The Corridor Gallery
The Corridor Gallery is an exhibition and curatorial platform developed through a partnership between The.BlkRoom and Kindred Noir, created to expand opportunities for visual artists to present work in an accessible, community-centered environment. Located in the exterior corridor of the shared space of The.BlkRoom, the gallery transforms an everyday passage into a site of encounter, visibility, and dialogue. By activating this transitional space as a place for art, the program challenges traditional hierarchies of exhibition while affirming that meaningful cultural experiences can exist beyond conventional white-cube galleries.
The gallery serves emerging and mid-career artists — particularly those historically underrepresented in institutional art spaces — by providing opportunities to exhibit work, build audiences, engage in public programming connected to each exhibition, and sell their work for a 3–6 month period. In addition to gallery placement, artists receive support through promotional and activations to help amplify their creative voice.
This initiative aligns with TBR’s mission of artistic empowerment and visibility, deepens our commitment to creating access for BIPOC creators in Chicago, and strengthens engagement with visual artists throughout the city. The Hallway Gallery is a platform, a springboard, and a gathering point for community engagement, storytelling, and sustainable artistic practice.
AFRO Currency
Eligibility:
This exhibition is open to Chicago-based BLK Visual Artists.
All work must be exhibition ready.
We are looking for work that depicts your personal expression of currency. As Black Artists what things tangible or intangible do you value? What exchanges would you like to see more of? And how can we work together as a community to cultivate them?
On View ; Raven Smith
Oct. 16 - Nov. 27, 2026
Opening Night: October 16 6:00-9:00PM
Raven Smith is an award-winning Chicago-based artist and creative director exploring human consciousness, emotion, cinematography, curiosity, and immersive experiences. A ChiArts alum, she earned her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2022. Her practice combines color psychology, layered textures, double-exposure effects, and cinematic world-building to create emotionally driven works and fictional visual narratives.
Since 2016, Raven has exhibited at venues including Navy Pier during EXPO CHICAGO, the Museum of Science and Industry, and the New York Academy of Art. In 2024, she launched ESCAPADE Exhibitions, a multidisciplinary platform expanding how audiences experience contemporary art.
About Kindred Noir
Black kinship—creative community, shared identity, and collective power. We are a community-centered creative organization dedicated to supporting Black and underserved creatives through education, access, and opportunity—building sustainable creative futures and expanding early access for youth.
Kindred Noir is founded by Jayla Trenyce Watkins, a Black woman and fine artist driven to create space for Black creatives to fully explore and sustain their artistic voices. “Being the only Black woman in my major was a jarring and isolating experience, and I noticed that many other Black artists on campus were choosing more traditional career paths, prioritizing security over creative exploration. Pursuing the arts as a career is a privilege—not everyone has the opportunity to imagine a sustainable creative life—but it’s a privilege that all creators deserve. I wanted to hold space to help others move closer to realizing their creative identity.”
Determined to bridge this gap, Jayla launched the first Kindred Noir initiative: the inaugural Black Student Art Exhibition at Northern Illinois University in 2024. The exhibition celebrated Black student creativity, offered a platform for emerging artists, and marked the beginning of a broader mission: providing resources, guidance, and visibility to Black creatives navigating a landscape that often overlooks them.
Since then, Kindred Noir has evolved into a multidisciplinary organization supporting artists through professional development, digital marketing, nonprofit programming, and community-driven initiatives, continuing Jayla’s vision of empowering Black creatives to pursue their work fully, unapologetically, and sustainably.
