BLACKSTAR

BlackStar creates the spaces and resources needed to uplift the work of Black, Brown and Indigenous artists working outside of the confines of genre. We prioritize visionary work that is experimental in its aesthetics, content, and form and builds on the work of elders and ancestors to imagine a new world. We elevate artists who are overlooked, invisibilized or misunderstood and celebrate the wide spectrum of aesthetics, storytelling and experiences that they bring. We bring that work to new audiences as well as place it in dialog with other past and contemporary work. For WHATNOW:2026, in partnership with ArtPhilly, BlackStar will curate two programs, screened at partner venues across the city, that represent the 15-year history of the festival and also examine the 250-year history of the American project.

o