WOKE Arts™

Stay WOKE

Bridging the cultural divide between communities and respective classes through the arts.

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Our Story

In my travels throughout the world, I visited numerous art establishments where I was struck by how they were all able to bring together a diverse group of people of various walks of life in one setting. Upon further reflection and recognizing the escalating divisions between various communities in my home country of the U.S., I thought to myself how cool it would be to have an American arts establishment that addressed social issues that affected our communities, societies, and the world.
Not only would the establishment be a place where people could access different forms of art in one venue, but it would also serve as a medium to discuss systemic issues that divide our communities and society and take actionable steps towards eliminating those issues.

What We Are

WOKE Arts is a cultural and artistic venue encompassing an array of multi – media art forms including an art gallery and entertainment performance space for live theatrical performances. This space can best be described as a one stop shop for “all things arts” that will enhance social engagement through healthy debates in an environment meant to foster diversity through art.

Mission

  • To serve as an educational and cultural platform for the youth.
  • To create a space for contemporary art while giving the youth a fun place to hang out.
  • To create an environment where young and old are exposed to a variety of artistic and cultural perspectives.
  • To provide a hub/platform for artists in an array of multimedia artistic disciplines to encourage continued growth and development of the individual artistic voice.
  • To encourage healthy debates over community/societal issues and create actionable solutions.

WOKE Arts™ is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit membership organization dedicated to social change

Our mission is to bridge the cultural divide between communities and respective classes through the arts by highlighting social issues that affect all of us as human beings without any distinction. WOKE Arts™ will provide an alternative space with a diverse array of high-quality multimedia art programs under one roof that touch on contemporary societal issues.

Our Philosophy

The arts and social interactions are a vehicle for peace and understanding.

Why Woke Arts™?

Definition of woke, woker; wokest

Chiefly US slang: aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice) OR a reference to how people should be aware in current affairs. We chose the name of WOKE Arts™ because our organization seeks to highlight and address societal/community issues through the medium of the Arts. Our research shows that the arts and social interactions are a vehicle for peace and understanding which are growing needs for our communities.

Why Woke?

Definition of woke, woker; wokest

Chiefly US slang: aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice) OR a reference to how people should be aware in current affairs. We chose the name of WOKE Arts™ because our organization seeks to highlight and address societal/community issues through the medium of the Arts. Our research shows that the arts and social interactions are a vehicle for peace and understanding which are growing needs for our communities.

Omar Bah

 

A Message From The Founder

“If you want to see change in the world, you must be that change.”

Since childhood, I always had an idealistic view of how I could have a positive impact in the world. As I matured and experienced life with all the ups and downs, which upon reflection, has given me clarity and shaped me to seize this perfect window of opportunity to fulfill my childhood ambitions.

Giving back to the community has been a staple in my life for the past 15 years. Outside of my professional work as an actor and businessman, I had the pleasure of volunteering and working with a wonderful, diverse group of nonprofits including Arlington Street Persons Association Network (ASPAN), Volunteers of America, Residential Program Center (RPC), National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)-ACTSO Program, and the Learning Ally formerly known as The Blind and Dyslexic.

Building on these experiences and success in volunteering and serving on the board of a nonprofit organization, I thought this would be an ideal time to put forth my vision of finding solution-oriented steps towards resolving systemic societal issues affecting our communities. After all, it is human ACTION that makes life meaningful. We are living in an ever increasingly complicated world with mounting human tensions that are rooted in fear and misunderstanding. It is my belief that we are all one and there is no need to fear and misunderstand our differences whether based on belief systems, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.

Unifying communities through the arts, I believe, is a great action step towards bringing communities together in harmony.

Research shows that the arts and social interactions are a vehicle for peace and understanding which are growing needs for our communities. It is thus my desire that WOKE Arts™ will serve as a bridge for the cultural divide between communities through the arts by highlighting social issues that affect all of us as human beings without any distinction.

As the saying goes, “it takes two to tango” and we cannot accomplish this task on our own and we need the support of an array of communities of people to participate in this undertaking. Unity is our aim at WOKE Arts™. My concern is that if we don’t come together as a community of people, we will not experience harmony collectively as a unified community/society.

On behalf of WOKE Arts™ and all its volunteers, I thank you in advance for your support!

Membership services

WOKE Arts™ artistic displays and performances will be centered around specific social and cultural themes that are drawn from our member organizational mission statement mandates.

Membership services

WOKE Arts™ artistic displays and performances will be centered around specific social and cultural themes that are drawn from our member organizational mission statement mandates.

Target market segments for annual membership includes:

  • Youth/ middle to high school age students for the Washington, D.C. metro area.
  • Washington, D.C. foreign-based embassies which will allow its members to sponsor events showcasing their specific countries including gallery art, food, music, and dance from their home countries.
  • Non-governmental organizations and international institutions based in the District of Columbia which will allow its members to sponsor events highlighting relevant issues to their organizational missions.

Non-Membership services

WOKE Arts™ will be open to the public on a weekend schedule from Friday- Sunday nights. The general public will be treated to an array of multimedia art forms around social themes, including art gallery and live entertainment (dance and music) highlighting specific cultural/societal/global social themes/issues and interspersed through the various spaces will be bars, restaurants/café’s for the general public to dine and eat.

Testimonials

“Finally, a venue where the young and old can be exposed to a variety of artistic perspectives that touch on multicultural, societal and community issues that affect us all.”
“WOKE is perfectly placed at the intersection of Arts, Culture and Society.”
Event Gallery

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