Visual Collaborative

In 2006, Visual Collaborative was founded by designer and technologist Ade Abayomi Olufeko, to bridge the gap between creative professionals and their commercial value.[1][4] Since originating in Minneapolis, Visual Collaborative has showcased collections and talks in Minneapolis, Miami, New York City, The Mission San Francisco California, Columbia Maryland, and Washington D.C.[5]

In 2007, the group's inaugural event featured international artists Miko Simmons and Linda Zacks, took place at the original Center for Independent Artists, inside Instituto de Cultura y Educacion located in a community of South Minneapolis. In 2011, in Washington D.C., Visual Collaborative produced an exhibition featuring emerging and established artists with a collection described as vibrant new art.[5]  In 2015, the platform collaborated with the Arts District Hyattsville Master Association in Hyattsville, utilizing the Lustine Center to host a group exhibition themed Vanity.[6]

Up until 2015, the platform's exhibitions occurred as disruptive innovation in a traveling formatted pattern.[7] They have been held in reputable galleries, lofts or donated spaces  by private owners who include art enthusiasts and lifelong patrons of the arts.[6] They are executed through joint ventures with other arts and humanities organisations[4]  which have in the past included Arts District Hyattsville Master Association in Prince George’s County and Voices for Children Miami.[8] In April 2019, Visual Collaborative launched an open access online collective called Polaris, also documented as North Star by the Library of Congress, ISSN 2642-9780.[9]

Ethiopian American Actress, Singer-Songwriter Selam Worku, performing live at ENCORE exhibition in Columbia, 2013

Visual Collaborative is a platform that represents artists and works of diverse backgrounds. Its past emerging and notable features include: Aniekan Udofia, Tiphanie Brooke, Dawn Okoro, Danielle Eckhardt, Eugene Ankomah and music recording artist TolumiDE.[10]

In 2008, Visual Collaborative adopted an outreach model, partnering with Voices for Children Miami-Dade, a Children Foundation that raises funds for abused and neglected children in Miami-Dade County—The organisation gave their proceeds to charity to help build the bridge between the community and the arts.[11][12]

Events held in U.S Cities before publishing expansion:

• 2007, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Center for Independent Artists
• 2008, Design District, Miami, Florida, Undercurrent Arts Miami Gallery[12]

• 2011, Queens Gambit, Forest Hills and Fresh Meadows, Queens, NY Crepe N Tearia
• 2011, Black, White + Monochrome & Color, San Francisco, California, Wonderland SF Gallery
• 2011, Visual Grandeur, Adams Morgan, Washington, D.C.[5]
• 2012, 14th Street, Washington, D.C.
• 2013 VII, ENCORE[13] Columbia, Maryland, Store Pop-up
• 2014, Cambridge, Boston, Massachusetts, Harvard University.
• 2015, Vanity, Gateway Arts District, Hyattsville, Maryland, The LUSTINE Center[1]

In April 2019, Visual Collaborative launched an open access online collective called Polaris, also documented as North Star by the Library of Congress, ISSN 2642-9780.[14] The project commenced in the winter of 2019 for a period of three months. The interdisciplinary collective featured 26 practitioners from various disciplines from the United States, Europe and African metropolitan cites such as Lagos and Cairo. Articles from the catalog received coverage from various news media for highlighting the intersections of people, commerce and innovation.[15][16][17] The Polaris catalogue explores creative disciplines, perspectives and intrinsic value of the featured practitioners and how they interact with society.[18][19]

Bahia Shehab, Egyptian artist and faculty at The American University in Cairo, featured in inaugural issue.

Polaris features both established or emerging people in the creative industry, intersecting with anthropology and humanities. Its subtopics may include health and wellness, architecture, fashion, entertainment news and non-partisan political themes. In addition to covering professionals from regions around the globe, the content aims to boost literacy in various socioeconomic circles.[20]

In June 2019 bringing in the summer equinox, the second volume of the Polaris series featuring 25 people was released under the title Voyager. Exploring life journeys of the invited participants in long form interview format, topics and subjects related to influence, economic disparities, pragmatism, self awareness and youth leadership among others were covered.[21] Grammy nominated music artist and performer Seun Kuti, the youngest son of legendary afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti appeared as one of the main features.[20] Other features included Pan-African activist Aya Chebbi, the first ever African Union Youth Envoy, Marcie Rendon an Award-winning playwright, poet and writer of native American Ojibwe ancestry and Minneapolis Civil Rights Commissioner, Anika Robbins.

In the Voyager collective, some of the interviews are presented in both the french and english language, accommodating featured influencers from french speaking regions.[22] In the same month, during pre-coverage of Voyager's release, forthcoming issues were announced.[23]

"It’s refreshing to see younger people interested in creating, contextualizing, re-defining, preserving, and chronicling art, culture, and history." said Kaia Black, of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, who appeared in volume II of the collective.[24]

Selected features from over 100 guests from the Polaris catalogue Volumes 1-5. Credits from The Punch, This Day, Vanguard, The Guardian and Business Day news.[19][16][27]

• Creative Economy
• Creative class
• Cultural industry

• Official website