June 2023 Cohort
The third cohort included Akea Brionne, a Creole visual artist based in Detroit, MI whose work sits at the intersection of photography, textiles, and moving image and explores aspects of the Black experience in America; Chenoa Baker, a curator based in Boston, MA driven by values of equity and collectivism largely as it pertains to Black diasporic artistic practices; and Chad Bilyeu, a writer based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and originally from Cleveland who writes and self-publishes comics in collaboration with illustrators that tell stories of his life, including the acclaimed CHAD IN AMSTERDAM. Principal funding for the project has been provided by The Fleischner Family Charitable Foundation.
Artist – Akea Brionneโ
Detroit, MI
Pittsburgh Guide: Njaimeh Njie
akeabrionne.com
Curator – Chenoa Baker
Boston, MA
Pittsburgh Guide: Sean Beauford
Writer – Chad Bilyeu
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Pittsburgh Guide: Tom Scioli
chadinamsterdam.nl
Gallery
Media
Small Press Expo: The 2025 Ignatz Award Nominees
Published by Small Press Expo
June 18, 2024
Featuring Chad Bilyeu
June 2023 Cohort
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Michigan Chronicle: Knight Foundation Awards $250K to Artists Blending Art, Tech and Imagination
Published by the Michigan Chronicle
June 13, 2025
Featuring Akea Brionne
June 2023 Cohort
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SF Weekly: ‘Black Gold’ balances curation, creative insurgency in vital moment
Published by San Francisco Weekly
June 16, 2025
Featuring Akea Brionne
June 2023 Cohort
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Brooklyn Rail: Experimentum: Pรกl Nagy and his disciples by Chenoa Baker
Published by Brooklyn Rail
June 2025
Featuring Chenoa Baker
June 2023 Cohort
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Michigan Public’s Stateside Podcast: Akea Brionne on weaving together past and present
Published by San Francisco Weekly
May 30, 2025
Featuring Akea Brionne
June 2023 Cohort
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WBUR: Curator Chenoa Baker uplifts artists of color while sharing her own story
Published by WBUR
October 6, 2024
Featuring Chenoa Baker
June 2023 Cohort
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Galerie: Akea Brionneโs Dazzling Artworks Blend Traditional Tapestry with Photography
Published by Galerie
June 18, 2024
Featuring Akea Brionne
June 2023 Cohort
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Chad Bilyeu Awarded Tim Killiam Prize
Published by The Tim Killiam Prize
Feb 6, 2024
Featuring Chad Bilyeu
June 2023 Cohort
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WQED: A Microcosm of the World | Pittsburghโs Pedantic Arts Residency
Filmed by WQED
Jan 24, 2024
Featuring Akea Breonne, Chenoa Baker, and Chad Bilyeu
June 2023 Cohort
Watch Video
Forbes Magazine: Akea Brionne selected for “Forbes 30 Under 30”
Published by Forbes Magazine
November 28, 2023
Featuring Akea Breonne
June 2023 Cohort
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