The Dubuque Renaissance: DEI through the arts

It is snowing when I meet arts entrepreneur Briana Thompson at The Spot, a local Black owned business in Dubuque. She hustles through the door, long locs piled high on her head like a crown frosted with the falling snow.

The photographer and graphic designer spent her formative years in Chicago. After completing her undergraduate studies in graphic design at Jackson State, a historically Black university in Mississippi, Briana relocated to Dubuque at the encouragement of family who live in the area. As a new grad, she was in pursuit of opportunities to use her skills.

“Culturally, Dubuque was a little different to what I was used to … I didn’t have mentors in my field who I could look up to. I had to go to the library to find people like me.”

In her search for relatable mentors, Briana found historical figures. In their stories of pioneering and overcoming, she could envision forging her own path.

“Langston Hughes, Countess Vaughn, Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey, Fred Hampton. In studying these giants, I knew that my purpose was bigger. I wanted to implement programs that represented our culture in a positive light. For me, that has always been art.”

It was also this unfilled need for mentorship that led Briana to become a mentor for youth in partnership with the Multicultural Family Center of Dubuque.

“I was that 21-year-old who would have taken ANY opportunity. That’s how much I loved photography. But not having the support system and the resources to foster my craft and also managing all of the trials and trauma that I went through as a Black gay woman in this town — I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. We don’t have the luxury to not care. If we don't care how can we expect anyone else to care? Investing that positive energy in a 17, 18-year-old makes me feel like I'm really aligning myself with the purpose that God has for my life. It’s bigger than me.”

Briana’s search for a purpose-driven career path came to fruition in the location where we sit for our interview; The Spot, a shake shop a couple of blocks from the riverfront, has served as a gathering place for many young Black students and professionals in Dubuque.

“I used to come here twice a week. I would come to meditate and release the pressures of life on a cultural, political, spiritual level. It’s a safe space — they open their doors to any type of community, and give back to many of the nonprofits in town. That’s just who they are. I would come in upset and wanting to do something. At first I didn’t know what to do … I grew up engulfed in every type of medium of art in Chicago. Not having that here, that’s what I wanted to fill my soul with. At this time two years ago, I wasn’t seeing anything locally that represented Black History Month. I had my first event right here at The Spot: Black As You Are.”

Will you tell me more about that event?

“Black As You Are is an art exhibition and spoken word/poetry slam. I had artists from all over the Tri state — Iowa City, Davenport, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines. I didn’t know them before the event, and most of them had never even been to Dubuque before.”

The event drew a crowd of 200 attendees, including Dubuque’s Mayor and people from as far as Chicago, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee. Briana’s success with this and subsequent cultural and arts focused events has granted her access to a seat at many of the most prestigious tables in town.

“I sit on the boards of the Dubuque County Fine Arts Society, was part of Dubuque Fest, the committee for Arts on the River, the Advisory Board for the Dubuque Museum of Art. The more opportunities I have, the more I am noticing there aren’t many people who look like me in these spaces. Representation is everything.”

What does it mean for you to be a mentor for someone else now?

“It’s impactful work. I have to be intentional with my words; something I've never been good at before. I’m used to saying what I want — that’s the artist in me! But when you take on a moral obligation, when you say I want to be a voice for the voiceless, you have to be universal in your ability to articulate to a demographic of people who are culturally ignorant to what you stand for. That requires a lot of grace, patience, education, empathy and compassion.”

Last year, Briana started a small business called Art4Us. The talent management and creative consulting business still is finding its footing, but has already put on a fashion show featuring 7 local designers. They also offer support to other organizations working to diversify their cultural programming.

“The goal is to educate through art the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion. It’s still brand-new. I have put on 8 events in the last two years, all self-funded. My vision is to create my own commercial art gallery and events space. I would like to have that be a premier event space for artists under 40. Artists in residency, art workshops, spoken word, creative writing, fashion modeling …”

The Dubuque Renaissance.

“Yeah! I'm really thankful for this community. Where I come from it’s hard … my father was in and out of prison, my mother worked 3 jobs and owned a business. My aunties and grandparents picked up what my parents couldn’t give. When you grow up with a community of Black women raising you, pouring into you, naturally you want to be what you were taught. I was raised to care about community.”

At 30, Briana has had several job offers from other states, but chooses to continue to build community here in Iowa.

Sofia DeMartino is a Gazette editorial fellow. [email protected]