Comcast celebrates Black Fine Art Month (October) with the premiere of Who’s Behind Black Art, a four-part docuseries that explores the lives of five emerging artists navigating the industry and their journey to create a unique exhibition.
This award-winning series is available now on Comcast’s Black Experience on Xfinity channel and the Xumo Play free streaming app. Launched in 2021, Black Experience on Xfinity features the ultimate in Black storytelling from Comcast’s diverse programming partners and film studios and has released a number of original documentaries, in a span of just three years, showcasing emerging Black talent and content creators.
Who’s Behind Black Art spotlights five young emerging artists – Adrian Armstrong, Jewel Ham, Laurena Finéus, Mario Joyce, and Tae Ham – as they navigate the art world and the complexities and challenges artists of color sometimes face. The artists are also part of the “Good Black Art” community, founded by Philip Collins, which is the only platform of its kind fully dedicated to supporting emerging Black artists.
The documentary series unfolds in four parts. The first two parts give viewers the opportunity to get acquainted with and appreciate the individuals behind the remarkable works of art. Part three features a roundtable conversation with some of the most knowledgeable, diverse, and dynamic experts and celebrities representing every part of the art ecosystem including Founder of Cierra Britton Gallery, Cierra Britton, Memphis Grizzlies Owner, Former NBA Star and Art Collector, Elliot Perry, Art Collector and Philanthropist, Dr. V. Joy Simmons, Co-founder of ArtNoir, Larry Ossei-Mensah, Kickstarter CEO and former CMO of Artsy, Everette Taylor, among others. These 14 special guests and contributors are incredible examples of what support for emerging artists looks like in today’s art market. Lastly, part four takes viewers along for the exhibition’s opening for all five artists’ work at the World Trade Center in New York City.
“We are committed to creating spaces where representation truly matters, and featuring Who’s Behind Black Art exclusively on the Black Experience on Xfinity channel is just one of many ways we bring that vision to life,” said Loren Hudson, SVP and Chief Diversity Officer, Connectivity and Platforms, Comcast.
“Often the conversation about art focuses on world-renowned artists,” says writer/director John Campbell. “Who’s Behind Black Art gives you early insight into the struggles, challenges and triumphs of five very different young artists with big hopes and dreams for their future. We are grateful to work on the release of this project with Comcast on their Black Experience on Xfinity channel, a partnership that afforded us the opportunity to give these talented artists a platform to share their art and importantly, their stories.”
Who’s Behind Black Art is written and directed by John Campbell. Campbell also served as executive producer, alongside Phillip Collins, Chandler Wild, Thomas E. Moore III, Jeb Bent, Susan Chapman-Hughes, Valerie Meraz, Chris Landers, and Peter Gaudry, with Scott Dela Cruz as co-producer.
For more information about the film, please visit https://whosbehindblackart.com/
Black Experience on Xfinity is a first-of-its-kind destination of Black entertainment, movies, TV shows, news and more. Available at home on Xfinity X1 and Flex, and on-the-go with the Xfinity Stream app, the Black Experience on Xfinity features original and high-quality content from Comcast NBCUniversal and other major studios, in addition to content from many of Xfinity’s existing network partners, at no additional cost to Xfinity customers.
Xfinity customers can access the Black Experience on channel 1622 or simply say “Black Experience” into the Voice Remote to instantly enjoy the ultimate in Black storytelling.