As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of Millennium Arts Salon, we honor a vibrant community that champions creativity, diversity, and dialogue. Collecting Community: Millennium Arts Salon at 25 reflects the organization’s journey through contemporary art, showcasing the innovative spirit that defines its mission.

Over the past 25 years, Millennium Arts Salon has been a vital platform for both emerging and established artists, fostering belonging and exploration while raising the visibility of local Washington, D.C. talent. This anniversary exhibition features curated works that embody collaboration, cultural exchange, and varied voices.

Each piece tells a unique story of personal expression and artistic evolution. From Aziza Gibson-Hunter’s colorful abstract sculptures exploring time and memory to Rashad Muhammad’s bold collages reflecting self-discovery, the works invite engagement and connection.

Jarvis DuBois

Jarvis, currently at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History since 2002 as a Museum Specialist, has over 22 years of art experience. He is working on his M.A. in Art History at the City College of New York, NYC.

Jarvis has curated several exhibitions including: Black Abstraction at the Harmony Hall gallery (2011); (in)Visible and (dis)Embodied: Repositioning the Marginalized within the Curatorial Initiative program at the District of Columbia Arts Center (2014) and co-curated Looking Back/Looking Forward: 15 Years of Millennium Arts Salon with Sharon Burton and Janelle Blackmon Pryor at the Brentwood Arts Exchange (2015). Most recently he co-curated with Lauren P. Davidson, The Ties That Bind and Zero Dollar Bill: The Prints of Imar Lyman at the IA&A at the Hillyer (2022) and UNTANGLED: Combing through the Roots of Black Hair (2023), presented by Johnny Wright and co-curated with Gia Harewood.

Lauren P. Davidson

Dr. Lauren Davidson is an independent art curator and the founder of Museum Nectar Art Consultancy, which focuses on contemporary African American art while supporting emerging and mid-career artists. Her curatorial work fosters conversations about the Black experience through contemporary art. Notable exhibitions she has curated include Chosen Family at Brentwood Arts Exchange (2024) and The Ties That Bind and Zero Dollar Bill: The Prints of Imar Lyman at IA&A at Hillyer (2022), alongside co-curator Jarvis DuBois. Her recent exhibition, Solace and Sisterhood, featuring the works of Evita Tezeno, Amber Robles-Gordon, and Lavett Ballard, is set to travel to The David C. Driskell Center at the University of Maryland in 2025.

Lauren is a multi-hyphenate academic, holding a B.S. from Cornell University and a Master’s Degree in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University. She actively engages with local DC arts organizations and serves as a docent at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.

In my work as both an artist and archivist, I consider the roles of memory and perception by asking what stories get to be told, who gets to tell those stories, and what ultimately gets preserved. Using digital and material fragments, I investigate the collapse of virtual and physical spaces, as well as the growing overlap between memories, lived environments, and digital interfaces.

Joana Stillwell is an artist born in the Philippines, raised around the Pacific, and currently based in Washington, DC. She graduated with a BA in Art History and a BFA in Photomedia from the University of Washington, earned an MFA in Kinetic Imaging from Virginia Commonwealth University, and received her MLIS from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Her work has been featured in the Washington Post and Hyperallergic. Her exhibitions and installations have been featured at the University of Mary Washington (Fredericksburg, VA), VisArts (Rockville, MD), DLECTRICITY (Detroit, MI), Tiger Strikes Asteroid (Greenville, SC), and 1708 Gallery (Richmond, VA), and SOIL (Seattle, WA). She was awarded residencies at Mildred’s Lane (Beach Lake, PA), Vermont Studio Center (Johnson, VT), Sirius Arts Centre (Cobh, Ireland), The Studios at MASS MoCA, (North Adams, MA), and VisArts (Rockville, MD).

For centuries, systemic racism has sustained a continuous stream of negative portrayals of African Americans in American media. Over time, stereotypical representations of Black individuals have proliferated unchecked, particularly on social media. In response, I have developed a new series of works titled Unapologetic, which serves as a bold counter-narrative that challenges the dominant tropes present in today’s media.

Inspired by the principles of the Afrofuturism movement, my goal is to "reinterpret and reclaim the past by envisioning a more empowering future for African Americans." I draw from both inspirational historical events and personal experiences, illuminating the lives of everyday people across different time periods. By infusing each piece with the artistic canons of my ancestors, I aim to convey dignified and iconic representations of Black life. Each work stands as a testament to resilience, celebrating the richness of African American culture and identity.

Marcel Taylor is a DC-based visual artist known for using his work to engage in critical commentary on social issues. Drawing from everyday narratives, the Unapologetic series features bold paintings that capture cultural and historical snapshots of African American life, celebrating resilience and identity. Through this work, Marcel not only challenges societal perceptions but also fosters a deeper understanding of the richness and complexity of the African American experience.

Marcel received his BFA from Howard University in 1992 and his MFA from Lesley University in 2017. Since earning his master's degree, he has been recognized with numerous grant awards from the DC Commission of the Arts and Humanities. In addition to his own artistic practice, Marcel has actively contributed to the arts community by serving on several grant panels, where he has helped financially support and mentor fellow artists. His commitment to fostering creativity and supporting emerging talent reflects his passion for the arts and his desire to make a meaningful impact in the community.