Upcoming Exhibition November 5, 2023 4-8 PM

Nailah Porter is a Los Angeles-based vocalist, composer, poet, and photographer. The North Carolina native has performed, recorded, and toured worldwide with various artists from jazz to rock, to hip hop. Lyrics from Nailah's debut release ConJazzNess (EmArcy Records/UMG), were published in Voices from Leimert Park Redux: Los Angeles Poetry Anthology (Tsehai Publishers/Harriet Tubman Press). Her work is featured in 1619 Speaks Anthology (World Stage Press), The Los Angeles Press Volume 7/The Sacred, and New Note Poetry Winter 2022 issue. 

Social justice is at the center of her practice as an artist/cultural worker, educator, attorney and former Capitol Hill lobbyist who lobbied Congress on the Brady Bill, Assault Weapons Ban, Hate Crimes Bill, and other public safety-related measures. Nailah recently completed her first book of poetry and photography, CarolinaBlueBlack TobaccoStainedWisdom and is currently working on her new record and multi-media project, The Ritual of Mapping.

 S. Pearl Sharp has focused her work on cultural arts, health, Black Diaspora history and artistic collaboration as a poet, actor, essayist and documentary filmmaker. In 2020 We Rise merged her poems with others’ art and photography into story sculptures mounted around Los Angeles.  Her commentaries and essays broadcast on NPR are collected in The Evening News. Her most recent offerings are Thank-You Notes, the ensemble performance of her song poems, and the poetry video Blood Bank.  

Chukes, a professional artist for more than 40 years, works in clay, oil, bronze and mixed media. He has had 30+ solo exhibitions and 60 group shows in galleries and museums throughout the United States and abroad. His work is included in many private collections. He has done several commissions, including works for Archbishop Desmond Tutu.  Chukes has been featured in numerous publications including O, The Oprah Magazine, Ebony,

Essence, Valentine New York, and Ciel Paper in London. He has appeared in films and video

documentaries showcasing his art. Dedicated to education in art and in African American

history, he has given numerous art talks and lectures, and facilitated workshops. Chukes’ formal education includes a BFA in Sculpture and Ceramics from California College of Arts and Crafts and an MFA in Sculpture from Claremont Graduate University.

Chukes has just authored a new book titled, Identity Theft: Creations from a Social Conscience

scheduled to be released late March 2023. He is now living and creating in Southern California.

 Estella Holeman A.K.A Stella the Poet, is a healer in every sense of the word. She defines herself as a spiritual practitioner, body worker, and poet, but those words do little

justice to what her words, voice, energy, and presence mean to those she

touches. Estella Holeman once worked in  politics, where she committed herself to

struggling for liberation through systems. Over the last two decades, she has centered healing as her chosen path and necessary inclusion in

revolutionary praxis.  Sister Estella is a frequent contributor to Black Lives Matter Grassroots’

Healing Justice programming, and serves as a powerful force in the movement’s healing work. 

As Stella the Poet, her work can be found in “Truth Shots & Ida’s Brew,” where she offers words that are odes and offerings to mamas before, sisters who walk alongside, and daughters emerging. Her poetry envelopes and

awakens...especially when spoken from her own lips.  As a spiritual educator, the youth in  her classes are treated with respect and deference, nurtured into their purpose...and healed, always healed.

V. Kali is a poet/vegan chef and author of HYMN, (World Stage Press 2016), who lectures in universities and has performed at the Getty Museum, Grand Performances, L. A. Times Book Festival, Pasadena Literary Festival. She created the nine-wombin ensemble The Ovary Office (2017), and has facilitated The Anansi Writers Workshop at The World Stage since 2011.

Jessica Gallion aka YELLAWOMAN is an author and poet from Natchitoches, Louisiana, raised in Los Angeles, CA. She is the author of Can’t No Woman, Woman Like Me, published by World Stage Press in Leimert Park. She is also the founder and facilitator for Creatin’ After Hours (a guided writing night cap) at The World Stage. She has performed and voiced-over commercials for Coca-Cola. She has appeared in Compton College, The Broad, Cafe Con Libros, FLYPOET, The Pasadena Lit Festival, un::fade::able, The Table Lit Readings, La Palabra, and many other venues around Los Angeles. Jessica recently opened for Rupi Kaur, Ed Mabrey and is the 2016 champion of the Spoken Word Voices Heard Poetry Slam. Jessica is a graduate of the Community Literature Initiative and WATTS WRITERS WORKSHOP. Her work takes you on a journey through self discovery, affirmations, colorism, trials and over-comings all smothered in her Creole culture and Louisiana roots.