The Lambda Sigma chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated welcomed five Black artists and many attendees to an art exposition on campus in the basement of Residence Hall 2 on Feb. 12. The event was open to all University of Mississippi students and Oxonians.
This was the first Color Crimson Black Art Expo. Junior allied health studies major and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated Vice President Jamiya Mason saw the event as an opportunity for Black artists to engage with each other and the community.
“The Color Crimson Black Art Expo is an event for Black artists within the Oxford community to show their artistic traits and personalities,” Mason said.
As the sorority’s chair of programming, planning and development, Mason coordinated this event.
“We’re big on emphasizing treasures that are within the Black community,” Mason said. “We feel it’s important that everyone gains the representation and attention they need.”
Senior psychology major Marissa Ingram, president of the Lambda Sigma chapter, echoed these sentiments.
“As a president, you want to make sure that you’re showcasing the talents of your chapter members,” Ingram said. “A lot of the talent we have around here is just an extension of my chapter members, extensions of their friend groups or even their families. So it’s important that we connect.”
Connection was a prominent theme of the night.
“It’s important that you’re shown different facets of what Black culture and Black excellence are, but it’s also important that you emphasize connections and fellowship,” Ingram said. “You want to make sure you uplift your brothers and sisters and put them in spaces to succeed like this. So it’s not really just showcasing the culture, it’s showcasing the individuals.”
The artists exhibited paintings and portfolios of their work; one artist, UM alumni Jeffery Patton, painted a piece on-site and invited attendees to paint a piece with him. Shania Martin, a sophomore allied health major from Columbia, Miss., appreciated the exhibition because of the platform it provided student artists at UM.
“I feel like (the art exposition) was a great opportunity to shed some light on the Black artists we have here at the university, especially during Black History Month,” Martin said.
Ashley Charles displayed her work. A sophomore art major from Brookhaven, Miss., Charles began seriously focusing on her artwork about nine years ago. She characterizes her style as ever-evolving.
“I would say that (my style) is forever growing, forever changing,” Charles said. “It can range from realistic to cartoon-ish. I don’t really want to put a label on my work.”
Feedback to the event was resoundingly positive.
“I really think this is the first of many (expositions) that I’ll be doing,” Charles said.
Mason confirmed that other expositions would be held by the sorority.
“We’re looking forward to having this event every year, if not every semester,” Mason said.
Charles views the exposition as an opportunity to be artistically expressive to the UM community.
“I think this is a great opportunity for me to branch out and really allow people to see who I am,” Charles said. “It’s actually very helpful for me because I don’t really like to talk a lot, so this is a way for me to express what I’m really capable of.”
