Supporting Black Artists: VCU’s BASE club highlights creative voices on campus

Daijah Hinmon, Contributing Writer

Black Art Student Empowerment is an active community geared toward the empowerment of underrepresented artists and their supporters at Virginia Commonwealth University, according to the VCU Department of African American Studies Student Organization sheet.

The events held by BASE incorporate networking and professional skills, while also including culture talks based on what is happening in the Black community, according to Mikayla Lindsey, student advisor of BASE and fourth-year communication arts student. 

The organization has a good mix between chill and professional events, Lindsey said. It motivates everyone interested in finding their place in the organization.

It is important to highlight Black artists, Lindsey said.

“So many creative movements like fashion, food and music have been started by Black people,” Lindsey said. “There’s so many things we would not have without the creative creations of Black people.”

In our society, it is important that people not only see themselves in a body of work, but also see other new perspectives, according to Samantha Jenkins, social media chair for BASE and fourth-year communication arts student.

“It’s good to build with people that you would not even anticipate because honestly we all are the same, but sometimes we need more reminders that we are,” Jenkins said.

Since BASE is open to a variety of interests, it makes collaborating with other organizations fun, Jenkins said.

“We’re all on the same team,” Jenkins said. “Not just Black students, but students in general. There’s space for everybody.”

Art is not just one skill, but a plethora that everyone should have the opportunity to share and express, according to Faith Brown, vice president of BASE and fourth-year information systems student. 

“We are open and accepting of all forms of art,” Brown said. “Whether that be film, dancing, painting, drawing or singing.”

Through BASE, collaborating with people in different mediums introduced new learning opportunities in other mediums, according to Chynia Harris, programming chair of BASE and fourth-year dance and choreography student. 

“I think fostering collaboration especially as a Black artist early on is important before we go out into the field,” Harris said. 

As a dance student, Harris said working with cinematographers and videographers allowed her to get comfortable in spaces that will be important to her in the future. 

Yeala Grimes, president of BASE and fourth-year communication arts student, said that when faced with challenges, working in BASE has taught her important lessons about teamwork and adapting when things go wrong.

BASE is celebrating its 10th anniversary this spring, Grimes said. This has allowed for alumni to pass down lessons and use them to better the organization.

“It’s something that gets greater with every iteration because we just have so much knowledge to fall back on,” Grimes said.

People should have an outlet to express themselves without any pressure, according to Grimes. Having the resources available to be artistic freely is an important part of BASE events.

According to Laila Hendricks, another social media chair of BASE and fourth-year graphic design student, the organization works with administration to provide artists support when experiencing discrimination in the arts.

“Our main goal is to support and empower artists,” Hendricks said. “We provide opportunities like market events where they can sell their products if they’re running a small business or even just want to get their art out there for people to see.”

BASE represents all different art mediums, and bringing them all together creates more opportunities for others to gain inspiration and show that there are more ways of being creative, according to Hendricks.

Hendricks said they feel that Black artists are not represented enough in art schools, so it was important to create a space outside the classroom that makes people feel like they belong.

“We created this organization for students of color who need the space to exist, explore and grow,” Hendricks said.

Advocating for other students and organizations helps to uplift everyone and build a bigger platform for more people to join, according to Hendricks.

“It gave me a voice to just express my art out in the world,” Hendricks said.

BASE has allowed people who are not Black to notice what Black people have been doing for the community at VCU, according to Hendricks.

“We exist in these spaces that no one thought we could be in,” Hendricks said.