Sketch and Release is a layered project that explores the vastness and complexity of Blackness in rural Oregon. After driving more than 5,000 miles and 120 hours across five counties—over rivers, through woods, and into small towns—we set out to find who else was here and how our stories connect. What we discovered is that nothing about this experience is monolithic, but it is monumental.

Through art, conversation, and community, Sketch and Release lifts up Black artists, builds long-needed connections, and reveals that Blackness is limitless—holding space for everything. It’s an invitation to mend the histories that have held us back and to create new ones that propel us forward, painting a different picture of what Oregon can be.