Raising Our Youth: Q&A with Tyra Mitchell

Tyra Mitchell is a visual artist born and raised in Washington, DC. Tyra has spent the previous 5 years living and working in New York City. While there, she has had the opportunity to partner with many other creatives and brands. She gained her start by interning and freelancing enough to eventually make a name for herself in the creative community in New York. Her photography work has been featured in various places, most notably Opening Ceremony, Refinery29, and W Magazine. Tyra has now relocated back to her hometown to raise her family and create work that explores her upbringing in DC and the distinct culture that hails from it. Tyra is a strong believer in creating spaces for marginalized communities. Her latest venture, Art Mom Project, is an online platform that serves as a safe space for creative mothers to share their artwork and stories.

Raising Our Youth was on view at Hillyer on June 7 – 30, 2019. 

What is something you learned about the indigenous population in DC while working on pieces for your exhibition, especially through the lens of young families?

Through this project I’ve learned that there are many natives here in Washington, DC that do care about what’s going on in our city despite the rapid changes. The families I’ve worked with on this project so far have all been affected by gentrification, but they are fighting through it and making sure their children grow up knowing the history of their hometown.

What does the polaroid that you give to families at the end of each shoot symbolize to you? 

I wanted each family to have a polaroid portrait of themselves because it is a tangible memory that can be kept as long as they have it. It always put a smile on their face at the end of each shoot, which sealed our moment together.

You were born and raised in Washington, DC, and talk about how stories of native Washingtonians are rarely told, especially those of younger generations. What has working on this exhibition shown you about the representation of the younger indigenous population? Has it impacted your own identity and views?

I chose to highlight young families because it is a narrative that I best identify with. Becoming a mother has both inspired my art and broaden my perspective onf the world around me. Being born and raised in Washington, DC, I know that the stories of native Washingtonians are seldom told, especially those of younger generations.

Gentrification has been slowly been happening in my hometown for many years, but the implications of it never captured me the way it has now that I have a family that I am raising here. Aside from the growing economic segregation, DC has always been known for it’s beautiful, rich black culture. The “chocolate city” I knew growing up is not what it is today and I made it my duty to utilize the power of my art to highlight natives and their stories. I wanted to give my peers a platform to be seen and heard in spaces that they may not have been otherwise.

You’ve worked with publications such as Refinery29 and W Magazine, as well as the fashion brand Opening Ceremony. Have these experiences impacted your artistic vision and your decision to come back to DC?

Working with these publications has aided in refining my eye as an artist. Each experience was a unique one and I’m grateful that I was able to have the opportunity to work with such respected companies. I moved back to DC to raise my family, but also to bring back what I’ve learned while in New York. The underground art scene in DC has always been great. Unfortunately, but the job market for creatives isn’t as accessible as it is in New York. I want to do all that I can to make sure the artists here have a platform to showcase their work and actually make a living off of it. This can only begin by leading by example and showing them that it is possible.

What are some of the future projects you are working on that center around the topic of families, in addition to your online platform Art Mom Project?

I am currently also working on a project centered around generations of women in families and the important role of mothers and caretakers.