This post was sponsored by Genre: Urban Arts. All opinions are my own.
Genre Urban Arts is a magazine that is filled with poetry, graphic art, fine art and yes some cuss words. You see it is a magazine made for creatives by creatives. If you are into all kinds of artistic expression then it is the magazine for you.
Published for the first time in 2017, its creator Nakeysha Roberts Washington of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, believes that creativity is divinity and she does more than explore that with this publication.
One aspect of Genre: Urban Arts Magazine that really stood out to me is how packed it is with good ORIGINAL content. It has 39 active contributors and 9 editors to make sure that it hits the mark with every volume. Each page is covered with deep and rich art. New contributors are added all the time and it is considered as the main home to many of its creatives.
I caught up with Nakeysha and got to ask her a few questions about her publication.
How does Genre: Urban Arts help or enhance its contributors?
Genre: Urban Arts grew itself into something that I didn’t anticipate. It is a community for creatives. I wanted to have outstanding content. I wanted to highlight artists. However, I found that Genre’s contributors became a community in which we all find support from one another. We share work; we offer critique & help one another develop pieces. In addition to the community that has developed, we offer exposure & the opportunity to be published. The Genre team works daily to build this brand, each view, each follow, every interaction is another person who may fall in love with an artist’s creations.
Another integral piece of Genre is the online & print publications. So many artists are sharing their work on social media and that is a way to engage lovers of art and writing, but how does that reflect on your resume? How does that relate to the professional space of creating in the field? I am not disregarding it altogether, by no means. I am still working to get a huge following, but artists still want to exhibit & be published. Genre is a place where creatives can be published both online and in print with other dope artists.
What has the response been to the first issue? Is it sold in any stores or online only?
The magazine is sold online and in Woodland Pattern Bookstore now. Our Volume Two will be sold at our current location and two other bookstores. One being Indy Reads . I am working on getting more bookstores on board currently.
What can we expect from Volume Two? What are some of the key highlights?
The Volume Two Issue examines double standards in society. We all exist in various spaces. Sometimes those spaces collide. Also, we place acceptance on some demographic of people to do things, but if another demographic does it, society is appalled. These double stands lie around race, gender, social class & in other areas that are not so transparent. These duplicitous standards also vary from one culture to another.
What’s next for Genre: Urban Arts? What is your dream for the magazine?
Currently, I am working on revamping our presence online. I am happy with where we are at this moment, but Genre has a life of its own and it’s destiny is to be great. I must not only be happy with where we are, but be able to critically examine what our next moves are. To do this I consult my editing team. They are the most brilliant bunch of people. The funniest things is we are all over the world and many of us haven’t met yet, but they are the people I consult. They love Genre: Urban Arts as much as I do are are integral in where we have made it to from inception and to this point as well as where we move forward. So social media presence will be more structured and pointed with the help of the team.
My dream for Genre: Urban Arts is to be a household name like Buzzfeed or bigger than Buzzfeed. I admire the work that is done there. I want Genre: Urban Arts to be in the mouths of the people favorably & I want to become very profitable, so that I can focus on Genre 100% & pull my editors from their jobs without hurting their status of living.
Genre: Urban Arts is my heart out in the world, and it is existing in the each stage of growth magnificently.
This ain’t your mama’s art magazine
At Genre: Urban Arts we get to see art that is not mainstream but with a more of an urban independent feel. We get to read poetry that when imagined is spoken. We get to see art that should be shared everywhere. Here graffiti is not a taboo or deemed as vandalism but a beautiful extension of the feelings of the artists who put it there.
We get to experience art not just look at it. Artists like Genre Editor Stef Morgante showcases many of her contemporary art pieces such as the one you see on the cover of Genre: Urban Arts Volume 2
If you are a creative who likes to check out what other artists are doing OR if you are new to art scene and want to learn about different genres this magazine is for you. I appreciate Nakeysha and her people for reaching out to TheSistahCafe.com for this feature and look forward to spreading the word about this amazing movement.
Genre: Urban Arts Volume 2 was just released in September and is available for ordering.
For more information on Genre: Urban Arts check out GenreUrbanArts.com
You can also connect with Genre: Urban Arts on Facebook
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