC—from performances by Herbie Hancock, Samara Joy, and Aneesa Strings, to a dynamic collaboration between Saul Williams and Carlos Niño, the free, family-friendly Jazz & Blossoms Festival, and screenings celebrating Nikki Giovanni and Roy Hargrove.

Whether you’re discovering an artist or revisiting their work, we hope that these picks help you build your cultural calendar and support Black artists and the Black Creative Ecosystem.

Stay tuned! City-by-city Culture Picks for LA, NYC, and DC drop this week.

#CulturePicks #ArtsAndCulture #BlackArtists #BlackCreativeEcosystem #NYCArts #LAArts #DCArts #CulturalCalendar

“For all those people that have great genius, there was someone who encouraged them” — Black Genius Talks: I’ll Make Me A World @blackgeniusfoundation

Listening to twin brothers Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (@chiefadjuahofficial) and Kiel Adrian Scott (@kieladrianscott) open up about their career journeys and difference perspectives on #BlackGenius and how that played a role in their life and careers.

It showed that the road to becoming a Black Genius is different for everybody, but it always begins with knowing your own brilliance even when obstacles are in your way. Everybody at #TheApollo was locked in from beginning to end. Every person walked out feeling ready to conquer the world and spread Black excellence. Swipe through to see more gems the twins dropped during their conversation‼️

📸 @flowgenius

“For all those people that have great genius, there was someone who encouraged them” — Black Genius Talks: I’ll Make Me A World @blackgeniusfoundation

Listening to twin brothers Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (@chiefadjuahofficial) and Kiel Adrian Scott (@kieladrianscott) open up about their career journeys and difference perspectives on #BlackGenius and how that played a role in their life and careers.

It showed that the road to becoming a Black Genius is different for everybody, but it always begins with knowing your own brilliance even when obstacles are in your way. Everybody at #TheApollo was locked in from beginning to end. Every person walked out feeling ready to conquer the world and spread Black excellence. Swipe through to see more gems the twins dropped during their conversation‼️

📸 @flowgenius

“For all those people that have great genius, there was someone who encouraged them” — Black Genius Talks: I’ll Make Me A World @blackgeniusfoundation

Listening to twin brothers Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (@chiefadjuahofficial) and Kiel Adrian Scott (@kieladrianscott) open up about their career journeys and difference perspectives on #BlackGenius and how that played a role in their life and careers.

It showed that the road to becoming a Black Genius is different for everybody, but it always begins with knowing your own brilliance even when obstacles are in your way. Everybody at #TheApollo was locked in from beginning to end. Every person walked out feeling ready to conquer the world and spread Black excellence. Swipe through to see more gems the twins dropped during their conversation‼️

📸 @flowgenius

“For all those people that have great genius, there was someone who encouraged them” — Black Genius Talks: I’ll Make Me A World @blackgeniusfoundation

Listening to twin brothers Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (@chiefadjuahofficial) and Kiel Adrian Scott (@kieladrianscott) open up about their career journeys and difference perspectives on #BlackGenius and how that played a role in their life and careers.

It showed that the road to becoming a Black Genius is different for everybody, but it always begins with knowing your own brilliance even when obstacles are in your way. Everybody at #TheApollo was locked in from beginning to end. Every person walked out feeling ready to conquer the world and spread Black excellence. Swipe through to see more gems the twins dropped during their conversation‼️

📸 @flowgenius

“For all those people that have great genius, there was someone who encouraged them” — Black Genius Talks: I’ll Make Me A World @blackgeniusfoundation

Listening to twin brothers Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (@chiefadjuahofficial) and Kiel Adrian Scott (@kieladrianscott) open up about their career journeys and difference perspectives on #BlackGenius and how that played a role in their life and careers.

It showed that the road to becoming a Black Genius is different for everybody, but it always begins with knowing your own brilliance even when obstacles are in your way. Everybody at #TheApollo was locked in from beginning to end. Every person walked out feeling ready to conquer the world and spread Black excellence. Swipe through to see more gems the twins dropped during their conversation‼️

📸 @flowgenius

“For all those people that have great genius, there was someone who encouraged them” — Black Genius Talks: I’ll Make Me A World @blackgeniusfoundation

Listening to twin brothers Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (@chiefadjuahofficial) and Kiel Adrian Scott (@kieladrianscott) open up about their career journeys and difference perspectives on #BlackGenius and how that played a role in their life and careers.

It showed that the road to becoming a Black Genius is different for everybody, but it always begins with knowing your own brilliance even when obstacles are in your way. Everybody at #TheApollo was locked in from beginning to end. Every person walked out feeling ready to conquer the world and spread Black excellence. Swipe through to see more gems the twins dropped during their conversation‼️

📸 @flowgenius

“For all those people that have great genius, there was someone who encouraged them” — Black Genius Talks: I’ll Make Me A World @blackgeniusfoundation

Listening to twin brothers Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (@chiefadjuahofficial) and Kiel Adrian Scott (@kieladrianscott) open up about their career journeys and difference perspectives on #BlackGenius and how that played a role in their life and careers.

It showed that the road to becoming a Black Genius is different for everybody, but it always begins with knowing your own brilliance even when obstacles are in your way. Everybody at #TheApollo was locked in from beginning to end. Every person walked out feeling ready to conquer the world and spread Black excellence. Swipe through to see more gems the twins dropped during their conversation‼️

📸 @flowgenius

“For all those people that have great genius, there was someone who encouraged them” — Black Genius Talks: I’ll Make Me A World @blackgeniusfoundation

Listening to twin brothers Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (@chiefadjuahofficial) and Kiel Adrian Scott (@kieladrianscott) open up about their career journeys and difference perspectives on #BlackGenius and how that played a role in their life and careers.

It showed that the road to becoming a Black Genius is different for everybody, but it always begins with knowing your own brilliance even when obstacles are in your way. Everybody at #TheApollo was locked in from beginning to end. Every person walked out feeling ready to conquer the world and spread Black excellence. Swipe through to see more gems the twins dropped during their conversation‼️

📸 @flowgenius

“For all those people that have great genius, there was someone who encouraged them” — Black Genius Talks: I’ll Make Me A World @blackgeniusfoundation

Listening to twin brothers Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (@chiefadjuahofficial) and Kiel Adrian Scott (@kieladrianscott) open up about their career journeys and difference perspectives on #BlackGenius and how that played a role in their life and careers.

It showed that the road to becoming a Black Genius is different for everybody, but it always begins with knowing your own brilliance even when obstacles are in your way. Everybody at #TheApollo was locked in from beginning to end. Every person walked out feeling ready to conquer the world and spread Black excellence. Swipe through to see more gems the twins dropped during their conversation‼️

📸 @flowgenius

“For all those people that have great genius, there was someone who encouraged them” — Black Genius Talks: I’ll Make Me A World @blackgeniusfoundation

Listening to twin brothers Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (@chiefadjuahofficial) and Kiel Adrian Scott (@kieladrianscott) open up about their career journeys and difference perspectives on #BlackGenius and how that played a role in their life and careers.

It showed that the road to becoming a Black Genius is different for everybody, but it always begins with knowing your own brilliance even when obstacles are in your way. Everybody at #TheApollo was locked in from beginning to end. Every person walked out feeling ready to conquer the world and spread Black excellence. Swipe through to see more gems the twins dropped during their conversation‼️

📸 @flowgenius

“For all those people that have great genius, there was someone who encouraged them” — Black Genius Talks: I’ll Make Me A World @blackgeniusfoundation

Listening to twin brothers Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (@chiefadjuahofficial) and Kiel Adrian Scott (@kieladrianscott) open up about their career journeys and difference perspectives on #BlackGenius and how that played a role in their life and careers.

It showed that the road to becoming a Black Genius is different for everybody, but it always begins with knowing your own brilliance even when obstacles are in your way. Everybody at #TheApollo was locked in from beginning to end. Every person walked out feeling ready to conquer the world and spread Black excellence. Swipe through to see more gems the twins dropped during their conversation‼️

📸 @flowgenius

“For all those people that have great genius, there was someone who encouraged them” — Black Genius Talks: I’ll Make Me A World @blackgeniusfoundation

Listening to twin brothers Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (@chiefadjuahofficial) and Kiel Adrian Scott (@kieladrianscott) open up about their career journeys and difference perspectives on #BlackGenius and how that played a role in their life and careers.

It showed that the road to becoming a Black Genius is different for everybody, but it always begins with knowing your own brilliance even when obstacles are in your way. Everybody at #TheApollo was locked in from beginning to end. Every person walked out feeling ready to conquer the world and spread Black excellence. Swipe through to see more gems the twins dropped during their conversation‼️

📸 @flowgenius

“For all those people that have great genius, there was someone who encouraged them” — Black Genius Talks: I’ll Make Me A World @blackgeniusfoundation

Listening to twin brothers Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (@chiefadjuahofficial) and Kiel Adrian Scott (@kieladrianscott) open up about their career journeys and difference perspectives on #BlackGenius and how that played a role in their life and careers.

It showed that the road to becoming a Black Genius is different for everybody, but it always begins with knowing your own brilliance even when obstacles are in your way. Everybody at #TheApollo was locked in from beginning to end. Every person walked out feeling ready to conquer the world and spread Black excellence. Swipe through to see more gems the twins dropped during their conversation‼️

📸 @flowgenius

“For all those people that have great genius, there was someone who encouraged them” — Black Genius Talks: I’ll Make Me A World @blackgeniusfoundation

Listening to twin brothers Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (@chiefadjuahofficial) and Kiel Adrian Scott (@kieladrianscott) open up about their career journeys and difference perspectives on #BlackGenius and how that played a role in their life and careers.

It showed that the road to becoming a Black Genius is different for everybody, but it always begins with knowing your own brilliance even when obstacles are in your way. Everybody at #TheApollo was locked in from beginning to end. Every person walked out feeling ready to conquer the world and spread Black excellence. Swipe through to see more gems the twins dropped during their conversation‼️

📸 @flowgenius

“For all those people that have great genius, there was someone who encouraged them” — Black Genius Talks: I’ll Make Me A World @blackgeniusfoundation

Listening to twin brothers Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (@chiefadjuahofficial) and Kiel Adrian Scott (@kieladrianscott) open up about their career journeys and difference perspectives on #BlackGenius and how that played a role in their life and careers.

It showed that the road to becoming a Black Genius is different for everybody, but it always begins with knowing your own brilliance even when obstacles are in your way. Everybody at #TheApollo was locked in from beginning to end. Every person walked out feeling ready to conquer the world and spread Black excellence. Swipe through to see more gems the twins dropped during their conversation‼️

📸 @flowgenius

Black Genius Talks: I’ll Make Me A World makes its debut at The Apollo Stages at The Victoria this THURSDAY for a conversation that’ll have you thinking long after you leave the room‼️

Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (@chiefadjuahofficial), 6x Grammy nominated multi-hyphenate artist and his twin brother @kieladrianscott, an award-winning filmmaker who uses storytelling to affect change, will join in conversation to share what Black Genius means to them, discuss their artistic journeys and collaborations, and reflect on building community and platforms for Black artistry for generations to come. Link in bio.

🌟 Fellow Spotlight: Umi IMAN

Strokes of Genius Fellow @umi_iman_movement is an Atlanta and Brooklyn–based Dance Artist, Educator, Indigenous Art Curator and Co-Director of Al Taw’am & Sequoia Ascension.

Umi IMAN is an Emmy-nominated dance artist, educator, and Indigenous art curator dually based in Atlanta and New York. Of Black American, Caribbean, and Tsalagi (Cherokee) lineage, she centers tradition, joy, and liberation in her work as an archivist of African diasporic dance and Jingle Dress dancer. IMAN is co-artistic director of Al Taw’am, a renowned Muslim hijabi dance duo with her sister Khadijah Siferllah, amplifying Black and Indigenous storytelling through global residencies and cultural dialogue.

She has collaborated with global organizations like Each One Teach ONE (Berlin), Volcano Arts Center (Hawai‘i), SE.S.TA (Prague), and has taught at Harvard, Yale, and the University of Minnesota. Formerly on faculty at Emory and Spelman College, she brings artistic excellence and ancestral knowledge into academic spaces.

Currently, IMAN co-directs Sequoia Ascension, a community organization supporting Black and Native people in Atlanta through dance, healing, and housing initiatives. As a dark-skinned, Black, Native, Muslim woman, IMAN is an essential force in various movements for liberation. She leverages her platform to artistically amplify the voices and stories of the communities she represents, advocating not just for their survival but for their flourishing.

As part of her Fellowship, Umi IMAN is developing new iteration of Powwows & Ciphers: A
Sacred Place to Be.

#StrokesOfGeniusFellowship #UmiIMAN #TheBlackGeniusFoundation #StrokesOfGenius #Dance #Choreography #BlackArtists #BlackGenius #BlackCreativity

🌟 Fellow Spotlight: Umi IMAN

Strokes of Genius Fellow @umi_iman_movement is an Atlanta and Brooklyn–based Dance Artist, Educator, Indigenous Art Curator and Co-Director of Al Taw’am & Sequoia Ascension.

Umi IMAN is an Emmy-nominated dance artist, educator, and Indigenous art curator dually based in Atlanta and New York. Of Black American, Caribbean, and Tsalagi (Cherokee) lineage, she centers tradition, joy, and liberation in her work as an archivist of African diasporic dance and Jingle Dress dancer. IMAN is co-artistic director of Al Taw’am, a renowned Muslim hijabi dance duo with her sister Khadijah Siferllah, amplifying Black and Indigenous storytelling through global residencies and cultural dialogue.

She has collaborated with global organizations like Each One Teach ONE (Berlin), Volcano Arts Center (Hawai‘i), SE.S.TA (Prague), and has taught at Harvard, Yale, and the University of Minnesota. Formerly on faculty at Emory and Spelman College, she brings artistic excellence and ancestral knowledge into academic spaces.

Currently, IMAN co-directs Sequoia Ascension, a community organization supporting Black and Native people in Atlanta through dance, healing, and housing initiatives. As a dark-skinned, Black, Native, Muslim woman, IMAN is an essential force in various movements for liberation. She leverages her platform to artistically amplify the voices and stories of the communities she represents, advocating not just for their survival but for their flourishing.

As part of her Fellowship, Umi IMAN is developing new iteration of Powwows & Ciphers: A
Sacred Place to Be.

#StrokesOfGeniusFellowship #UmiIMAN #TheBlackGeniusFoundation #StrokesOfGenius #Dance #Choreography #BlackArtists #BlackGenius #BlackCreativity

🌟 Fellow Spotlight: Tyree Boyd-Pates

Strokes of Genius Fellow @freedomschoolonline is a LA–based Multidisciplinary Historian and Cultural Archaeologist.

Tyree Boyd-Pates is a multidisciplinary historian and cultural archaeologist specializing in Black narratives through an African-centered lens. An alumnus of Temple University with a master’s degree in Africology, he has lectured at Harvard, USC, UCLA, Spelman, and Morehouse, sharing expertise in Black studies, American history, and museum studies. His engagement with the African Diaspora began in South Africa, profoundly shaping his curatorial work and scholarship.

Tyree explores race, liberation, and archives through sociology, psychology, visual arts, and community activism—redefining museum spaces as platforms for marginalized communities. Athought leader inspiring global audiences, Tyree has been recognized by TIME, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, NPR, CNN, The Atlantic, Vogue, and other major outlets.

He is the founder of Freedom School Online and NOMMO Cultural Strategies, advancing Black and Diasporic education, art, and culture.

As part of his Fellowship, Tyree is developing a digital resource in connection with Freedom School Online.

#StrokesOfGeniusFellowship #TyreeBoydPates #TheBlackGeniusFoundation #StrokesOfGenius #Historian #CulturalArchaeologist #Curator #BlackArtists #BlackGenius #BlackCreativity

🌟 Fellow Spotlight: Tyree Boyd-Pates

Strokes of Genius Fellow @freedomschoolonline is a LA–based Multidisciplinary Historian and Cultural Archaeologist.

Tyree Boyd-Pates is a multidisciplinary historian and cultural archaeologist specializing in Black narratives through an African-centered lens. An alumnus of Temple University with a master’s degree in Africology, he has lectured at Harvard, USC, UCLA, Spelman, and Morehouse, sharing expertise in Black studies, American history, and museum studies. His engagement with the African Diaspora began in South Africa, profoundly shaping his curatorial work and scholarship.

Tyree explores race, liberation, and archives through sociology, psychology, visual arts, and community activism—redefining museum spaces as platforms for marginalized communities. Athought leader inspiring global audiences, Tyree has been recognized by TIME, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, NPR, CNN, The Atlantic, Vogue, and other major outlets.

He is the founder of Freedom School Online and NOMMO Cultural Strategies, advancing Black and Diasporic education, art, and culture.

As part of his Fellowship, Tyree is developing a digital resource in connection with Freedom School Online.

#StrokesOfGeniusFellowship #TyreeBoydPates #TheBlackGeniusFoundation #StrokesOfGenius #Historian #CulturalArchaeologist #Curator #BlackArtists #BlackGenius #BlackCreativity

🌟 Fellow Spotlight: Taja Lindley

Strokes of Genius Fellow @tajalindley is a Nashville–based Memory Worker and Spirit-Led Interdisciplinary Generative Artist.

Taja Lindley is a memory worker and spirit-led interdisciplinary generative artist creating dynamic, iterative works designed to transform audiences and shift narratives, culture, and consciousness. She is widely known for her performances, installations, and podcasting that address state-sanctioned violence, reproductive freedom, economic sovereignty, bodily autonomy, and our relationship with the past.

In 2019, she became the inaugural Public Artist in Residence with the NYC Health Department. In 2020, she was awarded an A Blade of Grass Fellowship for her socially-engaged work addressing the Black maternal health crisis in New York City. This work, alongside her longstanding and unwavering commitment to reproductive justice, led to the creation of the Black Women’s Dept. of Labor, a project and podcast examining race, gender, and the double entendre of labor: to work and to give birth.

Beyond her artistic practice, Taja is deeply engaged in social movements as a cultural worker, healer, consultant, facilitator, and full-spectrum doula. She currently serves as Executive Director of All-Options.

As part of her Fellowship, Taja is developing The Black Women’s Dept. of Labor: Invoice #002.

#StrokesOfGeniusFellowship #ChristalBrown #TheBlackGeniusFoundation #StrokesOfGenius #Interdisciplinary #BlackArtists #BlackGenius #BlackCreativity

🌟 Fellow Spotlight: Taja Lindley

Strokes of Genius Fellow @tajalindley is a Nashville–based Memory Worker and Spirit-Led Interdisciplinary Generative Artist.

Taja Lindley is a memory worker and spirit-led interdisciplinary generative artist creating dynamic, iterative works designed to transform audiences and shift narratives, culture, and consciousness. She is widely known for her performances, installations, and podcasting that address state-sanctioned violence, reproductive freedom, economic sovereignty, bodily autonomy, and our relationship with the past.

In 2019, she became the inaugural Public Artist in Residence with the NYC Health Department. In 2020, she was awarded an A Blade of Grass Fellowship for her socially-engaged work addressing the Black maternal health crisis in New York City. This work, alongside her longstanding and unwavering commitment to reproductive justice, led to the creation of the Black Women’s Dept. of Labor, a project and podcast examining race, gender, and the double entendre of labor: to work and to give birth.

Beyond her artistic practice, Taja is deeply engaged in social movements as a cultural worker, healer, consultant, facilitator, and full-spectrum doula. She currently serves as Executive Director of All-Options.

As part of her Fellowship, Taja is developing The Black Women’s Dept. of Labor: Invoice #002.

#StrokesOfGeniusFellowship #ChristalBrown #TheBlackGeniusFoundation #StrokesOfGenius #Interdisciplinary #BlackArtists #BlackGenius #BlackCreativity

Pull up!!! Join us on December 4th at the world-famous Apollo Theater for Black Genius Talks - I'll Make Me A World: World Building & The Power of the Imagination. Experience a special one-on-one conversation between2023 Doris Duke Artist Award recipient, two-time Edison Award winner, and six-time Grammy-nominated musician, composer, producer, and sonic architect Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah and award-winning filmmaker and writer Kiel Adrian Scott. ‍

These two visionaries, who are also twin brothers and Black Genius Brain Trust members, will interview each other in a dynamic exchange about their respective crafts, the power of art and the imagination, and how they are building worlds and infrastructure to support Black artistry and creativity.

Black Genius Talks are humanities discussions designed to engage community and deepen public knowledge around Black artists, the Black creative ecosystem and the tradition of Black genius.

GET YOUR TICKETS—link in the bio.

#BlackGeniusTalks #ChiefAdjuah #KielAdrianScott #TheBlackGeniusFoundation #ApolloTheater #BlackGenius

🌟 Fellow Spotlight: Suné Woods Zomhlaba

Strokes of Genius Fellow @constellation.matters is a Philadelphia–based Multidisciplinary Artist.
Suné Woods Zomhlaba creates immersive video installations, movement-based works, and collages that explore holistic healing practices and the wisdom that emerges through interspecies relations, ancestral guidance, and water- and plant-spirit–led approaches.

Suné’s work often incorporates waterscapes to reflect on existence, intimacy, and aquatic ecologies—contending with what it means to be present with the infinite energies within the human vessel experience while crafting utterances of the heart through visual language.

Suné’s work has been a way to process and understand sensuality, power, and spirituality within violent and oppressive systems. Drawing on ancient forms of communication—dreams, prayer, ritual, and meditation—Suné works within earth-based modalities and expansive visual languages.

Suné’s video work is currently on view in Weather and the Whale at the Institute of Arts and Sciences in Santa Cruz (through March 8, 2026) and was recently featured in Alice Coltrane: Monument Eternal at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. Suné is also the recipient of the 2022 California Community Foundation Fellowship for Visual Artists and the 2020 Los Angeles Artadia Award.

As part of the Strokes of Genius Fellowship, Suné is developing LoveStoryMixtape.

#StrokesOfGeniusFellowship #SuneWoodsZomhlaba #TheBlackGeniusFoundation #StrokesOfGenius #Multidisciplinary #BlackArtists #BlackGenius #BlackCreativity

🌟 Fellow Spotlight: Suné Woods Zomhlaba

Strokes of Genius Fellow @constellation.matters is a Philadelphia–based Multidisciplinary Artist.
Suné Woods Zomhlaba creates immersive video installations, movement-based works, and collages that explore holistic healing practices and the wisdom that emerges through interspecies relations, ancestral guidance, and water- and plant-spirit–led approaches.

Suné’s work often incorporates waterscapes to reflect on existence, intimacy, and aquatic ecologies—contending with what it means to be present with the infinite energies within the human vessel experience while crafting utterances of the heart through visual language.

Suné’s work has been a way to process and understand sensuality, power, and spirituality within violent and oppressive systems. Drawing on ancient forms of communication—dreams, prayer, ritual, and meditation—Suné works within earth-based modalities and expansive visual languages.

Suné’s video work is currently on view in Weather and the Whale at the Institute of Arts and Sciences in Santa Cruz (through March 8, 2026) and was recently featured in Alice Coltrane: Monument Eternal at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. Suné is also the recipient of the 2022 California Community Foundation Fellowship for Visual Artists and the 2020 Los Angeles Artadia Award.

As part of the Strokes of Genius Fellowship, Suné is developing LoveStoryMixtape.

#StrokesOfGeniusFellowship #SuneWoodsZomhlaba #TheBlackGeniusFoundation #StrokesOfGenius #Multidisciplinary #BlackArtists #BlackGenius #BlackCreativity

🌟 Fellow Spotlight: Shamel Pitts

Strokes of Genius Fellow @shamelpitts is a Brooklyn, NY –based Performance Artist, Choreographer, Conceptual Artist, Dancer, Teacher and Founder & Artistic Director of TRIBE.

Shamel Pitts—a 2024 MacArthur Fellow—is a performance artist, choreographer, conceptual artist, dancer, spoken word artist, director, and teacher. Born in Brooklyn, he began his dance training at LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and The Ailey School. A first-place recipient in the National Arts Competition from YoungArts, Pitts went on to earn his BFA in Dance from The Juilliard School, where he received the prestigious Martha Hill Award.

Shamel began his professional career with Mikhail Baryshnikov’s Hell’s Kitchen Dance and BJM_Danse Montreal before dancing for seven years with the legendary Batsheva Dance Company under Ohad Naharin. He is also a certified teacher of Gaga movement language. Shamel has created a triptych of award-winning performances with his multidisciplinary arts collective, TRIBE —the “BLACK Series”—as well as the newly emerging “RED Series.” These works have toured extensively around the world since 2016.

He is an adjunct professor at The Juilliard School and a guest faculty member at Princeton, NYU, and Wesleyan, and has held residencies at Harvard University, 92Y Harkness Dance Center, and New York Live Arts. Shamel’s honors include a Princess Grace Award in Choreography, a NYSCA/NYFA Fellowship, the Doris Duke Artist Award, the Knight Choreography Prize, and a Guggenheim Fellowship.

As part of his Fellowship, Shamel is developing little black lake of RED, to presented as part of Solace of RED

#StrokesOfGeniusFellowship #ShamelPitts #TheBlackGeniusFoundation #StrokesOfGenius #Dance #Choreography #BlackArtists #BlackGenius #BlackCreativity

🌟 Fellow Spotlight: Shamel Pitts

Strokes of Genius Fellow @shamelpitts is a Brooklyn, NY –based Performance Artist, Choreographer, Conceptual Artist, Dancer, Teacher and Founder & Artistic Director of TRIBE.

Shamel Pitts—a 2024 MacArthur Fellow—is a performance artist, choreographer, conceptual artist, dancer, spoken word artist, director, and teacher. Born in Brooklyn, he began his dance training at LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and The Ailey School. A first-place recipient in the National Arts Competition from YoungArts, Pitts went on to earn his BFA in Dance from The Juilliard School, where he received the prestigious Martha Hill Award.

Shamel began his professional career with Mikhail Baryshnikov’s Hell’s Kitchen Dance and BJM_Danse Montreal before dancing for seven years with the legendary Batsheva Dance Company under Ohad Naharin. He is also a certified teacher of Gaga movement language. Shamel has created a triptych of award-winning performances with his multidisciplinary arts collective, TRIBE —the “BLACK Series”—as well as the newly emerging “RED Series.” These works have toured extensively around the world since 2016.

He is an adjunct professor at The Juilliard School and a guest faculty member at Princeton, NYU, and Wesleyan, and has held residencies at Harvard University, 92Y Harkness Dance Center, and New York Live Arts. Shamel’s honors include a Princess Grace Award in Choreography, a NYSCA/NYFA Fellowship, the Doris Duke Artist Award, the Knight Choreography Prize, and a Guggenheim Fellowship.

As part of his Fellowship, Shamel is developing little black lake of RED, to presented as part of Solace of RED

#StrokesOfGeniusFellowship #ShamelPitts #TheBlackGeniusFoundation #StrokesOfGenius #Dance #Choreography #BlackArtists #BlackGenius #BlackCreativity

🌟 Fellow Spotlight: Russell Taylor

Strokes of Genius Fellow @rsoulstar is a DC–based Interdisciplinary Artist and Cultural Leader.

Russell Taylor, M.A., is an acclaimed interdisciplinary artist and cultural leader whose work electrifies audiences and inspires communities. A VH1 You Oughta Know artist, he has shared stages with Mary J. Blige, Lalah Hathaway, and Estelle—thrilling listeners from the Apollo Theater to Moscow with his soulful voice and charismatic presence. His music, known for its emotional depth, has reached global audiences through placements on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Fosters, and other major platforms.

As Executive Director of the SoulLife Foundation, Taylor leads bold programs merging art, education, and community impact. He is the creator of The Vulnerability Project, an award-winning interdisciplinary activation exploring Black men, masculinity, and emotionality through music, visual art, soundscape, and dialogue. Anchored by his stirring song “Superman” featuring Lalah Hathaway, the project challenges stereotypes and reframes narratives of resilience, intimacy, and presence.

Russell is also the creator and host of Soulversations on SiriusXM Silk and serves as a Governor for the Recording Academy. On and off the stage, he is celebrated for uniting artistry, authenticity, and vision—shaping culture with brilliance that is deeply personal and universally felt.

As part of his Fellowship, Russell is developing a live recording of The Vulnerability Project Soundtrack.

#StrokesOfGeniusFellowship #RussellTaylor #TheBlackGeniusFoundation #StrokesOfGenius #Music #TheVulnerabilityProject #BlackArtists #BlackGenius #BlackCreativity

🌟 Fellow Spotlight: Russell Taylor

Strokes of Genius Fellow @rsoulstar is a DC–based Interdisciplinary Artist and Cultural Leader.

Russell Taylor, M.A., is an acclaimed interdisciplinary artist and cultural leader whose work electrifies audiences and inspires communities. A VH1 You Oughta Know artist, he has shared stages with Mary J. Blige, Lalah Hathaway, and Estelle—thrilling listeners from the Apollo Theater to Moscow with his soulful voice and charismatic presence. His music, known for its emotional depth, has reached global audiences through placements on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Fosters, and other major platforms.

As Executive Director of the SoulLife Foundation, Taylor leads bold programs merging art, education, and community impact. He is the creator of The Vulnerability Project, an award-winning interdisciplinary activation exploring Black men, masculinity, and emotionality through music, visual art, soundscape, and dialogue. Anchored by his stirring song “Superman” featuring Lalah Hathaway, the project challenges stereotypes and reframes narratives of resilience, intimacy, and presence.

Russell is also the creator and host of Soulversations on SiriusXM Silk and serves as a Governor for the Recording Academy. On and off the stage, he is celebrated for uniting artistry, authenticity, and vision—shaping culture with brilliance that is deeply personal and universally felt.

As part of his Fellowship, Russell is developing a live recording of The Vulnerability Project Soundtrack.

#StrokesOfGeniusFellowship #RussellTaylor #TheBlackGeniusFoundation #StrokesOfGenius #Music #TheVulnerabilityProject #BlackArtists #BlackGenius #BlackCreativity