Black Legend Heirloom | Camika Spencer

As a 2022 component of the Juanita J. Craft Artist Residency, the Black Legend Heirloom, created by Camika Spencer, is as project that fosters artistic growth for adults by teaching the process of creating through the technical use of acrylic painting, collage, and design on 6-inch paper Mache boxes. The project focuses on South Dallas, Juanita J. Craft, and the history of Dallas as it pertains to themes such as civil rights, family, social justice, and legacy. The heirlooms were showcased at the South Dallas Cultural Center and then donated to contribute to the artistic cannon and legacy of the Black Dallas artist movement.

Black Legend Heirloom is the first whole whisper of skill I have been able to express as a visual creator. I am making solid my voice. I put painting, collage, design, Decoupage and paper mache to use in a way that captures memory in alter form to house memory, legacy, heritage, and inheritance.”

Camika Spencer

About the artist: Camika Spencer M.A., M.F.A is an Oak Cliff native of Dallas, Texas. She is a best-selling author, award-winning playwright, and educator. In 2019 she was announced as a Lee Daniels/Represent OMV creatives winner, and she is currently scripting a one-woman show titled, One Year in Egypt. The Black Legend Heirloom Project is a first for Ms. Spencer and she hopes to continue evolving the art as a teaching practice beyond the borders of Dallas, Texas.


This exhibition was free and open for public viewing from Oct. 25 – Nov. 10, 2022 at the South Dallas Cultural Center. Click here to learn more about the Juanita J. Craft Artist Residency.