Malina Simone Jeffers

Last updated
Malina Simone Jeffers
Born1982
Indianapolis, IN
Other namesMali
EducationBall State University
Organization GANGGANG
Known forCo-founder of GANGGANG and BUTTER fine art fair
Website https://www.malinasimone.com/about

Malina "Mali" Simone Jeffers (born 1982) co-organized the Black Lives Matter street mural (Indianapolis) and is a co-founder of Ganggang (stylized GANGGANG) and Butter (stylized BUTTER) fine art fair. [1]

Contents

Early life

Malina Simone Jeffers is a native of Indianapolis, Indiana [2] and graduated from Ball State University in 2004 where she studied advertising and photography. [3] [4] She is a graduate of the Stanley K. Lacy Leadership Series.[ citation needed ] Jeffers' spouse and business partner is Alan Bacon, they met in 2014 in Nashville, Tennessee. [3]

Career

After graduating, Jeffers returned to Indianapolis to focus on making the city more culturally attractive and began by organizing a series of local performance art events. She started her career at Emmis Communications in radio sales.[ citation needed ] Jeffers worked at the Arts Council of Indianapolis; while there she coordinated public art exhibitions in downtown Indianapolis and organized a project to put live poetry on Indianapolis buses. [5] [6] She went on to serve as the director of marketing at the Madame C.J. Walker Legacy Center, where she developed branding and programs about historic Indiana Avenue and the city of Indianapolis. [2] In 2013, Jeffers founded Mosaic City, an organization addressing diversity, equity and inclusion. [7] She led corporate responsibility, marketing, and community engagement efforts for Waterside, the largest urban re-development project in downtown Indianapolis' history. [8] Jeffers has previously worked as an independent contractor on Plan 2020, the city of Indianapolis' bicentennial plan.[ citation needed ]

GANGGANG and BUTTER fine art fair

Ganggang is a nonprofit cultural development firm for creatives and people of culture based in Indianapolis. [9] They promote racial justice by investing in Black artists and creatives. [10] It was formed officially in November 2020 by Jeffers and her partner, Alan Bacon. [11] Previously, from June to August 2020, Bacon and Jeffers coordinated the eighteen artists who painted the Black Lives Matter street mural on Indiana Avenue in Indianapolis during the George Floyd protests. This group of artists became known as "The Eighteen Art Collective". [10] [12] [9] In 2021, Ganggang organized art fairs and performances by more than 500 hundred spoken word artists, musicians, and dancers for a three-week event called Swish for the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. [10] Swish was organized in partnership with the Indianapolis Cultural Trail and the Arts Council of Indianapolis. [13] [12] [14]

The firm planned a curated exhibition featuring The Eighteen Art Collective at Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields in Indianapolis. However, after controversies involving the museum's president and CEO at the time, Charles L. Venable, Ganggang pulled out. After the resignation of Venable, and efforts by the museum to better their relationship with the local community, Ganggang put together an expanded version of the original exhibition, called "We. The Culture." [15] [12]

In 2021, Ganggang created the Butter fine art fair, a multi-day art fair and exhibition that takes place at The Stutz building over Labor Day weekend in downtown Indianapolis. [1] [16] [17] The artists participating are not charged an exhibition fee, or a commission on sales. The 2021 Butter fine art fair resulted in the sale of 42 art pieces and more after the fair. [18] [1]

Honors and membership

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indianapolis Museum of Art</span> Art museum in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.

The Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) is an encyclopedic art museum located at Newfields, a 152-acre (62 ha) campus that also houses Lilly House, The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres, the Gardens at Newfields, the Beer Garden, and more. It is located at the corner of North Michigan Road and West 38th Street, about three miles north of downtown Indianapolis, northwest of Crown Hill Cemetery. There are exhibitions, classes, tours, and events, many of which change seasonally. The entire campus and organization was previously referred to as the Indianapolis Museum of Art, but in 2017 the campus and organization were renamed "Newfields" as part of a branding campaign. The "Indianapolis Museum of Art" now specifically refers to the main art museum building that acts as the cornerstone of the campus, as well as the legal name of the organization doing business as Newfields.

<i>Spaces with Iron</i> Artwork by Will Horwitt

Spaces with Iron is a public sculpture by American artist Will Horwitt. It was installed in January 2009 on the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus, near downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The sculpture is located at the corner of Blackford and Vermont Streets, on the southeast lawn of the Science Building, and is on long-term loan from the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

Charles Lane Venable is an American art curator and museum director. Early in his career, he published multiple articles and books on American art history, including on the history of silverware and furniture. Starting in 1986, Venable was a curator at the Dallas Museum of Art, before moving to the Cleveland Museum of Art in 2002, and the Speed Art Museum in 2007, where he served as the director. In 2012, Venable became the director of the Indianapolis Museum of Art, which was renamed to "Newfields" under a rebranding effort he initiated. Venable served as the head of the museum until 2021, when he stepped down from the role amidst calls for his removal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres</span> Public art park in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.

The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres, also referred to as the 100 Acres or Fairbanks Park, is a public interactive art park located on the Newfields campus in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Urist Green</span> Art curator and web series host (born 1979)

Sarah Urist Green is an American art museum curator, author, and creator and host of PBS Digital Studios program The Art Assignment and Ours Poetica. Green spent seven years curating exhibitions at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and has freelanced as a curator for other institutions. She is married to author John Green, who serves as an executive producer for The Art Assignment and Ours Poetica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Lives Matter street mural (Indianapolis)</span> Mural in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.

The Black Lives Matter street muralin Indianapolis is a large, colorful mural reading "#BLACKLIVESMATTER", with a raised fist, that 18 artists painted across a downtown roadway in August 2020, as part of the George Floyd protests. The mural is located on Indiana Avenue, the historic hub of the city's Black culture, on the same corner as the Madam C. J. Walker Building.

Samuel Levi Jones is an American artist, he is known for his paintings and assemblage art. Many of his works are abstract, and centered on African-American history, and identity; often using historically sourced materials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colette Pierce Burnette</span> American university and museum president

Colette Pierce Burnette is an American educational administrator. Educated as an industrial engineer, Burnette later became interested in supporting students at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). After serving in several administrative positions at U.S. universities, she became the first female president of Huston–Tillotson University in 2015. In August 2022, Burnette was announced as the next president and CEO of Newfields in Indianapolis, Indiana. Only 15 months later, she left the position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ganggang</span> Indianapolis cultural development firm

Ganggang, stylized GANGGANG, is an Indianapolis, Indiana-based American cultural development and social justice organization. Founded by spouses and business partners Alan Bacon and Malina "Mali" Simone Jeffers in late 2020, Ganggang works to showcase and financially support Black visual artists and their work. Their efforts have included organizing artist collectives, fine art fairs, a curated exhibition at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, and live performances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shamira Wilson</span> Artist in Indianapolis, Indiana

Shamira Wilson is an interdisciplinary visual artist based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Wilson's work has been featured in exhibitions and installations at Newfields Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Indiana State Museum, and The Children's Museum of Indianapolis.

Shaunt'e Lewis is an Indianapolis, Indiana - based illustrator, designer, and visual artist. In 2022, Lewis received the Nickle Plate Arts "2022 Artist of the Year" Award. Lewis has created artwork for Indy 500, NCAA, Meijer, Jiffy Lube, and Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, among others. In 2021, her artwork was featured in a New York Times article about works created for March Madness in Indianapolis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ess McKee</span> Artist in Indianapolis, Indiana

Ess McKee is a multimedia artist whose work has been featured in We.The Culture, an exhibit at Newfields Indianapolis Museum of Art. As an artist at the Harrison Center and a member of the Eighteen Art Collective in Indianapolis, McKee's work has focused on activism and education.

Aaron S. Coleman is an American multidisciplinary artist who works in printmaking, sculpture, and installation. He recontextualizes found imagery and artifacts to create jarring juxtapositions in his exploration of the legacy of slavery, ongoing systems of white supremacy, and contemporary Black experience in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebecca Robinson (artist)</span> Artist from Indianapolis, Indiana

Rebecca Robinson, also known as PSNOB, is a mixed media artist from Indianapolis, Indiana. Her work has been exhibited at the Chicago Museum of Science and History, Newfields, the Harrison Center, the Kurt Vonnegut Museum, and featured by the Arts Council of Indianapolis. She also designed custom cleats for the Indianapolis Colts. She is a member of the Eighteen Art Collective that created the Black Lives Matter street mural in Indianapolis.

Kaila Austin is an interdisciplinary visual artist, public historian, and community activist in Indianapolis, Indiana. Austin's works has been featured in exhibitions and installations at Big Car Collaborative, BUTTER Fine Art Fair, and Herron School of Art & Design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D. Del Reverda-Jennings</span> American artist

D. Del Reverda-Jennings is an American interdisciplinary artist and curator based in Indianapolis, Indiana known for her paintings and mixed media pieces. Del Reverda-Jennings has exhibited work across the United States, including at the Cincinnati Art Museum and the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israel Solomon</span> American artist

Israel Solomon is an American painter, muralist and educator based in Indianapolis, Indiana known for his colorful geometric paintings depicting people and community. Solomon has painted murals and exhibited work across the United States, including at the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Indianapolis Art Center, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, and the Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago).

Kevin West is an American visual artist based in Indianapolis, Indiana, US. His work has been featured in We. The Culture: Works by The Eighteen Art Collective, an exhibit in the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields. As part of The Eighteen Art Collective, West's art highlights his experience and the comradery in the Black Community in hopes for people who are outside the community to see its beauty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jarrod Dortch</span> Artist in Indianapolis, Indiana

Dr. Jarrod Nicholas "Snuggly Bear" Dortch is an American visual artist based in Indianapolis, IN. He also is a professor at a community college and a business owner. His work has been featured in We.The Culture, an exhibit at Newfields Indianapolis Museum of Art. Dortch also does a plethora of community work with his agricultural endeavor, Solful Gardens, an Indiana State Department of Agriculture-recognized Indiana Grown produce provider. As a member of the Eighteen Art Collective, he has created art with the intent to leave a legacy, connect and heal.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Bongiovanni, Domenica. "New multisensory art fair Butter hopes to make Indianapolis a Black arts destination". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  2. 1 2 Obermiller, Tim (2021-03-03). "As 'Indy's Cheerleader,' Malina Jeffers Strives to Make Her City a Cultural Beacon". Ball State University Blog. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  3. 1 2 Muhammad, Sumayyah (2021-03-10). "Ball State alumna launches development firm GANGGANG to invest in artistic 'people of culture'". Indianapolis Recorder. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  4. ↑ "About". SNARKY. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  5. ↑ Star report. "5 questions with: Malina Simone Jeffers". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  6. 1 2 3 Sikich, Chris. "100 Black Men organization honors 10 emerging Indianapolis area leaders". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  7. ↑ report, Star. "5 questions with: Malina Simone Jeffers". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  8. ↑ "Malina Simone Jeffers, Author at PATTERN". PATTERN. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  9. 1 2 Winfrey, Katiera (2020-11-25). "Nonprofit GangGang looks to develop Indianapolis art culture, creatives". Indianapolis News | Indiana Weather | Indiana Traffic | WISH-TV |. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  10. 1 2 3 Lindquist, David. "Cultural Startup Focused On Black Artists Wants To Push Barriers 'Until There Are None'". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  11. ↑ Olsen, Dawn (2021-02-06). "Meet The Entrepreneurs Working To Diversify Indy's Arts Scene". Indianapolis Monthly. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  12. 1 2 3 Bahr, Sarah (November 29, 2022). "2 Years After Racism Outcry, Indianapolis Embraces Black Artists". New York Times . Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  13. ↑ Bahr, Sarah (March 18, 2021). "March Madness Brings Vibrant Art and Energy to Indianapolis". The New York Times. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  14. ↑ Christian, Kurt (2021-03-26). "How Swish festival pays Indy artists—rain or shine". Indianapolis Business Journal. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  15. ↑ "The 18 Art Collective comes to Newfields". WRTV Indianapolis. 2022-09-21. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  16. ↑ "'Butter' art fair is back this weekend, and it'll be three times as big as last year's". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  17. ↑ Burris, Alexandria. "The Stutz to be redeveloped with retail, dining and more in historic auto factory". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  18. ↑ "Art sales during second Butter fair at Stutz top $250,000 – Indianapolis Business Journal". 2022-09-06. Archived from the original on 2022-09-06. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  19. ↑ Harry, Lou (2016-02-02). "2016 Forty Under 40: Malina Simone Jeffers". Indianapolis Business Journal. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.