The BIPOC Artists and Art Spaces from Elsewhere Fair You Need to Know About
Whenever I have the chance to experience art, I also make it my mission to uncover BIPOC artists and art spaces that deserve attention. Attending the Elsewhere art fair was no exception to this commitment. Arriving at the space, I was excited to see how this fair would hold up compared to the few others I have attended in the past. Hosted at Yowie – a Black owned cafe and hotel in the center of South Street and created by Megan Galardi owner of Blah Blah gallery, I was looking forward to discovering new voices in the art space that weren't the typical few I often see doing my rounds at art galleries and museums. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of new names and faces that were on the walls of what I believed was a one-of-a-kind art fair experience.
What I loved most about the Elsewhere Fair was that it made the artwork feel functional and went against the typical art fair setting of presenting art on a white wall. By having each gallery space represented by the different rooms in the Yowie hotel, it created an opportunity to relate and connect with the art in a different way. It invites art to be not just accessible but a lifestyle that anyone could attain. Most importantly, it actually made you want to buy the work. That is why it was so important to highlight the BIPOC voices of the fair, so anyone who comes across this review can learn, follow and hopefully buy art from these BIPOC artists and art spaces.
Below are my top picks of BIPOC art spaces and artists you should follow and support:
5U SPACE - Philadelphia, PA
One space that I was excited to learn about was 5U Space, a nomadic art gallery based in Philadelphia, PA. I was able to chat a bit with the owner Leo Brooks who is also a Philadelphia-based visual artist, creative director, and art director. Even though he doesn’t have a physical space, he still has been able to be a part of some amazing art fairs including NADA New York in 2026 and has showcased many artists such as Mika Obayashi, Daniel Diasgranados and recently Nicholas C. Stathopoulos during the Elsewhere Fair. What I loved learning about the 5U Space was his ability to travel and showcase work in experimental and temporary spaces letting it be known that you don’t have to have physical space in order to be a part of the art ecosystem.
DARLA NYC - New York City, NY
Another art gallery I discovered during my time at the Elsewhere fair was Darla NYC. Based in New York City, this is another nomadic gallery space founded by Darla Migan, an art critic and curator. On view representing Darla NYC was their latest exhibition “Found Her, Found Her” which features six Black artists of diverse styles and points of view. What was so valuable about the presence of Darla NYC and what she was showcasing was the assortment of artwork that was shown, from collage art to textile and even video art. It was also very fascinating how Darla herself knew every inch of the work and the back story for each piece showcased. From Qualeasha Wood’s Slow n Steady, a jacquard woven tapestry adorned with rhinestones that transforms perceptions of Black women in media and online—featuring the artist herself through a selfie she captured—to Mary Enoch Baxtor’s Archiving Ghost, a hand-cut sewn print on pebbled leather depicting an unknown Civil War soldier. This artwork challenges America’s history and highlights the exploitation of laborers in this country who lack protection. By forgoing the conventional glass or frame typically seen in art pieces, the audience is invited to engage with the artwork in an entirely fresh manner, allowing them to appreciate every intricate detail the artists have crafted to spark meaningful conversations.
Mary Enoch Elizabeth Baxter
Archiving Ghosts (An Elementary Treatise on the Anatomy of Privates Gordon and Jackson), 2025.
All featured artist from Darla NYC:
N. MASANI LANDFAIR
JASMINE SAKKARAH
MARY ENOCH ELIZABETH BAXTER
ọmọlolú Refilwe Bàbátúndé
TANIKA I. WILLIAMS
QUALEASHA WOOD
LATITUDE Gallery - New York
Owned by Shihui Zhou, Latitude Gallery mission is to advance emerging and historically underrepresented voices across the Asian diaspora. Many of the work that was presented in this space was very whimsical and surreal in nature, but they all offered something completely different. A standout for me was the work by Ye Cheng, a Chinese American artist currently based in New York. Many of the works that were showcased by her had a dream-like essence to them with imagery of clouded colors, translucent like movement and many shapes staking on top of each other like collage. According to the Latitude Gallery website her work is shaped by,” the personal challenges to the larger state of cultural migration and recalls the loss of Chinese heritage as an expression of displacement, mobility, disjunction, and self-recognition”. This could explain the cloudy and unknowingness of her work, which is something that pulled me in. Seeing the work that was showcased during the fair made me feel very excited about visiting Latitude Gallery and seeing other works they may have in store.
Happy Excursion No.17, 2025
Acrylic on synthetic silk
18 x 16 in
Armando Veve / FJORD Gallery
Armando Veve who was represented by Fjord Gallery based in Philadelphia had art that left me speechless. His graphite drawing presented so much detail and expression all from using just one medium. His works showcased very whimsical scenery in a surreal art style that was both intriguing and exciting to view. While the art themselves was very eccentric in nature there was also simplicity with them that made me not mind the absence of color or mixture of mediums. Veve’s graphite drawings told stories that made you want to stick around to see what happens next. This collection was a delightful experience to enjoy before venturing into the galleries showcasing numerous other artworks.
Emmanuel Massillon / Harlesden High Street
Representing Harlesen High Street gallery based in London, Emmanuel Massillon work stopped me in my tracks when I first saw it. A ceramic face mask reminiscent of Edgefield Face Vessels with inspirations from West African nkisi traditions, but the face was covered in bullets. It was striking when I first saw it but it was so expressive that I had to do some research on who this artist was. Based in Washington D.C, Massillon is described as a conceptual artist with a multidisciplinary art practice, creating work in painting, performance, sound, and sculpture. What was so impressive about Massillon’s work was the experimental approach he took in creating each piece with his use of found objects, unconventional materials and drawing inspiration from Haitian heritage in using hand-carved wood. I really did enjoy his installation and look forward to seeing what else Emmanual Massillon has in store.
Emmanuel Massillon
Represented by Harlesden High Street
Patricia Renee Thomas / Blah Blah Gallery
When entering into the Yowie space, the first work you see is of Patricia Renee Thomas.Along the café walls, you'll find oil paintings that showcase an idiosyncratic aesthetic. These artworks feature imagery of bombs and bullets, along with a depiction of a young Black woman who appears to be dissatisfied. A lot of Thomas’s work features figure portrait paintings or drawings – diving into the subject of Black girlhood while giving way for reflection and rest. Patricia Renee Thomas' work is highly stylized and very expressive with lots of color and moments that I really appreciated. Her work served as a remarkable example that defied conventional art-making methods, giving rise to a distinctive form of Pop Surrealism that vividly contrasted with the stark white walls.
Patricia Renee' Thomas
Waiting Game, 2026
Be sure to follow Yowie and Blah Blah Gallery for future events and to learn when the Elsewhere Fair will return.
