We Roam Freely is a New York-based non-profit organization that uplifts and showcases women and non-binary artists of color. With a focus on providing resources to emerging artists, WRF creates opportunities to share and sell work. The organization began as an Instagram empowerment page in 2019 and then grew, out of a need for intentionally safe creative spaces for Black and Brown women and non-binary folks. WRF has organized two in-person art shows in New York City, and a virtual marketplace, supporting over 40 artists and connecting local community members with unique artwork. The organization has also created community events, in which art becomes an accessible form of relaxation and therapy for locals. WRF has working partnerships with companies who prioritize amplifying the voices of BIPOC creatives and is currently creating meaningful multi-month-long residencies.

A study of 820,000 exhibitions across the public and commercial sectors in 2018 discovered that only one-third of exhibitions featured well-established women artists¹. Unfortunately, there is little to no data on women of color or non-binary artists of color in exhibitions (which is a red flag on its own). Imagine what these statistics would translate to, for someone who identifies as Black, Indigenous, or a person of color, and is in the early stages of their art career. Not only is it discouraging, but the inaccessibility to arts education, costly materials, and showcasing opportunities due to racial and class inequity, make having a career in the arts, an incredibly difficult task.

It is our mission, along with the help of our Directors Tiyé Bazzey and Kalin Brown as well as our team including Sayaka Tahnaya and Alexis Collins to combat inequality in the arts by redistributing resources, lowering barriers to entry, and uplifting women and non-binary artists of color.

If there’s anything 2020 has taught us, it’s that representation matters, that experiences from communities of color - in any medium - must be told and shared not only to understand the effects of systematic racism but, learn, acknowledge, and explore the stories told.

¹Shaw, Anny. “Gallery Representation Dwindles for 'Established' Female Artists, New Research Finds.” The Art Newspaper, The Art Newspaper, 28 Jan. 2019, www.theartnewspaper.com/news/gallery-representation-dwindles-for-more-established-female-artists-new-research-finds.