The Michelle Smith Arts & Culture Series: Making Art in the District
Meet four young artists and cultural influencers who draw inspiration from their hometown and who are making a difference in their communities and beyond.
Philippa P.B. Hughes produces art-fueled projects to spark humanizing and empathy building conversations between people who might not normally meet. As a Social Sculptor, her practice is constructed around the principle that art can inspire a sense of awe and wonder about the world, which inspires curiosity, which inspires empathy. She has designed and produced hundreds of creative activations since 2007 for curious folks to engage with art and with one another in unconventional and meaningful ways. She leads CuriosityConnects.us, a partner in Looking For America a national series inviting politically diverse guests to break bread and talk to each other face-to-face using art as the awe-inspiring starting point for conversation.
Rose Jaffe is a visual artist, with mediums spanning mural painting, ceramics, printmaking and digital illustration. Born and raised in the nation’s capital, Rose loves calling Washington, D.C. home. She earned her BFA at the School of Art and Design at the University of Michigan and has pursued an art career full time for the past five years after teaching middle and high school art. She has painted over thirty murals nationally and internationally, including over twenty in her hometown, D.C. Her art has been featured in over twelve publications, including the Washington Post and City Paper as well as NBC, CNN, and Channel 9 among others. Themes of her work include political activism, social justice, natural healing and spiritual grounding. She is dedicated to the work of harnessing the power of art to find connection, build community, spark conversation and create social change.
Keyonna Jones was born and raised in Washington, D.C., graduated from St. John’s College High School, earned her Bachelor of Arts from Philip Merrill’s College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, and her Master’s in Science Management with a specialization in Public Relations from the University of Maryland Global Campus. Keyonna received two Edward Murrow Awards for her work as a news producer with News Radio WNEW, 99.1. In 2015, Keyonna founded Congress Heights Arts and Culture Center (CHACC) home of #soufsidecreative located on MLK Ave, SE, with a mission to expose, educate and inspire her East of the River community through art and culture. She also serves on the board of Community College Preparatory Academy, the first adult charter school East of the River. She’s a tattoo artist, graphic designer, published fashion stylist, photographer and avid gardener.
Jamilla Okubo is a mixed-media artist. Her work has consistent themes that explore the intricacy of belonging to an American, Kenyan, and Trinidadian identity. She aims to use her interdisciplinary concentration as a medium to address topics within her culture. Rotating between collage, painting, fashion design, and screen printing her work is heavily inspired by the art of storytelling. Her most recent accomplishments include collaborating with Christian Dior, Gorman shop, creating live art installations for Culture Corp x Hudson Yards, and the Line Hotel DC. Her work has been exhibited at The Torpedo Factory, Milk Gallery, Calabar Gallery, Weeksville Heritage Center, and the Dray Walk Gallery.