BOXSPOT—located at East 81st Street and Kinsman Avenue—was originally developed as a shipping-container retail center, built from retrofitted containers and designed to house multiple small businesses in one shared, neighborhood-facing destination. Through the Rooted Residency Cohort, We Are Deep Roots is reimagining that retail footprint as a creative campus—with cohort members using individual studios as both workspaces and community-facing sites for monthly public programming. The goal is for the space to function as a living community hub, not only during scheduled events, but as a place where neighbors can regularly “hold space” with art and artists present—surrounded by work that reflects and speaks back to their lived experiences.
Aldonte Flonny
Artist Statement:
A freelance artist from Cleveland, Ohio, Aldonte has been drawing and painting on different mediums, having found a niche in he design work on footwear. As a emerging fine artists, he has produced sculpture work for exhibitions, translating his skillset nearly seamlessly.
Artist Goal:
My goal is to grow creatively as an individual and artist. I wanna give this everything I’ve got before I can say I don’t wanna do it anymore.
Asia Armour
Artist Statement:
I create layered, mixed media worlds where flowers, memory, and the feminine body intertwine, each piece unfolding like a living archive of transformation, softness, and power.
Artist Goal:
My goal is to create pieces for my next solo exhibition at the Cleveland Botanical Garden.
Emanuel Wallace
Artist Statement:
My photography documents the people, places, and scenes I come across in everyday life, often around art, culture, music and community. I’m mostly interested in capturing simple, honest moments as they happen.
Artist Goal:
One of my goals for the program is to use it in my ongoing efforts to lean into my artistry beyond event photography. I’m excited to see how that develops.
Jono Ballom
Artist Statement:
My work centers on minimalism and silhouette to strip away distraction and focus on the essence of human experience. In that simplicity, I create space for reflection, dialogue, and the act of pondering life more intentionally.
Artist Goal:
My goal is to grow through this program not only in skill, but also in my approach and thought process when creating my work, while deepening my understanding of the art business.
Jurnee Ta’Zion
Artist Statement:
I’m a multimedia and multidisciplinary artist, practicing mainly in visual art forms like 3D and sculpture, mural making, painting, amongst other forms. I pride myself on being a collaborator and community engager within Cleveland and beyond. My goals have always been to give back to and uplift the city that has raised me through not only the arts, but through advocacy, intentionality, and love.
Artist Goal:
My goal for the program is to have a space where I can have community and accountability again. It’s been a while since I’ve been in a shared studio space. But the amount of group responsibility, opportunity for ideas to compound and be supported, and the overall building of community through the love of art is something I’ve missed for a while. I want to learn from and teach to the people around me, and I have a strong desire to continue the work that is uplifting the artists and communities within my city and beyond..
Mike Miller
Artist Statement:
my aim is to evoke thoughts and emotions with every piece I create. Also to serve as inspiration for all creatives
Artist Goal:
utilize the space to the best of my ability and create work that transcends expectations
Suhaylah Hamzah
Artist Statement:
The universe is everything—Sun, Moon, and Stars! As an interdisciplinary conceptual artist, I use art to build communal spaces where creative expression cultivates self-awareness and understanding of our relationship to everything in life.
Artist Goal:
To create themed series with a discipline focus and to gain the knowledge and wisdom to the legal & business aspects of the arts
WE ARE DEEP ROOTS
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