Artsy Spotlights Black Joy in Black History Month Campaign

Artsy has taken Black artwork on the road to spread a message of optimism this month. The online platform for buying and selling art teamed up with Outfront Media’s Moments by Outfront content and publisher platform to launch “Portrayals of Black Joy by Today’s Emerging Artists,” a Black History Month activation focused on positive portrayals of the Black community. Since Feb. 8, art from four emerging Black creators—Derrick Adams, Dominic Chambers, Sola Olulode and Kay Hickman—have been on display across transit systems in New York City; Boston; San Francisco; Atlanta; Santa Clara, California; and Washington, D.C. The works feature different aspects of joy that range from rest and relaxation to community and togetherness. “This partnership really provides valuable visibility for the featured artists by introducing their work to new audiences,” Everette Taylor, Artsy’s CMO, told Adweek. “The art world can sometimes be a little niche and a little small, and it’s great to be able to bring art into new and unconventional spaces.” 'Portrayals of Black Joy by Today's Emerging Artists' is on display across transit systems in New York City, Boston, San Francisco, Atlanta, Santa Clara and Washington, D.C. Taylor said the inspiration for the campaign was simple: negating harmful portrayals of the Black community. “Images of Black pain, trauma, suffering has often been the focus of media narratives around Black subjects, both historically and recently,” he said. “Artsy really wanted to counter this narrative by bringing positive portrayals of Black subjects to the forefront with artworks depicting Black joy.” Outfront Media, which has a history of working with Artsy in the past, says its purpose is to “help people, places and businesses grow stronger,” and that’s what chief product experience officer Jason Kuperman believes in, especially with this activation. “We really believe we have a profound responsibility to add to [public] places and to contribute to the experiences people have in them, and that includes calling attention to timely, relevant things and events that are going on in culture such as Black History Month,” he told Adweek. The power of OOH, even in a pandemic While it may seem unusual to create an out-of-home campaign during a pandemic, OOH has actually grown and will continue to grow over the next few months. A recent survey conducted by the Out of Home Advertising Association of America and the Harris Poll found that 75% of people are experiencing digital device fatigue, and many of them happen to live in big cities and have become more receptive to outdoor advertising. Advertisers are also still able to reach commuters since 45% of people have daily plans to travel to work over the next few months, while 70% will be on mass transit at least part time. Additionally, a Nielsen survey found that one in four U.S. adults have posted a photo on Instagram after seeing an outdoor ad. Artsy CMO Everette Taylor notes that the online art marketplace's partnership with Outfront Media will expose audiences to emerging Black artists. “Since people are really enjoying that time that they’re out and about, it really is a great moment for out-of-home,” Kuperman said. As people continue to view “Portrayals of Black Joy by Today’s Emerging Artists” through the rest of February, Taylor hopes it has a lasting impact among people who have a chance to see it up close. “For me, growing up a young Black boy in Richmond, Virginia, I didn’t have a lot of positive images in the media to see of myself and people that look like me,” he said. “I just imagine a young kid like myself being able to see beautiful of images that look like him or her, and I think that’s so powerful. "I just want for people to understand how powerful imagery is, and how important it is to make sure that we continue to spread positive imagery of the Black community and other communities as well.” New Artsy Collection Celebrates Black-Owned Galleries and Its Artists

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Artsy's OOH Displays Spotlight Black Joy in Black History Month Campaign

Partnership with Outfront Media showcases positive images of community and relaxation

Tiffany Moustakas

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Tiffany Moustakas