The Center for Visual Arts in Greensboro is now displaying SOULiloques: Stories of the Underground art exhibit. The exhibit highlights the many underground legends and provides an opportunity for local artists to display and make their mark in the community.
The exhibit includes work from visual artists, poets, music artists and many more. N.C. artist Terrence Walker, also known as T. Walker is the creator and curator of the new exhibit. His idea was to not only display art but to tell the story behind the work of art and the artist.
“I want people to think of the art of storytelling,” Walker said. “If our young people know what people like them have done, that is inspiring to them.”
Walker holds many titles as the founder of Heavy Energy University and the co-founder of S.O.U.L. Society NC and Black Parent Box. As an artist, he wanted to create creative outlets that would give back to the community, as well as promote his own artistry.
Walker and his brother started S.O.U.L. Society in the summer of 2015 to mentor and empower the up and coming generations. Their goal has been to take kids from all backgrounds and help them to discover what they think they want to do with their lives—which would be based on their individual interests and developing a plan to achieve their short term and long term goals. With S.O.U.L. Society, they hoped to make the kids aware of the importance of “giving back to the world as the world gives to them.”
“It’s not just about us getting our name out there,” Walker said. “It’s all about growth and helping others grow.”
Walker has used his platform to inspire and give others the opportunity to display their gifts and talents. The SOULiloques exhibit is all about discovery and telling the story of underground legends. To him, success is not defined by how much money you make or have, it is how you use it to give back to others.
“My granddaddy was a community leader and organizer,” Walker said. “He helped the Belgrade community get their first community center off the ground. But you wouldn’t know that. He didn’t do it for the title, he did it because he wanted to.”
The idea behind SOULiloques was to highlight the people that came before him and to inspire the people and the legends of our time. Walker’s initial idea for SOULiloques was to create a hip hop album he had envisioned, but he began to think of how he could expand on that idea and bring light to the idea of SOUL and underground heroes. With that, he created the SOULiloquies art exhibit.
The exhibit consists of vibrant artwork, poetry, music, short films and documentaries that were submitted by people who believed those artists were ‘underground heroes’. Known and unknown, these people have made a tremendous impact on the lives of many. Beside each artwork is a QR code that links the viewer to the message behind each creative work of art.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, only 20 people will be allowed in the gallery at a time. The exhibit located at the Center for Visual Arts in Greensboro will run through April 5.
Walker insists that all guests bring earbuds so they can listen and interact with the pieces and get the full experience. He also suggests that visitors listen to his album, 4 The Record before coming to get a deeper understanding of the story behind SOULiloquies.
To learn more about the exhibit and to stay up to date with artist T. Walker, please visit www.heavyenergyuniversity.com and follow him on Instagram at @twalkernc.
