Black Arts Matter (BAM) Festival is an interdisciplinary arts festival dedicated to building community around Black artistry. We are looking forward to the 2023 Black Arts Matter Festival, which includes an art exhibit by illustrator Mawhyah (presented by the Wisconsin Union Directorate Art Committee), an all-star poetry slam featuring some of today's top poets, a comedy performance from Jerrod Carmichael, a headliner concert by RandB band Tank and the Bangas and more!

Schedule of the Event
 
November 8, 2023 - 5:30 pm - 8 pm
Black Arts Matter Festival: Opening Reception and Mawhyah Art Exhibition at Memorial Union

Celebrate the start of the 2023 Black Arts Matter Festival with a welcome reception and art gallery showcase featuring work from Mawhyah.

The Wisconsin Union Theater and Wisconsin Union Directorate Art Committee present an Art Exhibition and Talk with Mawhyah.

Join us for a series of celebratory events to kick off the 2023 Black Arts Matter Festival. Opening night events are free and open to the public.

5:30 PM in Shannon Sunset Lounge | Welcome Reception with DJ Femme Noir
6 PM in Class of 1925 Gallery | Mawhyah Art Exhibit Viewing, presented by the Wisconsin Union Directorate Art Committee
Please note the Artist Talk with Mawhyah, will no longer be taking place at 7:30 PM.

About the Artist: Mawhyah
Mawhyah Milton was born in 1989 in an apartment in Bronx, NY. She was adopted by her maternal grandparents along with her four siblings and raised in Birmingham, AL. She shared a passion and talent for art with her grandfather and always pursued it as a way of connecting with others. In college, while attending Savannah College of Art and Design, she spent five years finding her artistic “voice" and illustration style. It wasn’t until she joined AmeriCorps after graduating that she began to learn more in-depth about the intersections of oppressive systems and combine what she learned with her own story and the voices of her family and those who look like her. As she became more confident in her voice and self, her use of color became more vibrant and bolder. Now, she uses her art to contribute to the zeitgeist by creating imagery about human, social and political issues. Mawhyah currently lives in New York, NY.

November 9, 2023 - 9 pm - 10 pm
Black Arts Matter Festival: Comedian Jerrod Carmichael at Wisconsin Union

Join us in Shannon Hall for an evening with Emmy-winning comedian, Jerrod Carmichael.
Emmy-winning comedian Jerrod Carmichael earned an Emmy Award, WGA Award, and NAACP Nomination for writing his comedy special JERROD CARMICHAEL: ROTHANIEL. He also earned an Emmy nomination for his hosting debut on Saturday Night Live last year. Jerrod Carmichael also recently hosted the 80th Golden Globe Awards.

Ticket Prices:
Full Price: $20
UW-Madison Student (must show ID): $10
Wisconsin Union Member / Student (any) / UW Fac/Staff: $18.5
Youth (17 and under): $10

Click here to Buy Tickets

November 10, 2023 - 7:30 pm - 10 pm
Black Arts Matter Festival: All-Star Poetry Slam at Wisconsin Union Theater

Join us for a poetry slam featuring the top competitive poets from around the country, competing for $6,000 in prizes!
Witness an all-star poetry slam, featuring over a dozen of the country's top poets. The slam will consist of three rounds, eliminating half of the poets in each round before a final champion is chosen at the end of the evening.
Recommended for ages 16+, listeners discretion is advised.

Ticket Prices:
Full Price: $20
UW-Madison Student (must show ID): $10
Wisconsin Union Member / Student (any) / UW Fac/Staff: $18.50
Youth (17 and under): Free

Click here to Buy Ticket

November 11, 2023 - 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Black Arts Matter Festival: Tank and the Bangas at Wisconsin Union Theater

Headlining the 2023 Black Arts Matter Festival, don't miss Grammy-nominated RandB band Tank and the Bangas.
Grammy-nominated, New Orleans-based RandB band Tank and the Bangas will bring their unique brand of music to Shannon Hall as headliners of the 2023 Black Arts Matter Festival.

The founding members of the band (Tank Ball, Josh Johnson and Norman Spence) met in 2011 at an open mic night in New Orleans called Liberation Lounge. A family of musical lifers, none of them ever thought twice about quitting through years of grinding on local live circuits. That time gave them the best foundation for their onstage chemistry and dexterity. As a result, they’ve been heralded as one of the best live bands. In 2017, they won the annual NPR Tiny Desk Contest among hundreds of applications. Tank and the Bangas are self-described as jazz meets hip-hop, soul meets rock, and funk is the beating heart of everything they do.

Ticket Prices:
Full Price: $20
UW-Madison Student (must show ID): $10
Wisconsin Union Member / Student (any) / UW Fac/Staff: $18.50
Youth (17 and under): $10

Click here to Buy Tickets

November 12, 2023

11 am - 6 pm: Black Arts Matter Festival: Art Market at MYArts
Cost: Free
Head to MYArts to explore an art and vendor market showcasing local Madison artists alongside other Black-owned or operated businesses from around the region.
Join us at Madison Youth Arts Center (MYArts) to browse a variety of art and other goods at the BAM Art Market. You'll find unique products from local Madison artists alongside Black-owned or operated businesses from around the region.

2 pm - 4 pm: Black Arts Matter Festival: Youth Talent Competition at MYArts
Cost: Free
Head to MYArts for a youth talent competition featuring elementary, middle, and high school students showcasing a variety of art forms.
Taking inspiration from Nina Simone's song, "To Be Young Gifted and Black," join us at MYArts to celebrate a variety of young artists from elementary, middle and high school showcasing their art in a talent competition.

Date: November 8 - 12, 2023

Click here for more Information