The Painted Word: The ABC’s of R76 & Harrisburg Artists of Color

The artist Reina (R76) is a one-woman “Art Ambassador” and, someday, just may be given a key to the city. To be in full recognition of her art aplomb, she has already unlocked doors for many artists in our metropolitan area.

As a mentor of meaning and purpose, she has taken on that role with a full appreciation of the struggles she faced as a Venezuelan/African American artist trying to make a go of it. With a larger-than-life persona bursting at the seams, she is a force of nature, and it’s impossible not to be drawn into her orb of influence.

Brave. Bold. Bombastic. Bellringer. Reina’s list of “B’s” could go on and on. Suffice it to say that she is all the above. Most of all, bellringer. If you go into an art arena, galleries anywhere, you want her in your corner.

And as for the “C’s” … “consciously champions change and causes.” When all is said and done, Reina will have left her mark here and around the world, even to Moldova, where her “Keystone” art was featured in U.S. Ambassador Kent D. Logsdon’s residence. Those who have been touched by her art, advocacy, boldness, bravery and change can consider themselves fortunate indeed.

Under her mantle of mentorship, Reina has partnered with Civic Club President Contrena Baltimore, and, together, they have hosted numerous events in the Overlook Mansion that have showcased groundbreaking works from artists of color. From the art festival on Memorial Day to Kipona on Labor Day, the Civic Club has incorporated opportunities highlighting an ever-changing group of creatives. Reina ardently shared, “I invite artists of different ethnic backgrounds to showcase the art they love to create. Every piece tells a story of that person’s lineage and experiences.”

Harrisburg Artists of Color

There’s a revolution underway in the city of Harrisburg with an ever-growing group of artists of color coming to the forefront of the local scene. The groundwork for this was laid over two years ago when Nyeusi opened its doors, bringing an art gallery to the city dedicated to Black art and art of the Caribbean. Michelle Green pioneered the gallery in its first year with creative endeavors such as student art shows, chess classes for youth and guest artists stopping by for solo shows. Now, Michelle is taking a new direction in a one-woman Hollywood-via-Harrisburg film career as screenwriter, producer, director and editor. Abstract expressionist painter Steve Barber managed the gallery for its last year in operation, incorporating 3rd in The Burg events featuring jazz impresarios, adding another layer of culture to the mix. Steve progressed to opening his own studio and, today, you can find him happily entrenched at Millworks studio 213.

Timing is everything. Just about the hour Nyeusi was to shutter its doors, Julia Mallory opened her TenOh!Six Studio and Gallery to showcase her multi-pronged artistic arsenal of talent. Artist, author and acrobat, Julia balances motherhood and much more with the ease of an aerialist on the flying trapeze. Pen a series of “Black Mermaids” books, no problem…illustrate a cover for TheBurg, that’s a snap…open a studio and gallery, done in the blink of the eye. For 2025, Julia is releasing a stellar series of paintings inspired by the novel, “The Song of Solomon.” Today, there is representation in brick-and-mortar form for artists of color in Harrisburg’s Midtown district, thanks to her commitment and vision. TenOh!Six will continue to carry the torch, unifying artists of color throughout the city.

If there is a “King” in this kingdom of art by the sea (Susquehanna River), it would be Bryan “King Prolifik” Hickman. A muralist and painter, he sets the stage for live performances that include fire in his astounding creations. The magician artist shared, “Beyond the dramatic, the fire actually dries the paint, providing a visual factor to my art.” In a class by itself, the monumental mural of the “Tuskegee Airmen,” found at 6th and Maclay streets, has become the landmark calling card of the outstanding Coda Rouge restaurant. Even kings need to regroup and reevaluate life periodically to gain a clearer perspective. By the artist’s own admission, last year had its share of challenges. He recently revealed, “A period of healing informs my new ‘Indulge’ collection, serving as a self-reminder of preserved stability through a period of hardship. It takes patience, forgiveness and mindfulness to begin making sense of chaos and understanding your place within it.”

Photographers today are “the moment-in-time historians” and have been since the mid-19th century. In a split second, an image becomes embedded in our collective conscience, placing it forever in our memory banks. A trio of aperture artists come into focus throughout the city. If Harrisburg has the equivalent of a high-in-demand paparazzi, it must be photojournalist Leon Laing, a photographer of headline-makers and scene-stealers. Often, his personal photographic preference is for hip-hop hegemony. In 2023, a linear timeline of hip-hop turning 50 made for a powerful presentation in the atrium of WITF. As a board member of Sprocket Mural Works, he is a mover and shaker himself. However, there is much more going on with Leon beyond the lens.

“Artist Reina R76 and I had a conversation about minorities in the local art community,” he said. “Local organizations should continue to promote diversity. Carrie Wissler-Thomas, president of the Art Association of Harrisburg, gave me an opportunity to hold a hip-hop photography exhibit earlier this year. I’m thankful for Carrie because some other organizations were not receptive to my idea. Networking with other Black artists can also help stimulate the community.”

Travel photographer Jemar Sweets calls Millworks, studio 318, home when he is not out on the road doing what he loves to do best. Specializing in cityscapes and architecture, this young artist finds his business name, Lensworthy Imagery, capturing his camera’s focus acutely with arresting visuals filling the frame time and again. Vivid memories of his journeys are available at the studio, divided into two distinct collections—one titled “Print” and the other “Home Decor.”

For pure resonance, there may be no one more skilled than Larry Washington, Jr.—from landscapes to landmarks captured with his Lenzz (half of his Larry Lenzz signature byline). The earnest Mr. Washington is akin to a “storm chaser,” with his timely photographs of events as they unfold and vistas of instantly recognizable locales. His commercial work for businesses is equally stellar and greatly sought after.

The artist Donny Lyons lives by a quote from Celerie Kemble, “There’s a reason we don’t see the world in black and white.” As an acrylic painter, “of abstract portraits and cityscapes, I place a retro spin on the medium.” Donny borrows some old school antics and achieves a new world vision, capturing the monuments memorialized in Midtown, both people and place. What helps to set his brush in motion is the use of raw minerals in the painting process, which creates a dramatic depth of texture to his work.

Mohsen “Mike” Matter is an award-winning Egyptian American fine artist. His reputation as a portraitist is known domestically and internationally. His collection can be viewed at Face to Face Art Gallery with a tag attached, “Art That Heals the Soul.” Matter’s impressionistic style shines through in his murals, adorning restaurants in Virginia and Pennsylvania. Locally, his art has been featured at the Civic Club of Harrisburg and serves as a natural extension of his passion for teaching. The teaching component speaks to Mohsen’s roots and his credentials, as Ph.D. follows his name. He is an Egyptologist and travel consultant as well as an artist of great repute. Being well rounded is at the heart of the “Matter.”

As a polymath of art, Dionn Renee’s perspective as a creative is on a global scale as a traveler who has experienced firsthand the works of the great masters across Europe. An exceptional painter, she has portrayed clients and subjects as varied as President Obama, Chaka Khan, Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou and Her Majesty Queen Diambi. Photography and graphic design round out her talents. Dionn revealed, “My skills are constantly developing, my vision is ever evolving, and above all else, I maintain to be different.”

Marion N. Toro may well be known for her voice than for the other artistic gifts she possesses. A Harrisburg personality who operates behind the scenes, Marion achieves great success as the “go-to” for character portrayals and animation and videos, as well as being featured in podcasts. Her recent casting as the voice of Brielle Brooks in the new Marvel movie as the daughter of the legendary day walker, Blade, brings a level of great success to her resumé. Narrations and e-learning opportunities flood her way just as sure as the Susquehanna flows. Being a voice actress comes with notoriety as an element of mystery allows for surprises along the way, such as Marion’s secret culinary skills in the kitchen.

If paintings flew, then the pop art of Iquan Summers would be floating skyward as his lighthearted approach to life, with all its ups and downs, lifts our cares away. Mr. Summers makes a plausible case for contentment in just being ourselves. Iquan shared, “Being an artist gives me the freedom to express myself fully without feeling the need to be perfect.”

Influencer artist Darius Davis lives on the cutting edge of fashion as his highly charged art is old school Hollywood glamour. Working with pencil and charcoal as an urban abstract painter, he was inspired as a youth by Jean-Michel Basquiat’s dynamic works. He is a hometown provocateur dabbling in videography, pop artistry and painting with potency personified across mediums. Davis has honed his skills to reveal contemporary expression, both dynamic and vibrant.

Kourtney Angelina Thompson and master Leonardo da Vinci share an artistic genre. Both are exceptional “doodlers” of the first order. She may well be a holdover from the hippie generation—a flower child of the 1970s somehow finding herself in 2025. A regular Tik-Tok contributor and Instagram illustrator, Miss Thompson’s art is represented in a trippy, fanciful and fun manner. Pen and ink form her artistic basis with psychedelic colors all adding up to eye-popping adventures that her characters take under her skillful hands.

The preceding 15 artists are creating and writing the next chapter in Black history for Harrisburg as their contributions to the art community will continue to resonate. Eclectic, edifying and energized, they form a group that sets the bar high for the next generation to follow. A societal shift in awareness has empowered them to expand the borders of artistry. Mentorship never ends but is a continuum in making the world more beautiful, one work of art at a time. Mentorship is always a two-way street with proteges and their teachers learning from each other. The true beauty in life is that every culture, ethnicity and belief is part of a microcosm of global reach. It is when diversity expands our collective consciousness that mankind realizes we are one people, and that is art at its finest.

A sincere debt of gratitude to Reina (R76) for her invaluable assistance in coordinating all the artists’ art, bios and input. This article never would have been possible otherwise.

Making Contact

For more information and to reach out to the artists mentioned in this story:

• Reina 76 Artist – Reina76Artist.com
• Jemar Sweets – lensworthyimagery.com
• Larry Washington Jr. – Facebook
• Moshen Matter – facetofacegallery.com
• Leon Laing – vigoronline.com
• Kourtney T. of Rooted HBG – rootedhbg.com
• Iquan Summers – @iquansummersofficial
• Marion Toro – mariontoro.com
• Julia Mallory of TEN Oh Six – tenohsixstudio.com
• Donny Lyons – @haveoneonme87
• Steve Barber – barberartstudio.com
• Michelle Green – @flimzbymichelleg
• Dionn Reneé- DionneRenee.com
• Darius Davis – @Dariusdavisart
• Bryan “King Prolifik” Hickman – prolifikasf.bigcartel.com

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