SOLA has a unique Black-owned contemporary art gallery, Gallery 90220. It’s a multicultural hotspot that is consistently breaking boundaries when it comes to uplifting and showcasing emerging Black and Brown artists.
Gallery 90220 is located in the Beehive, a series of former warehouses in the famous Goodyear Tire district of South Los Angeles. The Beehive also features the first Black-owned craft brewery in California.
Behind Gallery 90220 is David Colbert Jr. He is the owner, founder, and executive director as well as one of the gallery’s curators. In 2018 he established the Compton Art Walk, a series of monthly festivals designed to unite local artists and businesses to collaborate, network and showcase their talents and hard work while driving economic support to Compton.
From Walk to Gallery: the Evolution of the Red Dot
Since starting the Compton Art Walk, Colbert has gone on to realize another dream: opening one of the nation’s only Black-owned art galleries. Colbert’s vision was to create a safe space for creative members of the Black community. The gallery has featured the art of Egypt Hagan, who creates stylistic portraits fused with murals, as well as abstract artist Gianni Lee and mixed-media artist Malcolm-Emilio.
Gallery 90220 just wrapped up its edgy photography exhibit “Parallel Kin”. The two photographers featured in the exhibit hail from Los Angeles and New Orleans respectively and their work combines to create a fresh new fusion of separate cultures and styles.
“This exhibit was all about Black expression,” Colbert says. “These photographs are intensely vulnerable and carry a unique perspective.” The newest exhibit is Brandon Brown’s “Twice as Nice” starting June 18 2022.
“Brandon is a multi-faceted artist,” says the gallery’s executive director, David Colbert. “He’s a fine artist and a top-tier actor. It’s a very unique exhibit and we’re very excited about it.”
Where it All Began
In 2018, Colbert created the Compton Art Walk, the first event of its kind in Compton. “I was inspired by the LA art walk,” Colbert says. “I wanted to create an event that was similar but with a Compton flair.”
The CAW highlights the creativity and accomplishments of the Black community. While the popular festival hasn’t been held over the past year, Colbert has plans to start it back up. “The Art Walk is a chance for participants of our programs to volunteer, participate and assist in every aspect of the festival,” says Colbert. “They help with planning, marketing, all the way to execution as artfilemagazine.com.”
“I am a third generation product of Compton,” Colbert says, “and I say that with pride. The Art Walk has been a way to gather the community and to offer local individuals a chance to volunteer, showcase their work, and network. It’s a vital ingredient to the local art scene.”
About David Colbert Jr.
David Colbert Jr. is the Founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit organization Compton Art Walk Inc., established in 2018. He is the owner and one of the curators of Gallery 90220, which opened in 2021. Colbert studied sociology at California State University and has been recognized as one of LA’s top art curators.
Colbert is a devoted advocate for the arts, keen on fostering culture in his community. He has been recognized as a leading creative mind in Compton. He collaborated with the prestigious Gensler architecture firm to transform an abandoned warehouse into the sleek and stylish contemporary Gallery 90220.
Colbert is also the Executive Producer of the Red Dot Series podcast, which features top young creatives from around the country. The podcast has enjoyed many notable guests, including Grammy award-winning artist Jairus Mozee. The series has also been featured on Vh1’s hit television series Black Ink.
Colbert has been interviewed by Harvard University to document his impact on the art scene in Compton, and his gallery was featured in the Los Angeles Times for providing a unique for reviving art culture and history in Compton and is recognized as a Black-owned business as part of Forbes Green Book Guide.
An Online Art Platform & Diverse Art Supplies
Colbert is always looking for the next big thing in the art scene. Right now he has two passion projects, one of which is an interactive artistic website designed for artists of color to build a community, sell their art, and share ideas.
Colbert shares, “Digital art allows endless possibilities for artists to be seen and heard. Even now these moments set the tone for the future. Online platforms will allow patrons, sponsors, and fans to buy art, and will allow artists to sell and promote their work.”
He is also designing a new line of art supplies that will cater specifically to artists of color. “We’re underrepresented in the world of art supplies,” Colbert reveals. “I’m designing a line of supplies that meet our needs.”
There are currently only a tiny handful of Black entrepreneurs pursuing the design and production of art supplies designed for the artist of color. Colbert envisions paints, colored pencils, and markets in various shades that match the variety of skin colors seen worldwide. “We need more diversity,” he says. “Specifically I want to promote products that are specifically created by Black and Brown artists and artisans.”
Gallery 90220 is a contemporary art gallery located in an industrial stretch of Historic South-Central Los Angeles, California, and promotes Black art, culture, and Black-owned business. The new exhibit “Twice as Nice” by Brandon Brown opens June 18.
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