The TEAM
project leads
Daphne walker
RPOP Communications Outreach Specialist, Cities United
Daphne Walker is an artist, graphic designer and West-End resident and community advocate. As the Communications Outreach Specialist for Russell: A Place of Promise (RPOP), she is a firm believer in equitable access to information and resources and recognizes the crucial role that graphic art plays in community outreach, especially in disinvested communities. She is enthusiastic about the opportunities that the historic Russell neighborhood and RPOP have afforded her and she’s overjoyed to intertwine her passion and her purpose.
Daphne enjoys being able to create art that centers Black people and Black experiences. She hopes to expand her artistic journey by creating spaces for Black artists to connect and learn together as well as get access to supplies, studio space, and other resources.
Prior to her current role with RPOP, Daphne was a student at Jefferson Community and Technical College where she graduated from the Communication Arts and Technology Program with an Associate of Applied Sciences in Advertising Design. In 2017, Daphne received several American Advertising Federation “ADDY Awards” (formerly known as the “Louie Awards”) in recognition of her work, including two Silver Awards, two Gold Awards, and a Judges’ Choice Award.
The TEAM
project leads
done'ah marshall
Place of Promise Initiative Administrative Support Specialist, Cities United
Done'ah Marshall is the Administrative Support Specialist for Cities United’s Place of Promise Initiative (RPOP). She is a native of the Shawnee neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky’s historically Black West End. Done'ah first joined the RPOP team as a Junior Outreach Specialist in 2020 and since then has also held the titles of RPOP Intern and Cities United Young Leader Fellow. In her current role, she’s had the opportunity to share leadership in RPOP’s admin duties, youth programming, communications, travel planning, and storytelling projects.
Prior to her current role with RPOP, in 2021 Done'ah received a Bachelor of Arts in Pan-African Studies from the University of Louisville, where she was awarded the Woodford R. Porter Scholarship and also recognized as an Honors Scholar and a Muhammad Ali Scholar. It was during her undergraduate years that Done'ah first explored her curiosity of social change and the root causes of social conditions. She is an inquisitive critic who enjoys challenging herself and those around her to think critically and ask powerful questions. She is passionate about her village; protecting vulnerable populations; sharing knowledge and resources; basketball; fashion; and joy and she looks forward to future opportunities in education, research, storytelling, and athletics.
storytellers
kevon dunbar
sculptor
KeVon Dunbar was born on September 7, 1993, in Louisville, Kentucky. He developed a love for drawing at an early age while learning basic cartooning skills from his father and popular cartoon shows. In 2011, Dunbar attended the University of Pikeville where he played football on an Athletic Scholarship. During that time, he was heavily devoted to the game of football and after transferring a few times, he landed at the University of Louisville. He soon realized that he had interest in becoming a graphic designer. In December 2017, he graduated with his Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design from Tennessee State University. After graduating, Dunbar worked as a freelance graphic designer, working to pave a path for himself in the industry. In 2019, he received a full tuition scholarship to the Kentucky College of Art and Design (KYCAD), where he continued his passion for art in his studio practice class. In 2019, he showcased his work in his first group exhibition at the Quonset Hut, a printmaking studio in Louisville KY. In 2021, Dunbar joined The healing Walls Project, a healing-centered art organization who he continues to partner with today to paint murals in the disinvested community he grew up in and around the city of Louisville.
Kala Lewis
Digital illustrator
Kala Lewis is a Black digital illustrator based in Louisville, KY whose current body of work consists of portraiture and character narrative illustrations. Her illustrations predominantly showcase a use of vibrant color, dynamic character designs, and playful narrative compositions. She is currently a freelance artist with interests in book and editorial illustration opportunties.
Having graduated from Northern Kentucky University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Kala has continued to push herself visually in the arts with a focus on showcasing work that celebrates diversity in all its manifestations. As a Black illustrator, she understands the importance for art to represent everyone and utilizes that importance as a guide throughout her creative process.
Past clients include The Speed Art Museum, Fund for the Arts: Louisville, and various local artists around the city. Her illustrations have been featured in books, on billboards, and in local gallery showcases across the state.
iyabo mesa serikali
photographer
Iyabo-Mesa Serikali, creatively known as Mesa Pisa, is a photographer, writer, and creatrix from Louisville, Kentucky. In her early career, Serikali gravitated toward photography as a unique way to connect with peers in her community and tell stories through the passage of time. Her first conceptual portrait project “Hairesy” (2013) explores the definition of heresy and exposes the limitations placed on women’s hair, specifically women of color. Her approach to her style is curated through her focus on Pan-African beauty and the intersectionality of the Black diaspora. In 2018, Serikali created “Miracle-Gro,” a nude conceptual series about queer Black survival and transitioning from grief. There are no limitations to her art or her subjects.
Serikali's bodies of work blend elements of design and unique composition to amplify stories from her own communities, embark emotion, and spark inspiration. Music is a driving force for the work she creates. Serikali additionally works consistently with local BIPOC music industry creatives to capture concerts, create cover art and capture the essence of their craft. Her collaborations include projects with Louisville Magazine, LEO Weekly, CityBeat Cincinnati and TAUNT. She collaborates with local creatives, organizations and musicians to help unify independent collaborations in Louisville. Serikali is currently working on projects involving the disparities, tragedies, triumphs, and joy of the historic West End neighborhood in Louisville, Kentucky
victor sweatt
painter
A self-taught visual artist, I use my art to promote equality and positive social change. An avid painter, I'm always eager to create strong compositions combined with palettes of color that invoke the emotion, ambience and message I’m seeking to convey. I move the viewer’s eyes into and throughout the painting with lines, shapes, and values. Imagine a dimly lit room with a woman sitting on a large windowsill. The woman gazing out the glass pane during a rainy day creates a mood that may be best captured by a dark value to create the spatial illusion of emptiness. A closer view calls into question a more personal attachment of what she's experiencing. What is she thinking or feeling? Values can then be used for contrast; the softness of the woman’s hair, face or tears that may match the falling raindrops on the outside of the windowpane. My inspiration to create comes from the people and situations I see. I find extraordinary moments in everyday living. My paintings capture both positive and negative images. The goal is to ignite the dialogue for change in “the beautiful mess.” Through powerful imagery I connect with the viewer to empower, inspire and educate.
As an award-winning artist, my work lives in many private and corporate collections throughout the United States such as Hank and Billie Aaron, a Baseball Hall of Famer and his Wife; Former US Congressmen JC Watts; Ed Hamilton, an International Sculptor; Earl G. Graves Sr., Former President of Black Enterprise Magazine; Frank Weisburg, Former Chairman of the Louisville Visual Art Association; Dr. Samuel Robinson, Former President of the Lincoln Foundation and Ed Gordon, Former Black Entertainment Television (BET) Media Host.
cheketa tinsley
writer
A self-taught visual artist, I use my art to promote equality and positive social change. An avid painter, I'm always eager to create strong compositions combined with palettes of color that invoke the emotion, ambience and message I’m seeking to convey. I move the viewer’s eyes into and throughout the painting with lines, shapes, and values. Imagine a dimly lit room with a woman sitting on a large windowsill. The woman gazing out the glass pane during a rainy day creates a mood that may be best captured by a dark value to create the spatial illusion of emptiness. A closer view calls into question a more personal attachment of what she's experiencing. What is she thinking or feeling? Values can then be used for contrast; the softness of the woman’s hair, face or tears that may match the falling raindrops on the outside of the windowpane. My inspiration to create comes from the people and situations I see. I find extraordinary moments in everyday living. My paintings capture both positive and negative images. The goal is to ignite the dialogue for change in “the beautiful mess.” Through powerful imagery I connect with the viewer to empower, inspire and educate.
As an award-winning artist, my work lives in many private and corporate collections throughout the United States such as Hank and Billie Aaron, a Baseball Hall of Famer and his Wife; Former US Congressmen JC Watts; Ed Hamilton, an International Sculptor; Earl G. Graves Sr., Former President of Black Enterprise Magazine; Frank Weisburg, Former Chairman of the Louisville Visual Art Association; Dr. Samuel Robinson, Former President of the Lincoln Foundation and Ed Gordon, Former Black Entertainment Television (BET) Media Host.
dasia woods
poet
Dasia Woods is a creative, writer, poet, and spoken-word artist based in Louisville, KY. Dasia has performed in a multitude of poetry slams, open mics, and poetry workshops in the Louisville and Lexington areas. She is currently working to attain her Master of Social Work from the University of Louisville, while also working for a nonprofit organization.
Her art focuses on capturing narratives of the Black experience as authentically as possible. She emphasizes nature, food, elements of the Earth, memory, and ancestry — all common themes of Blackness. Her purpose is to create conversation, evoke thought and perspective, transcribe, and remember our stories that were stripped from us through the art of language.
Advisory committee
dr. jabani bennett
VISUAL ARTIST, ARTS ADVOCATE
& CERTIFIED EDUCATOR
As a visual artist, artist-mother and arts advocate, Dr. Jabani Bennett is committed to increased visibility for underrepresented creative professionals in the American Midwest. Dr. Bennett is an artist-researcher and strategist with a research focus in cultural equity. Dr. Bennett’s career as an award-winning arts educator in New York City and Louisville public schools informs her current projects in arts & culture. Based in the Shawnee neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky, Dr. Bennett has provided strategic planning support for arts organizations. With a history of building strong relationships with diverse families in New York City and Louisville, KY, she believes in the power of asset-based approaches in community development for systemic change in the arts. Her latest project is leading the Center for Health Equity CREATE (Centering Reimagined Equity & Transformative Empowerment) photo book directory project - a citywide initiative for underserved arts professionals in Louisville. Her artwork has been featured in the garner narrative contemporary fine art gallery, the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, the Art Students League of New York, and Carnegie Center for Art & History.
lance newman
fOUNDER of sPREADLOVE ENTERPRISE &
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, YOUNGPOETS OF LOUSIVILLE
Lance G. Newman II has an artistic practice that is varied, multifaceted and interdisciplinary. Twenty years of poetry writing and performing; Ten years of theater and acting; five years of visual artistry; and several published articles. These various forms of expression have all contributed to an artist that is truly a “jack of all trades and master of none, but better than the master of one.” Warmly known as ‘Mr. SpreadLove,’ he seeks to affect the world in a positive way.
As a visual Artist, Lance uses discarded ‘Black and Mild’ cigar paraphernalia to create his pieces. Smoking, a vice that he’s battled with for over a decade, has found its way into his visual expressions of nostalgia and black regality.
My artistic concerns and interest are often centered around the commonality of the human experience. I came to this understanding as a poet and seeing the vast differences and demographics of its audience members. It felt like no matter what your background was, at some point the art of spoken word resonated with the deepest part of your culture. I realized this is duty of the things we create. To create a common ground.
As a black man, born in the west and raised within the Midwest, I’ve seen so much separation, de facto and de jure… through my lens, I intend to remind the world of its similarities.
ashley cathey
FOUNDER & ceo HEALING WALLS PROJECt
Ashley “ACE” Cathey (Lead Artist) is a multidisciplinary social change artist, curator, muralist and CEO. Her large, oil and acrylic portraits hope to centralize the experiences of black bodies during and after the African Diaspora. Cathey’s self-taught artistry started to emerge ideas of feminism through the lens of women of color; who have influenced her through the art of music, literature, and spoken word.
Cathey’s work has gained local and global recognition from the supporters of her movement. Recently, she curated the exhibit “Black Before I was Born: a meditation on identity” to speak on the lack of representation in the world of fine arts. She believes art is activism and often uses her pieces to bring a voice to social issues and realize creative place making. Cathey’s progression has also led her to create opportunities for other emerging artists through her arts organization. Cathey is the Founder and CEO of The Healing Walls Project, an arts organization revolutionizing the way we create public art, focusing on the amplification and healing of BIPOC artists through the creation of public art in their communities around the USA.
ashlee phillips
Social Art Activist & Cultural Curator
Ashlee Phillips is a passionate Social Art Activist and Cultural Curator that implements her organizational and leadership skills to assist others in the learning of social justice by building cultural and creative equity. A native of Louisville’s Smoketown neighborhood, Ashlee has grown from her humble roots and branched out into collaborations with major art institutions like the Speed Art Museum to bring forth her vision of multi-disciplinary art that impacts her community.
In 2021, Ashlee launched a photography project entitled, “Creatives You Meet Along the Way: A West End Love Story In The Making”, which celebrated a diverse group of creatives from the 9 neighborhoods of Louisville’s West End. Ashlee was then honored to become a Community Connections Artist in Residence with the Speed Art Museum. This allowed Ashlee to offer free mental health workshops throughout the community, through her “Mental Health Minute” series. Her work with the Speed Art Museum culminated in an installation entitled, “Can I Grow: The Metamorphosis of The Black Woman”, which recreated a multi-generational Black “living room” where visitors could experience the trauma, healing, and growth process of a young Black woman.
Currently, Ashlee is a mentor of the inaugural cohort for the Black Film Institute at Simmons College of Kentucky, an HBCU. Going forward, Ashlee hopes to create work that goes beyond the bounds of disciplinary definition, into iconic and institutional impact that shifts the trajectory of her people.
Marcus pipes
russell storytelling project photographer, owner of map visuals
Marcus Pipes was born in Cleveland, Ohio in the late 1980's, a time in which drugs and crime heavily impacted the poverty-stricken streets of his inner-city neighborhood. His mother sought a safer environment to raise her son, so she moved with him back to her hometown of Louisville, KY. As a young man, Marcus' mother equipped him with a strong foundation ̶ rooted in church, education, golf, and opportunities to travel across the country.
After graduating with honors and furthering his education to earn a degree in Civil Engineering, Marcus would later experience a setback in life that forced him into a career path he hadn't foreseen. For the past 11 years, he has been employed by Humana Inc. and in recent years he started his own photography business, MAPVISUALS. With the support of organizations, like Russell: A Place of Promise (RPOP), and other influential people and events, MAPVISUALS has been given the opportunity to provide photography services to individuals and families from all walks of life. Marcus' major accomplishments with MAPVISUALS include working with Grammy-nominated Hip-Hip Artist Fabolous; Fortune 500 company, Humana, Inc, and a multitude of local musicians, authors, and other creatives.
"There are no boundaries or limitations to art and visual content creation. Creating gives you a platform to speak to your audience which can then result in curating an experience that he or she can relate to. These experiences encourage all of us to be present and live in each moment"