By Dasia Hood

Dammit Wesley is a multidisciplinary artist with a star quality, forging spaces and experiences for Black creatives and the community. He is the co-owner of BLKMRKTCLT and co-creator of Durag Fest, a Juneteenth commemoration of Black cultural representation through headwear fashions and fabulousness, described as “the Met Gala of Durags.”

“I don’t know how to relax,” starts Wesley when explaining why, decades into his creative journey, he applied for an ASC Creative Renewal Fellowship in 2022. The fellowship provides a structured rest and creative exploration period for vocational artists. During this period, artists may travel to a conference or retreat, explore new ideas, take apprenticeships, conduct research and more.

In the last couple of years, after the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wesley sought opportunities to prioritize mental health. He took space from trying to sell work and take commissions and used that time to study and evolve his practice.

Taking extended time away from pushing artwork challenges the financial security of artists and entrepreneurs. Artists must make enough money to pay for art supplies, afford studio space, and invest in resources to sell high-quality, intriguing pieces that sustain their basic needs, mental health and new work.

Wesley breaks it down like this, “If you don’t make sales, then you don’t have money for materials, which means you can’t make anything new.”

He is using his $15,000 ASC fellowship to explore new mediums of visual storytelling in film, 3-D rendering and printmaking. The fellowship has also given Wesley “cushion” and “time to do things at [his] own leisure,” such as taking long bike rides, going for walks, and working out while producing and processing new work.

“It was freeing… so that definitely helped.”

Looking back on the last year since receiving the grant, Wesley recommends restoration and relaxation for every artist battling burnout.

“You deserve a break; you deserve help,” he said. “You’re not going to be a good artist if you’re burnt out.”

Mental and physical health is essential to create endlessly. In tandem, being creative improves mental health by increasing positive emotions, reducing depression and anxiety symptoms, and improving immune system function. Grants and fellowships for individual artists help mitigate costs, reducing stress and making room for the creative process, which is lucrative for one’s career. Wesley advises artists seeking grant opportunities to “just apply and be honest” about their needs.

Well-rested and ever-evolving, Wesley invites everyone to his upcoming solo exhibition, “The Ballad of Bella Noches,” showcasing his new work. The show opens in July at the Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art, recalling surreal experiences at Charlotte nightclubs.

In his process, he wants to recreate an element of the environment.

“There was always an element of fine art…the portion I’m more focused on is the club photographer,” he said. “They usually had these elaborate, illustrated, airbrushed backdrops that consisted of these gaudy, opulent moments.”

He’s sourcing materials, archives, photographs and videos, experimenting with digital mediums and collaborating with artists of other disciplines. Three-dimensional artists and sewists are helping him produce new pieces and return to his sculptural roots.

Follow @dammit_wesley for more details and updates on his events and exhibitions.