By Ashley M. Casey
Associate Editor
As the school year wound down and Black Lives Matter protests across the nation and the world gained momentum, Ella Smith found herself called to contribute to the movement through her artwork.
“I just think it’s something that’s really important to talk about right now,” said Smith. “Art is a really good way to express things that need to be said.”
Smith, 17, who recently graduated from Baker High School, painted a colorful, sorrowful piece she calls “We Can’t Breathe.” Now she is selling prints of “We Can’t Breathe” to benefit Black Table Arts, a Minneapolis-based organization that promotes community and leadership among Black artists, authors and other creatives.
“I’ve been to a couple of protests and my grandma goes to a lot of protests for Black Lives Matter and gay rights. We’re just very passionate about it,” said Smith, who is headed to SUNY Oswego this fall to major in studio art.
Smith also attended last month’s Baldwinsville BLM protest organized by Jadyn Godin. She said some people misunderstand the BLM movement.
“When I went to the BLM protest in Baldwinsville there’s a lot of people that support it and there’s a lot of people that choose not to see it the way that it actually is … saying ‘all lives matter’ when that’s not the issue,” she said. “It’s important to empower those who are trying to stand up and not let the morale of everyone who’s fighting to get down. If you have privilege, use it. If you have a voice, use it.”
Smith spent 80 hours creating “We Can’t Breathe” with gouache, a type of opaque watercolor paint. As she painted, she listened to podcasts about the BLM movement and did research.
“I was just thinking about how much needs to be done and how we need to work toward a society that’s better for everyone and not just the privileged,” she said. “It’s a heavy thing to think about.”
“We Can’t Breathe” features nine African American faces and a pair of eyes rendered in vibrant colors framed by phrases such as “No justice, no peace,” “Stand together” and “You can be the change.” Smith said she drew inspiration from Kehinde Wiley, a Brooklyn-based artist who was commissioned to paint a portrait of President Barack Obama for the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s “America’s Presidents” exhibition.
“He uses a lot of bright colors and patterns from the heritage of the people he paints,” Smith said.
Wiley’s Obama portrait features the former president seated in front of a wall of foliage and flowers: chrysanthemums, the official flower of Chicago; jasmine, which recalls Obama’s youth in Hawaii; and African blue lilies, which honor his father’s home country of Kenya.
Smith plans to donate all proceeds from the sale of “We Can’t Breathe” prints to Black Table Arts. The organization is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the same city where George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died May 25 after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Black Table Arts hosts open mic nights, poetry readings, leadership workshops and other events to support Black creatives. Black Table Arts also holds the annual Because Black Life Conference, which examines issues affecting the Black community in Minnesota; the 2020 conference has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“As an artist myself, I wanted to help support my community and help give back,” Smith said.
This summer, Smith has paused work on new creations so she can work at Camp Talooli in Pennellville and prepare for college. She is taking an art history course online. Because of the pandemic, a third of Smith’s fall classes at Oswego will be online.
Smith said her experience creating “We Can’t Breathe” has inspired her to consider more serious themes for her future artwork.
“I’m definitely going to try to be more outspoken with my ideas and do harder topics when creating my art. I find it really enjoyable to use my art as an outlet to speak up for those who don’t have a voice,” she said.
To purchase a print of “We Can’t Breathe,” visit Ella Smith’s shop at etsy.com/shop/IdellaArt/. Prints are $35 and measure 13 by 21.5 inches. See more of Smith’s work @idella.art on Instagram.
To learn more about Black Table Arts and its mission, visit linktr.ee/blacktablearts/.
