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Black Art Speaks asks council for $400,000 and urges changes to RFPs to ensure local Black artists benefit
Summary
Black Art Speaks asked the committee for a multi‑year $400,000 investment and urged the city to change RFP and procurement practices so Black artists and neighborhood leaders have decision-making roles; council members broadly praised the group and pressed for clearer RFP transparency.
Black Art Speaks asked the Cincinnati City Council committee for a multi‑year $400,000 investment and urged changes to city procurement and selection processes so local Black artists and leaders capture more paid work when Black stories and public projects are funded.
Elandes Powell, presenting for Black Art Speaks, described the organization as a Cincinnati‑based nonprofit creative ecosystem of roughly 150 artists and entrepreneurs that has grown from volunteer efforts to near‑$1,000,000 annual operations. Powell said Black Art Speaks trains artists, leads neighborhood revitalization projects and builds systems to ensure artists are paid and included in decision-making.
Powell detailed what he called “unintended consequences” in recent contracting: a non‑Black organization was awarded a major contract to build an MLK project in Avondale and, as a result of that visibility, went on to secure additional contracts across the Midwest — a dynamic Powell said sidelines local Black artists. “We should be the decision makers of so much that’s close to our culture, and we should get paid for it, not other people,” Powell told the committee.
The ask and rationale: Powell said Black Art Speaks’ five‑year plan targets $12,500,000 in deployed resources and that the organization finished the last year at about $987,000 in operations; the committee heard a specific request for a multi‑year $400,000 investment to scale staffing, competitive project mapping and to enable local artists to lead projects rather than only contributing labor.
Council response and process concerns: Council members praised the group’s work — several singled out the Black Lives Matter mural outside City Hall as an enduring civic work — and expressed support for policy changes Powell recommended, including clearer RFP notices, a local‑preference field on city RFPs and co‑design committees that include local artists in project selection. Council members also acknowledged frustrations that some RFPs feel like “done deals” and pledged to follow up with staff about improving transparency and outreach.
Other notes: Black Art Speaks said it is working on partnerships with schools and corporations, is pursuing international exhibits (an invitation to Nairobi was mentioned) and highlighted ongoing installation work (letters and sculptures) across neighborhoods. Committee members asked for follow‑up on how to operationalize local preference, co‑design and improved RFP notice to ensure broader access.
The committee took no formal funding vote at the meeting; presenters were thanked and the meeting proceeded to a motion directing staff to compile a workforce program inventory.
