Resistance & Existence: Brandan “Bmike” Odums’ Truth-telling Activism
“New Orleans is a place where you can just fall into art,” says Brandan “Bmike” Odums. “You can find it anywhere, without a cost of admission.” We’re sitting in his office at Studio BE, the 35,000 square-foot Bywater warehouse space he’s turned into a center for his activism-through-art. In addition to housing his sprawling “Ephemeral.Eternal” exhibit, the building is the central nervous system of a globally recognized movement including educational programs, panel discussions, film, merchandise and more. A massive yellow exterior wall adorned with a young, haloed Black girl with hands outstretched greets visitors.
— Amanda “Bonita” Mester
Noé Cugny 