Illuminus's ‘On the Rox' sessions build toward October festival

Boston Globe

26-06-2025

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Illuminus chose artists — dancers, poets, rappers, and more — who would work with community members at monthly public sessions through the spring and summer to conceive and create an exhibition organic to the community.
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Grantz said Illuminus selected artists who could create a world and who would develop something 'multimodal and experiential and invite people into that world.'
To that end, the artists gathered one night this spring at Roxbury's Black Market Nubian to experiment with form and feeling. They invited members of the public to join them. It was the first of the monthly sessions, dubbed 'On the Rox.' The next is scheduled at Black Market Nubian July 19. The public is encouraged to attend.
Each session has a theme. The theme of the event earlier this spring, for example, was color. One of the artists, music producer and songwriter Melissa Sanon,
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LandMine performs a dance embodying the colors green and purple.
ILLUMINUS
asked people to listen to music and tell her what colors it conjured. One attendee chose 'Shea Butter Baby' by Ari Lennox and said they associated it with an 'orange vibe,' Sanon said, due to the song's sensual tone. Sanon recorded people's responses as she played the songs they chose and projected the lyrics onto the walls.
In another workshop, a
dancer, visual artist, and community organizer who goes by LandMine asked visitors to embody
colors through poses and dance moves. Then he performed his own interpretation of how purple and green might move. Rapper and singer Najee Jany led a workshop in which visitors tasted snacks, interpreted what they had tasted as
colors, then
expressed them in
freestyle rap. Najee performed a song adapted from a poem he wrote that, he said, moved from black to blue to yellow. Spoken word and visual artist Phree offered a flow-painting workshop and performed a spoken-word piece about feeling red and wanting to grow into green.
The ideas that come out of such sessions will help form the content of the exhibition in October. By handing artistic control to local artists and community members, Grantz said Illuminus is trying to create shows that form 'more connected circles and local activations' within Boston's neighborhoods, and create 'ways to authentically celebrate those artists and communities.'
Under that philosophy, Illuminus is aiding artists in a different neighborhood each year. They partner with individual artists, nonprofits, and art organizations in the community, said Diane Dwyer, experience director at Illuminus.
Last year, they focused on Dorchester, where artists including
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Curators, including Just Book-ish co-owner and poet Porsha Olayiwola, Malik Williams of Reel Sync Music, MetaMovements' Anara Frank, and spoken word artist Amanda Shea, were enlisted to help choose artists. They submitted names for Illuminus to consider. The chosen artists receive a $10,000 stipend and attend weekly meetings to conceptualize work for the monthly sessions.
When Sanon was first approached about taking part in Illuminus Roxbury, she said she didn't think she was the right fit. As a producer and beatmaker, she wasn't sure how it would work. But, after conversations with Grantz and Dwyer, Sanon — a member of the Grammy Award's Recording Academy Class of 2024 — decided to give it a go. And she's glad she did.
It's too early to know what this year's group will develop for the exhibition in October. But Grantz talked of a piece by Vietnamese-American artist Sam Lê Shave last year. Eventgoers embroidered on large silk panels that became part of the installations.
Illuminus wants to support local artists, especially since many creatives make less than a living wage, as noted in a recent
Access to resources can help artists advance their careers, and Grantz is aware of art funding disparities. He said sometimes even a small amount of financial support and exposure can help get an artist off the ground.
'We've got some legends in the making,' Grantz said.
For more information about Illuminus's upcoming 'On the Rox' sessions, visit