Black Art Planning: Exhibition Manifesto

Abstract

Black Art Planning: Exhibition Manifesto, honors the many modes and forms of knowledge that inform Black artists acting as informal planners, designers and urbanists working to harmonize spatial urban realities for marginalized communities. This is a focused introspection of Black liminal realities and how art is used as a tool to challenge, redress and inform the healing of vulnerable communities in the United States. This thesis is in the form of an exhibit showcasing a series of manifesto posters highlighting the key elements of a Black Art Planning framework. Accompanied by a short flm capturing the essence of what has informed this thinking through travel and research in Saint Martin and South Africa. This thesis intends to combine an academic and practice-informed approach to synthesize the phenomena of Black artists and creative collectives cultivating planning solutions through an arts practice in cities across the US and abroad. In highlighting an approach that is intersectional in both the planning feld and the art sector, Black Art Planning is positioned in conjunction with curatorial critique, black critical thought, and city planning pedagogies that inform possibilities for thriving communities through the arts. Essentially exploring who has the right to Art in the city?