Artists
LaNiah Ray
LaNiah Ray
Corey Ewing
Corey Ewing
Cierra Johnson
Cierra Johnson
Andre “Cheqwon”Parnell
Andre “Cheqwon”Parnell


LANIAH RAY
LaNiah “Lenni” Ray, participating artist and installation curator of this project, is an Indianapolis-based multidisciplinary artist. Her work manifests as an embracing of the human experience and interconnectivity. Originally a freelance portrait photographer since 2018, LaNiah has gone to explore more forms of art to share her perspective. She is influenced by artists Lorna Simpson and Minnie Riperton, afrofuturism, lineage, and nature. In 2022, her installation “Les Fleurs”, consisting of larger-than-life paper mache mushrooms, flower, seed, and tree structures, was featured in Melanin In May Festival. She has also been selected for numerous group exhibitions at local galleries and businesses such as Blind Tiger, Murphy Arts Center, 1000 Words Gallery, and Garfield Park Arts Center. Along with exhibitioning, her photography work has been commissioned for the Indy Arts Council Sidewalk Galleries in spring of 2024. Collaboration and community is an important aspect to LaNiah’s art practice. She has used her skills of modeling, set design, event curating, and more while creating alongside artists in her circle. By having an unrestricted creative practice, she is able to explore said themes holistically. Her desire is to create art that reflects the beauty she sees in her culture and nature.
ANDRE “CHEQWON” PARNEL
Andre is dedicated to enriching communities through art, seamlessly blending public, fine, and commercial art forms to foster meaningful connections. His mission transcends mere beautification, aiming to inspire sharing, healing, and mutual learning. By infusing CREATIVITY with PURPOSE, he seeks to transform environments into dynamic spaces of collaboration and growth, using art as a powerful tool for profound change and human connection.
Primary Mediums: Acrylic/Oil Paint
Cierra Johnson
Cierra Johnson is an artist, advocate and culture worker. She mixes illustration, painting and collage with graphic design and photography to construct narratives that amplify the experiences of marginalized people. She is best known for her work in storytelling and cultural preservation with the Martindale Brightwood community in her hometown, Indianapolis, Indiana.
Primary Mediums: Mixed Media
COREY EWING
Corey Ewing is a native of Indianapolis, IN, who pursued a love of poetry across the country on a whim. He would return home to support various poetic projects, including Word As Bond, Fighting Words Poetry, Cafe Creative, and currently curates VOCAB. His poetry and photography had led him to work with National Geographic Photo Camp, BUTTER Art Fair, Indy Arts Council, CICF, and the Herbert Simon Family Foundation. He is a former Artist At Work with KHEPRW Institute and continues to teach, coach, and create as a multi-disciplinary artist.
Primary Mediums: Photography, Poetry
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