Untold Stories: Illustrated Interview with Rhea Beckett of Black Artist Research Space

By Destiny Moore

Published on: December 28, 2022 6:00 AM EST

BARS is located at 426 W. Franklin St, Baltimore, MD 21201. Rhea: “The creative community was thriving when I arrived in 2014 and was heavily DIY (do it yourselves). This way of working felt affirming while navigating my thesis, which explored Black sites and their historical value and cultural significance. It's been 8 years since I’ve been in Baltimore. I’ve always felt welcomed by the Baltimore creative community.”

Rhea: “BARS began as an exploration of my thesis in 2014. I saw a need for more space dedicated to Black creativity. Not being from the city, I was still familiar with the Black art community that’s thrived in Baltimore for generations. In many ways, BARS is a direct pickup from those histories.”

Rhea: “BARS can function as a gallery space, but also allows artists to explore their creative practice by way of community discussions and programs. The work BARS facilitates requires community.”

Rhea: “In 2020, the pandemic happened, and everything was virtual. I picked up this web-based aspect of my original thesis idea that had been shelved for five years. Around the same time, I began publishing short documentaries. My goal was to document the creative people I know and whose work interests me. In general, I enjoy learning about people, especially Black folks.”

Rhea: “We've slowly shifted into a physical space where we've curated 3 projects and had a number of programs like yoga..sound yoga. We've activated this space in a number of ways that will hopefully continue to be a resource to artists. There’s so much to experience and reflect on within Baltimore’s creative community.”

Destiny Moore is an interdisciplinary artist from Miami, Florida currently based in Baltimore. She works in different media including painting, sculpture, animation, textiles and more. Destiny’s art revolves around her identity, race, culture, and the past and present. Learn more about her at https://officiallydestiny.com or find her on Instagram @_officially.destiny and Tiktok @_officiallydestiny.