It’s About the Hustle
Exhibition Dates: January 24 - February 22, 2025
It’s About the Hustle explores the stories of African Americans and their labors in the United States. Work, in its vast iterations, is central to Black history and culture. From unfree labor based in agriculture that is the foundation of this country, through the second industrial revolution, and into the hustle of the 20th and 21st centuries. The pieces in this exhibition will explore the intersectional history of creativity, ingenuity, and innovation that has supported Black communities' resilience. They depict accounts of victories and struggles for social and economic justice, higher education opportunities, individual expression in sports, fine arts, fashion and entertainment, as well as building and maintaining family. Narratives of survival and thriving, of feeling whole and of simply being.
About the Juror: Franchell Mack Brown (born 1962 in Washington, D.C.) employs an amalgam of materials in her practice. From the pliancy of crocheted ribbon and industrial cording to the solidity of welding and fused glass, she juxtaposes soft and hard, exploring the dualities of being.
Brown grew up in a creative family that instilled in her a reverence for honoring the artistic impulse and awe for ingenious problem-solving. She jumped at the chance to attend Duke Ellington School of the Arts in a cohort of creative kindreds spending their high school years balancing academic rigor and collegiate-level immersion in the visual arts.
After high school, she continued to hone her craft. in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Tokyo, Atlanta and Wilmington,
Mack Brown entered the New River Community College welding program in 2014. She spent her after-work hours in the campus welding lab, creating armatures and improving her welding skills. In 2015, as a certified welder, she accepted a position on a crew for a project that took a prototype truck cab to production for Volvo Trucks.
Seeking offers elsewhere, she accepted a lucrative, non-welding creative position in Richmond, VA, where she resides today with her daughter and son. Mack Brown has been expanding her art practice since arriving in Richmond, Va in 2018. She is a VMFA Fellow, (2021-22). Her work continues to gain momentum as a cohort of Interlude Residency in Hudson, NY (2022), Monson Arts Residency, Monson ME (2023), and The Visual Arts Center of Richmond, Richmond, VA (2023-24).
Visit our SHOP to purchase artwork from this exhibition during the run of the show.