Media Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Marie Butterline | 405-951-0000 | mbutterline@okcontemp.org
Media kit: https://bit.ly/JakianParks

Exhibition documenting rituals and rejoicing in African American rodeo culture to open this November

OKLAHOMA CITY (June 3, 2025) — Opening Nov. 6 in Oklahoma Contemporary’s Mary LeFlore Clements Oklahoma Gallery, Jakian Parks: The Black Land connects the past and present, situating the American West as a living archive and center stage for Black cattlemen and cowboys alike. Through Jakian Parks’ photography, The Black Land envisions a layered structure, connecting the historical phases from Black captivity through to contemporary Black equestrianism. Within this conceptual framework lies a sacred and congenital agricultural virtue, where Oklahoma’s Black rodeo culture becomes both symbol and setting for survival, resurgence and celebration.

The exhibition highlights the land as a complex and enduring source of struggle and identity within the African American experience. For Black Americans, farmland evokes a lineage of forced labor, sharecropping and ongoing challenges around ownership and sovereignty. Yet The Black Land also affirms the expertise and insight that have emerged from this proximity. Through its gestures and imagery, the exhibition suggests that ancestral spirits hold the key to a deeply rooted knowledge of plantation systems, gardening traditions and livestock ranching. Chloe` Flowers, guest curator for the exhibition, said, “The Black Land is a ceremonial parade of the admiration and respect we have for ourselves and our ancestors. The overlap between faith and forward action creates a supernatural progression for Black people. I hope viewers are able to see their reflections in the work and implement more advancement into their lives.”

Ritualistic practices — merging African and Christian traditions — form the foundation of cultural healing that continues to sustain Black communities. The photographs in The Black Land explore these rituals across all aspects of Black cowboy culture: on front porches, in gospel choirs, on horseback and in quiet afternoons spent fishing. They embody a quiet grace that redefines historical narratives and contributes to a broader understanding of the American landscape, resisting the stereotypes historically imposed upon Black bodies. In speaking about the process behind developing the exhibition, artist Jakian Parks said, “A cherished aspect of this process was learning more about the Black towns around Oklahoma. Visiting historical figures and lands to discover more about my own history was very inspiring. This pushed me to dig as deep as possible into Black archives.”

Parks grew up attending rodeos with his aunt, Shay Nolan, and became immersed in Black rodeo culture from a young age. Parks has previously promoted Black rodeo culture through his work with the nonprofit Oklahoma Cowboys, including collaborations with Pharrell Williams for the Louis Vuitton Men’s Fall-Winter 2024 Show in Paris, France, and a campaign honoring Black History Month with bootmaker Timberland.

Jakian Parks: The Black Land will be on view at Oklahoma Contemporary Nov. 6, 2025 through June 1, 2026.

About the Artist

Jakian Parks is a photographer and documentarian whose practice centers on themes of culture, equestrianism and homage to his native Oklahoma. Rooted in Black portraiture, his work offers a visual lexicon that honors African American identity through an intimate, community-driven lens. Parks seamlessly merges storytelling and documentary approaches to elevate underrepresented narratives, capturing the often-overlooked beauty, complexity and tenacity of Black life in America.

A self-taught artist working primarily in film, Parks saturates his photographs with a tactile sense of closeness and worship. His interest in rodeo culture stems from his late aunt, Shay Nolan, who introduced him to the traditions of Black cowboy life. This familial entry point has since deepened into an artistic and archival commitment to documenting Black agricultural practices and equestrian history. Through his lens, Parks excavates cultural memory and bridges the past with the present, creating a visual archive that resists erasure and honors ancestral knowledge.

About the Guest Curator

Chloe` Flowers is a writer, archivist and educator from Houston, Texas. Her work explores the intersections of visual culture, cultural history, nostalgia and critical race theory through prose, essays and curatorial practice. Flowers is particularly invested in preserving primary source narratives that amplify Black voices and lived experiences. Her recent projects include oral histories and interviews that document and celebrate intergenerational knowledge within the African American community.

About Oklahoma Contemporary

Oklahoma Contemporary, formed in 1989 as City Arts Center by Christian Keesee and Kirkpatrick Foundation Director Marilyn Myers, is a nonprofit organization committed to providing quality, accessible and affordable arts programming. With a mission to encourage artistic expression in all its forms through education, exhibitions and performance, Oklahoma Contemporary is committed to instilling in the public a lifetime appreciation of the arts and enthusiasm for creative practice. For more information on free exhibitions, class schedules and public programs, visit oklahomacontemporary.org.

More information can be found in the media kit at https://bit.ly/JakianParks. An exhibition webpage can be found at okcontemp.org/JakianParks. Past press releases and information are archived at okcontemp.org/media.