Sketch and Release is a touring m ultimedia poetry/storytelling performance and docu-series centered on Blac k creatives living and working in rural Oregon. Created and led by multidi sciplinary artist Jason McNeal Graham (MOsley WOtta)\, the project blends filmed interviews\, poetry\, storytelling\, and guided conversation into a 60-minute experience for campuses\, libraries\, theaters\, and community spaces.
\nTouring from Spring 2026 through Spring 2027\, Sketch and Release will visit venues across Central and rural Oregon\, with each stop featuring new docu-series episodes\, a poetry/storytelling perfo rmance\, and a locally tailored community dialogue. Host sites can choose daytime campus presentations\, evening public events\, or hybrid options u sing a secure streaming platform.
\nSupported by major Oregon founda tions and cultural partners\, Sketch and Release is part of a bro ader effort to build sustainable\, equity-focused cultural infrastructure in rural regions. &ldquo\;This project is about making room for Black arti sts in small towns and for complex stories about who we are becoming\,&rdq uo\; says Graham.
\n\nAbout Jason Graham:
\n
Jason McNeal Graham\, known professionally as MOsley WOtta\, is a Chi cago-born\, Oregon-based multidisciplinary artist\, writer\, performer\, p ainter\, educator\, and cultural organizer. Working across spoken word\, m usic\, visual art\, film\, and community-based programming\, his practice examines identity\, belonging\, racial equity\, imagination\, and the tran sformative potential of human connection.
\n
A longtime presenc
e in Central Oregon&rsquo\;s arts community\, MOsley WOtta has built a car
eer that bridges creative expression and civic engagement. He is a former
Oregon slam poetry champion and served as Creative Laureate for the City o
f Bend. His performances\, exhibitions\, talks\, and workshops have reache
d audiences in schools\, galleries\, theaters\, libraries\, and community
spaces\, inviting people into meaningful conversations about difference\,
empathy\, and shared responsibility.
MOsley WOtta&rsquo\;s w
ork is rooted in a belief that art can make room for complexity while brin
ging people together. Whether through a poem\, a painting\, a live perform
ance\, or a facilitated community gathering\, he uses storytelling to chal
lenge assumptions and create space for reflection\, curiosity\, and connec
tion. His artistic work has been featured regionally and nationally throug
h public programs\, media\, and cultural institutions.
He is
also the creator and director of Sketch and Release\, a document
ary project centering Black artists living and working in rural Oregon. Th
rough interviews\, film\, public programs\, and artist-led storytelling\,
the project expands understanding of Black creative life beyond urban cent
ers while documenting the artists\, histories\, and communities shaping Or
egon&rsquo\;s cultural landscape.
MOsley WOtta continues to
create work across disciplines while collaborating with artists\, educator
s\, nonprofits\, and communities throughout Oregon and beyond.
Questions? Contact lizg@d eschuteslibrary.org \;
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