Iris Arts displayed an array of talent by local artists at Heartbreak Coffee on Sunday, Sept. 29 at a bi-monthly event called Iris Room.
Iris Arts, previously known as Quasar, is a nonprofit organization that offers a platform for Oxford’s local artists.
Angel Morgan, co-coordinator for Iris Room, said that the goal of Iris Arts and Iris Room is to “give a safe space to people who are either up-and-coming (artists) or (ones) that are already established to create a community together.”
The event opened with a small welcome speech from Morgan, after which Tay-Tay Sanatana-Dharma, a local poet and the first act of the evening, took the stage. Sanatana-Dharma read many original works on love and appreciation including “Heart Takes the Stage,” “Mother’s Eye” and “Cute Rose.”
Following Sanatana-Dharma’s poetry reading, Morgan introduced the audience to Fatimah Wansley, a poet and junior African American studies major, who read works detailing love, loss and goodbyes; this included several from her collection titled “The Poet’s Collection,” including the works “Finale 135” and “Cardiovascular Instruction Manual.”
These acts are followed by a brief intermission where the highlighted visual artist, Ruth Hogue, showed off her work. Hogue displayed several large canvas paintings as well as many smaller paintings and boxes of prints of her work available for purchase.
At the conclusion of the break, Morgan introduced the musician Yasmine Jade, a recent University of Mississippi graduate and frequent Iris Room performer. Jade played “Snooze” by SZA, “Bodyguard” by Beyonce and “Heavy Heart,” a powerful original song.
“This is what I’m meant to do. This is my calling. Music (is) 100% something that I have a gift for, and I need to do it,” Jade said.
Sophomore sociology and theater double major Aine Gilmartin is a first-time Iris Room attendee. She loves that local art events in Oxford allow artists to share their work.
“I like coming to (art events) because I like seeing all of the artists and people in the community,” Gilmartin said. “I think there are a lot of really talented people that I would not really get exposed to (without Iris Arts).”
