Sketch and Release \;is a tou ring multimedia poetry/storytelling performance and docu-series centered o n Black creatives living and working in rural Oregon. Created and led by m ultidisciplinary artist Jason McNeal Graham (MOsley WOtta)\, the project b lends filmed interviews\, poetry\, storytelling\, and guided conversation into a 60-minute experience for campuses\, libraries\, theaters\, and comm unity spaces.
\nTouring from Spring 2026 through Spring 2027\, \ ;Sketch and Release \;will visit venues across Central and ru ral Oregon\, with each stop featuring new docu-series episodes\, a poetry/ storytelling performance\, and a locally tailored community dialogue. Host sites can choose daytime campus presentations\, evening public events\, o r hybrid options using a secure streaming platform.
\nSupported by m ajor Oregon foundations and cultural partners\, \;Sketch and Relea se \;is part of a broader effort to build sustainable\, equity-fo cused cultural infrastructure in rural regions. &ldquo\;This project is ab out making room for Black artists in small towns and for complex stories a bout who we are becoming\,&rdquo\; says Graham.
\n\;Abo ut Jason Graham:
\n
Jason McNeal Graham\, kn own professionally as MOsley WOtta\, is a Chicago-born\, Oregon-based mult idisciplinary artist\, writer\, performer\, painter\, educator\, and cultu ral organizer. Working across spoken word\, music\, visual art\, film\, an d community-based programming\, his practice examines identity\, belonging \, racial equity\, imagination\, and the transformative potential of human connection.
\n
A longtime presence in Central Oregon&rsquo\;s
arts community\, MOsley WOtta has built a career that bridges creative exp
ression and civic engagement. He is a former Oregon slam poetry champion a
nd served as Creative Laureate for the City of Bend. His performances\, ex
hibitions\, talks\, and workshops have reached audiences in schools\, gall
eries\, theaters\, libraries\, and community spaces\, inviting people into
meaningful conversations about difference\, empathy\, and shared responsi
bility.
MOsley WOtta&rsquo\;s work is rooted in a belief tha
t art can make room for complexity while bringing people together. Whether
through a poem\, a painting\, a live performance\, or a facilitated commu
nity gathering\, he uses storytelling to challenge assumptions and create
space for reflection\, curiosity\, and connection. His artistic work has b
een featured regionally and nationally through public programs\, media\, a
nd cultural institutions.
He is also the creator and directo
r of \;Sketch and Release\, a documentary project centering Black arti
sts living and working in rural Oregon. Through interviews\, film\, public
programs\, and artist-led storytelling\, the project expands understandin
g of Black creative life beyond urban centers while documenting the artist
s\, histories\, and communities shaping Oregon&rsquo\;s cultural landscape
.
MOsley WOtta continues to create work across disciplines w
hile collaborating with artists\, educators\, nonprofits\, and communities
throughout Oregon and beyond.
Questions? Contact lizg@deschutesli brary.org
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