Hip Hop Studies Summit

Presented by the Arts, Communication, & Design Academic and Career Community in partnership with UMOJA and Student Life, Equity & Engagement.

The 性视界 Hip Hop Studies Summit is an annual conference designed to bring together diverse scholars鈥攕tudents, faculty, researchers鈥攁nd visual and performing artists from local communities in order to promote social justice and to celebrate African American/Black and Brown literacies through hip-hop.

2026 Hip Hop Studies Summit

7th Annual Hip Hop Studies Summit
Stand Up!: Hip Hop as Activism & Cultural Resistance

Program Guide PDF (mobile devices)
Program Guide PDF (desktops)

Throughout its history, hip hop has been a vehicle for personal and community activism, and has served as a site of cultural resistance. From Public Enemy鈥檚 Fear of a Black Planet, to N.W.A.鈥檚 critique of policing, to Queen Latifah and MC Lyte鈥檚 pioneering of hip hop feminism 鈥� hip hop has served as a voice of the people and of the Culture, challenging norms and speaking Truth to power. Hip hop anthems have organized social and political movements, have served as rallying cries to bring communities together, and have been the mode by which folks stand up for themselves, for their people, and for what is most important to them. Hip hop operates as truthteller, as journalist, as teacher, as community archive, as mirror.

On a personal level, hip hop also enables artists and listeners to stand up for and rep themselves鈥攖o promote, to praise, and to protect creative voice. Hip hop serves as an affirmation, as a mantra, as a tool to squash beef, as joyful rebellion, as the great 鈥淚 am,鈥� and as liberation, especially in the face of oppression.

We invite artists to imagine the many ways hip hop lives within them鈥攁s a heartbeat of resistance, as a voice for justice, and as a force for cultural transformation. Show us how you stand up, what or who you stand up for, and the ways in which hip hop amplifies and serves as a soundtrack for it all.

Gallery

Artist Spotlights

Q. Cole

@qcole

Quinton Cole, also known as Q. Cole, is an Atlanta-based multidisciplinary artist and Morehouse College graduate whose work explores culture, memory, and imagination. Working primarily in painting and mixed media, he revisits familiar narratives through a contemporary Black lens, using symbolism and abstraction to spark reflection and conversation.

Influenced by sports, music, and community spaces, Cole draws from personal experience and shared history to create work that feels both personal and wide-reaching. His layered surfaces and intentional imperfections reflect the way memories live with us, emotional, evolving, and real.

Gallery

Q. Cole, 鈥淏iggie x New Brooklyn,鈥� 2019. Acrylic on canvas. 46 x 36 inches.
Q. Cole, 鈥淏lack Noah,鈥� 2025. Acrylic on canvas. 60 x 48 inches.
Q. Cole, 鈥淭he Woo,鈥� 2021. Acrylic on canvas. 24 x 24 inches.
Q. Cole, 鈥淧unk'd,鈥� 2021. Acrylic on canvas. 24 x 30 inches.

Mary Harris

@artmusicmaryjane

Mary Harris is an African American, Los Angeles-based multimedia artist and creative entrepreneur originally from New Jersey. Specializing in portrait painting and abstract expressionism, she blends emotional truth with vibrant storytelling to capture the essence of her surroundings and the communities she serves.

Recognized early in her career, Harris had work displayed in the New Jersey State Capitol at age 17. As a third-generation painter, her art is deeply informed by family legacy, lived experience, and the unique visual perception shaped by her dyslexia.

Beyond her personal practice, Harris curates exhibitions, mentors emerging artists, and fosters community engagement through her company, Mary Harris Originals Inc. Her work honors legacy while pushing the art world toward deeper inclusion, authenticity, and cultural resonance.

I see light as a parallel to human experience, always shifting, expanding, and transforming as we do. Painting allows me to uncover these moments held in time, creating a record of memories, relationships, and emotions that can be passed onto future generations. My love for art began with my mother, Barbara A. Harris, who taught me at three years old to express myself through color. That early encouragement shaped everything I am today as an artist.

As a third-generation painter with a dyslexic mind, I perceive patterns, rhythms, and emotional connections that others may overlook. Through portraiture, I paint those who deserve recognition, people who inspire me, move me, or whose stories ask to be told. Whether I am creating a quick sketch or a detailed work, I cherish the intimacy that unfolds between artist and subject.

I feel a spiritual connection to what I paint. In the studio, I become a conduit for truth, vulnerability, and presence. My goal is to create work that honors humanity in all its complexity, its joy, struggle, beauty, and evolution. Portraits lie at the center of my practice, yet I can bring any vision to life for those who commission my work.

Gallery

Mary Harris, 鈥淏et on Yourself,鈥� 2022. Acrylic and Spray Paint on Canvas. 20 脳 21 inches.
Mary Harris, 鈥�1500 or Nothing,鈥� 2023. Acrylic and Oil on Canvas. 48 脳 48 inches.
Mary Harris, 鈥淭he Get Up,鈥� 2025. Acrylic on Canvas. 20 脳 16 inches.
Mary Harris, 鈥淧urple Rain,鈥� 2025. Acrylic and Oil on Canvas. 24 脳 30 inches.

Isis Dua

@isisdua.gallery

Isis Dua is a Los Angeles-based artist whose works examine ancestral memory, cultural preservation, and the relationship between spiritual protection and lived experience. Her practice focuses on creating intentional figurative imagery rooted in African and American traditions, exploring how identity, heritage, and spirituality shape both personal and collective experience.

Her compositions are visually direct and symbolically rich, utilizing bold color and form with culturally specific iconography to highlight histories often displaced or overlooked. Her work is deeply informed by African and Indigenous American traditions, drawing from ancient technologies, nature-based practices, and intergenerational storytelling. Through these visual structures, she invites viewers into a dialogue about empowerment, cultural memory, and the importance of protecting sacred knowledge.

Her murals and artworks have been exhibited throughout Los Angeles and across the country, with installations in community spaces, galleries, and public environments. Isis primarily works with acrylic, mixed-media collage, and sculptural materials such as paper m芒ch茅 and plaster, creating pieces that bridge past and future while imagining pathways toward collective healing and empowerment.

Gallery

Isis Dua, "Sankofa," 2025. Acrylic on canvas. 30 x 40 inches.
Isis Dua, "Cherie Noir," 2025. Acrylic on canvas. 47 x 36 inches.
Isis Dua, "Olduvai Theory," 2025. Acrylic on canvas. 30 x 40 inches.
Isis Dua, "Four You by You," 2025. Acrylic on canvas. 30 x 24 Inches.

Jonah Elijah

@jonah.elijah
https://www.jonahelijah.com

Jonah Elijah received his BA in Studio Art from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2017 and his MFA from Claremont Graduate University in 2020. His studio practice has evolved through residencies such as the Virginia Center for Creative Arts, where he created the Virginia Series in response to the center鈥檚 historic land in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Amherst. At VCCA in France, he developed his Reflexion Series, using multiple handheld mirrors to paint individual portraits of family and friends from his daily life. Further inviting viewers into his personal narrative, Elijah continues to explore memory and identity highlighting the joy within Black culture.

Elijah鈥檚 work transcends time. Within his narratives, the past, present, and future tend to blur into identity through mediums of portraiture, language, and mass media. Elijah fuses personal memories with broader mythologies, religion, and history to probe the complexities and humanity of Black Americans.

Gallery

Jonah Elijah, 鈥淪ay It Loud,鈥� 2025. Oil on wood panel. 24 x 24 inches.
Jonah Elijah, 鈥淭he Intelligence Test 01,鈥� 2025. Oil on paper. 20 x 30 inches.
Jonah Elijah, 鈥淏lack Power,鈥� 2025. Oil on paper. 12 x 18 inches.
Jonah Elijah, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 Going On,鈥� 2025. Oil on wood panel. 24 x 24 inches.

Made By Trigger

@madebytrigger

Tramaine 鈥淢ade By Trigger鈥� Nixon is a self-taught mixed media and collage artist based in Nashville, Tennessee. A graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, Nixon began creating art in 2017 and has since developed a bold visual style rooted in music, Black culture, and contemporary iconography. Her work is constructed through layered imagery sourced from magazines, books, and digital media, then sealed in resin to create a glossy dimensional finish.

Music plays a central role in Nixon鈥檚 practice. Rather than working from a fixed subject list she allows her listening habits and emotional connection to artists to guide each body of work resulting in pieces that feel both personal and culturally reflective. Her collages often spotlight musicians and cultural figures who have shaped the soundtrack of her life.

Nixon鈥檚 work has been recognized by major brands and platforms including commissions from Hennessy and MTV, reposts from REVOLT, and acknowledgment from filmmaker Spike Lee. With multiple solo exhibitions to her name, she continues to explore visual storytelling through music-driven narratives.

Music is the foundation of my creative practice. Before I ever identified as an artist, I was someone deeply moved by song lyrics and the way music carries memory and emotion over time. That connection is what continues to guide my work today. Musicians serve as both subject and inspiration allowing me to translate sound, feeling, and cultural influence into visual form.

As a child, my bedroom walls were covered with images of my favorite artists鈥� quotes and visuals that made me feel understood. My collages are an extension of that space, an effort to recreate the environment my younger self found comfort in. Each piece is layered intentionally encouraging viewers to slow down and engage with the details, rather than consume the work at a glance.

I鈥檓 naturally introverted and often more comfortable observing than speaking, but my artwork is deliberately bold and commanding. While I may prefer the background, my work occupies space to unapologetically reflect the music, culture, and visual language that have shaped my identity.

Gallery

Made By Trigger, 鈥淜elis,鈥� 2025. Mixed Media and Resin on Wood. 40 x 30 inches.
Made By Trigger, 鈥淒oechii,鈥� 2025. Mixed Media and Resin on Wood. 40 x 30 inches.
Made By Trigger, 鈥淪mino,鈥� 2024. Mixed Media and Resin on Wood. 40 x 30 inches.
Made By Trigger, 鈥淭yler the Creator,鈥� 2022. Mixed Media and Resin on Wood. 40 x 30 inches.

Robert L. Newman III

@robnewmaniii

Robert L. Newman III is a multifaceted talent 鈥� an accomplished Wall Street professional turned artist and influential community figure. After obtaining a degree from Morehouse College in 2014, Newman spent an initial eight-year stint as a financial/business analyst on Wall Street. Newman transitioned to embrace his passion for the arts full-time in the summer of 2022. Now, as an Artist and Entrepreneur based in Harlem, New York, his expressionist portraits have gained recognition both nationally and internationally, exploring narratives concerning the Black community.

While working in the corporate world, Newman served as the inaugural Equity, Inclusion & Diversity Program Manager at Neuberger Berman. In his role he helped to raise the firm鈥檚 overall diversity and inclusion score, raise $1m+ for the NAACP鈥檚 Legal Defense Fund, and draft the firm鈥檚 current vendor diversity program. His artistic endeavors and community service are complemented by his role in advancing the Morehouse NYC Alumni Association's objectives and fostering connections among alumni and the local community.

Sketching and painting have always been my first loves, but as I grow as an artist I鈥檝e grown more interested in fashion, photography, curation, and writing. A lot of my work is still influenced by my grandmother. Her doll shop was situated in the historic Greenwood District of Tulsa Oklahoma also known as Black Wall Street. She was extremely active in the civil rights movement and continues to advocate for the black community in education, policy reform, and economic development. She was my first teacher. Since then, I鈥檝e had the opportunity to study at Morehouse College, a historically black college in Atlanta GA, and the alma mater of Martin Luther King. Because of this, my work is in constant conversation with my community. I seek to create work that represents my peers and neighbors in the way that I see them. I hope that through this process of storytelling, I will be able to facilitate healing and growth for black Americans who have lived with the generational trauma of slavery and oppression.

Gallery

Robert L. Newman III, "Letters From a Young Poet,鈥� 2023. Acrylic, ink, gold leaf and collage on canvas. 36 x 48 inches.
Robert L. Newman III, "Waiting on the Back Pew...,鈥� 2021. Acrylic and ink on canvas. 20 x 16 inches.
Robert L. Newman III, "My Favorite Hue No. 1," 2019. Acrylic, ink, gold leaf and Collage on canvas. 40 x 30 inches.

2024 Hip Hop Studies Summit

Program Guide (PDF)

2022 Hip Hop Studies Summit

Program Guide (PDF)