Atlanta art community rallies behind Freddie Styles

Out on Film is hosting a charity event on Aug to help Atlanta artist Freddie Styles who lost his home in a fire earlier this year Photo provided by Out on Film Credit Out on Film Earlier this year out Atlanta artist Freddie Styles suffered an unimaginable tragedy Styles lost his home along with all of his own artwork and the art he had collected to a fire Now certain of his friends and colleagues are helping him raise money to get back on his feet On Aug Out On Film will host a fundraising screening of the documentary Making Sweet Tea The film is based on E Patrick Johnson s book Sweet Tea Black Gay Men of the South which features more than life stories from Black gay men who were born raised and continue to live in the South Styles is one of the subjects The film premiered at Out On Film in Styles Johnson and several of the other subjects will be present for the screening All money raised will go to Styles A GoFund Me page has already raised almost for Styles and an auction at Hammonds House netted more than Styles started his professional art journey in th grade when he sold his first paintings for each A graduate of Morris Brown College he has served as an artist-in-residence at Clayton State University Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University acted as Gallery Director and Curator of City Gallery East from and been a part of numerous exhibitions as an individual Styles had lived in the home lost to the fire since The evening of the fire was traumatic He was upstairs painting when he smelled something came out of the room and saw smoke at the top of the stairs When he went downstairs he saw flames and a blast of very hot air hit him in the face and singed his hair He panicked and ran outside where a woman who had seen the fire had pulled up and called Styles explained he feels fortunate that he got out of the house when he did I stood there and watched my house burn he revealed He is now staying with a friend around the corner from where he lived off of Candler Road The room he is living in is not the optimal space to work but he s been able to paint a little bit He has a sparse pieces in an exhibit created by Dennis Baron called What s Your Pronoun on display through Atlanta Pride in the mayor s office downtown Styles his mother and his sister moved from Madison GA to Atlanta when he was years old over years ago When Styles was younger other kids would call him names such as sissy and Little Richard He thought it might have been their way of trying to out him but he didn t let the name calling bother him He wasn t trying to hide anything By the time he got to high school Styles announced he had the reputation of being a mean little sissy who was stronger than he looked If someone attacked me there was no way they could twist my arm that I could not get out of he revealed I d find a sharp object or bite them with my teeth Styles has a long history of living his authentic self Because of his early awareness of his sexuality he has more stories in Sweet Tea than anyone else When Johnson contacted him Styles was surprised someone was doing such a book He came and interviewed me and in September I went to the mailbox and there was a book with more than pages Styles reported I felt proud and honored to be part of it That was also the same year that Leroy O Quinn Styles partner of years died Styles stated O Quinn was the first person that he thought loved him unconditionally warts and all I think various of the guys in Sweet Tea are still being oppressed and accepting that Styles reported I invariably stood up for myself I have never marched in a Pride Parade I tell people I have been marching in a Pride Parade every day of my life While still in Madison Styles got tired of his coloring books one day and demanded his mother to draw him something She drew him a chicken and he copied it That struck a chord Sitting on the porch observing the textures of his surroundings he started to draw He would admire the beauty of the frozen condensation on the windowpane or the texture of rocks and leaves In fifth grade he shared a few of his work with an older friend who explained him he should be an artist That was the mid- s however and he was doubtful I did not know a colored person could be an artist he commented Styles announced the outpouring of sponsorship since the fire has been overwhelming I ve thought selected people might have liked me but they correct me and say We love you Styles stated I must have done something right over the years The post Atlanta art society rallies behind Freddie Styles appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta