Niwot High School Clubs - Spotlight on the Black Art Collective

Niwot High School is host to over 60 student-run clubs, and one stand-out is the Black Art Collective.

In the words of club president Xuri Walton, "The B.A.C., or Black Art Collective, is a club dedicated to learning about, and acknowledging Black artists' contributions to the art world. Our main goal is to expose the Niwot and Boulder County communities to Black artists' achievements and contributions."

This is the Black Art Collective's inaugural year at Niwot High School, and hopefully the start of a club that will impact the community for years to come. Throughout the year, B.A.C. hopes to learn about various movements led by Black artists such as the Harlem Renaissance, as well as individual Black artists such as Romare Bearden.

B.A.C. members create art based on the artists and movements they explore and discuss together. Art created by the group includes collages, paintings and recently, the members created pieces that resemble graffiti as well as paper African masks.

Alongside these activities, the B.A.C. plans to invite local Black artists to share their experiences and artistic journeys with the group.

Although Walton, B.A.C.'s president, is just a sophomore, she both founded and established the club independently. Club members include Xuri Walton, Aiden Smith, Antonina Zharkova, Aminé Tenz, Nat Yockunavut, Arabella Snyder, Aanijah Henry, Samantha Chavez, Fransisco Ibarra Padilla, Dawson Graham, Jade West, Kanye Posey, Izaiah Leon, Aaron Perez, and Liam Brennan.

Walton said, "I founded the Black Art Collective at Niwot, because I was passionate about art and Black artists, and I felt that the students here, as well as the community as a whole, need to have some kind of exposure to it. It is crucial for Black Art to have a space so that it is not overlooked and disregarded, and the B.A.C. strives to accomplish that to the fullest extent."