Artie & The Black Card

• Proposed Length: 55-70mins
  – 15 minute artist talkback available
• Number of cast members: 2
• Premiere: Summer/Fall 2023

What We Need

We are looking for partners beyond Akron interested in one or more of the following activities:
● Host a creative or technical residencies for Artie & The Black Card and/or inCOPnegro with an audience
● Present performance(s) of Artie & The Black Card and/or inCOPnegro (including education/outreach programming)

In his journey to create Artie & The Black Card and inCOPnegro, Dominic Moore-Dunson is looking to foster community by setting a new standard of compensation for Black artists in Akron.  Through equitable pay practices, artists will be supported for 24 months allowing them to focus on their own independent projects/businesses outside of The Collective.

With the creation of The Collective, Dominic, a Co-Founder of the Akron Black Artist Guild, will be advancing his own work and uplifting Akron’s Black artists by engaging them to create and premiere Artie & The Black Card and inCOPnegro.

“As I spoke with other artists it became apparent there was a massive gap in our knowledge of our value.  Artists were working for anywhere from $60/hr. To $10.50/hr.  I realized we have to re-imagine gig work for artists by prioritizing long term multi-project support, equitable pay, and investment into the Black creative economy.”

“Working with the local Chamber of Commerce, I was directed to the MIT Livable Wage scale.  The two-year $1.2-$1.8 million budget for The Collective reflects 20+ Black artists being paid for two years at a livable wage for the City of Akron.”