There’s a new kid in town, as of October 2024 — a new art group, that is — the Northshore Black Artists Group. Their stated mission is “to create platforms for (Black) artists to showcase their work, encouraging creative expression and innovation. NBAG will serve as a community hub, bringing people together for shared experiences and fostering a sense of belonging.”
The organization is the brainchild of two mid-career Evanston artists, Fran Joy and Angela Williams. The two women met in a conversation about the Evanston Arts Council where Joy served from 2012-2018 and then as a “citizen-at-large” on the Public Art Subcommittee. Williams served on the Arts Council from 2019 to 2025. (The term is 3 years, with a maximum 6 of years)
Williams is Director of Design and Creative Services at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry as well as a practicing artist. Joy is a freelance curator, practicing artist and life coach. She is also a trustee of the Evanston Art Center and member of their Exhibitions Committee, where she curates the Lobby Gallery and occasional other exhibits.
With her oil paintings, Joy speaks of the strength of the human spirit, usually celebrating women and people of color. Williams paints in graphic form, often with a combination of watercolor and collage, and using African cultural references, symbols and patterns. For her, the artwork explores a lost connection to her ancestry.
As exhibiting artists, both women were well aware of the limited opportunities for Black artists and “Black subject matter” or images particular to Black culture.
Joy says, “A lot of art by Black artists shows Black imagery. Very little of that is shown anywhere and, if it is, it may be shown in a negative light or without context. Further, when applying for shows or exhibits, Black artists are often turned down without explanation, whether the art reflects Black imagery or not.”
In 2023, as an independent curator, Joy was invited to mount an exhibit of Black artists at the Chicago headquarters of BP (British Petroleum), the multinational energy company at 30 S. Wacker Drive in Chicago. Joy went to her Black artist friends and, in January 2024, brought together and mounted the work of 26 artists there called Harmony in Hue, A Celebration of Black Artistry.
BP has a corporate initiative called the Black Collective, which “fosters an environment that encourages inclusion” — or DEI, as the saying goes. So, to honor Black History Month, BP presented this exhibit. It was not an NBAG exhibit, because the group didn’t exist then. The show came about, instead, as a request to Joy via a suggestion from a BP employee whose sister is an exhibiting artist.
The exhibit opened Feb. 1, 2024, and was extended until April. It was not open to the public, but exclusively for the corporation’s vast international network, both actually (in real life ) and virtually (online). The opening reception and curator’s talk were held in BP’s offices. An unusually thorough online catalog was posted and three purchase prizes were awarded, adding artworks to BP’s large and varied collection.
Watch video featuring Joy and some of the artists here.
The group’s next, but still unofficial, show was at the Evanston Art Center in October 2024. There, the second floor gallery was filled with work by 20 Black invited artists, again of Joy’s acquaintance. Jewell Hillery of WGN-TV toured the exhibit on Oct. 27 with her camera team and interviewed both women. Williams, again an exhibitor, was amazed that the artists didn’t seem to know each other and suggested to Joy that they create a group for that purpose.
The Northshore Black Artists Group, as it has now been named, will provide community for Black artists. Exhibit venues will be searched out and made available and events and get-togethers will be sponsored. Members will be encouraged to share their expertise and interests, as “the organization is supported by the spirit of volunteerism.
“There are many exhibition opportunities within Evanston, Chicago and Illinois; and the digital age has made it easier to connect to opportunities,” Williams said. For example, she uses the CaFÉ website and recommends it to all artists looking to submit their work, both for exhibition and to search calls for proposals.
Membership in NBAG is free and open to all artists that self-identify as Black or African-American. It includes visual, performing, literary and media arts. The group is not yet a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit, but may move in that direction. Artists can register at Northshore Black Artist Group — Registry
