Artists in Residence
Enterprising Creatives, Artist in Residence Program
Led by Helen Branham
The Enterprising Creatives Artist in Residence Program is designed to support and uplift Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) artists and creative entrepreneurs. The initiative empowers artists in bridging the gap by combining creative development with financial sustainability. The program focuses on Education & Skill development; Exhibition Opportunities; and Financial Empowerment.
Helen Branham is an esteemed community economic development and small business management professional of 20+ years, with expertise in supporting African American and women of color entrepreneurs. Through the Enterprising Creatives Cohort Helen encourages Enterprising artists and non-artist to a rapid review and re-evaluation of their original vision for themselves as creatives.
First Cohort 2026
Latiece Brown
I am a multidisciplinary artist, filmmaker, theater professional, and creative entrepreneur born and raised in both San Francisco’s Fillmore and Bayview neighborhoods. I am a graduate of Norfolk State University, with a degree a B.S. Degree in Mass Communication, Broadcasting. My work explores the intersections of identity, technology, and memory. Telling stories that center Black women’s creativity, labor, and imagination. Through photography, film, theater, and immersive media, I build visual archives and worlds that preserves emotions, generates the future, and highlights the everyday beauty of my communities.
Gustavo Castillo
Gustavo Castillo, known artistically as Gart Nation, is a Garifuna visual artist and musician from Honduras, currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. A self-taught artist, he has developed a distinctive technique using the ballpoint pen as his primary medium, creating hyper realistic portraits that explore identity, ancestry, and spirituality. His work merges technical precision with emotional depth, reflecting the resilience and beauty of the Garifuna people. For Castillo, art is not defined by materials but by intentional transforming ordinary tools into instruments of cultural and spiritual expression. In addition to his visual art practice, Gustavo is also a musician and the first Garifuna artist ever nominated for a Grammy Award, bringing traditional Garifuna music to international audiences. His creative journey has been featured by The Guardian (London), which recognized him as one of the most authentic emerging voices in art and music from the African diaspora. Gustavo is the founder and owner of Gart Nation, a licensed art business based in San Francisco dedicated to the creation and sale of original artworks, portraits, and murals. He has exhibited at multiple venues across the Bay Area, including the African American Art & Culture Complex, Voss Gallery, Mission Cultural Latino Center, and The Drawing Room Gallery. Through his work, Gustavo Castillo seeks to build bridges between past and present, the physical and the spiritual, celebrating Garifuna identity as a symbol of resistance, memory, and universal connection.
Chibuzor Darl-Uzu
Chibuzor Darl-Uzu is an Oakland-based industrial designer and materials researcher working at the intersection of furniture, public space, and social practice. Through his studio Untildef and the community-focused initiative Soft Matter, he creates functional objects and installations from reclaimed materials that invite rest, play, and collective use while challenging exclusionary urban design. His work centers material experimentation, care, and dignity in the everyday environments we share.
Aniyah Keith
Matrii.Art is a proud generational San Franciscan and a dedicated member of a community whose presence in the city has been steadily diminishing. Her work speaks powerfully to the intersections of body dysmorphia, generational trauma, and cultural displacement, using mixed media to create visually compelling and emotionally complex pieces that reflect both personal and collective experience.
Deeply rooted in her hometown, Matrii.Art draws much of her inspiration from the streets, stories, and spirit of San Francisco—In the Fillmore District particularly, where several of her public murals have sparked conversation and inspired documentaries about her journey as an artist. Through these visual narratives, she invites viewers to sit with discomfort, reflect deeply, and confront truths often left unspoken.
Matrii.Art has collaborated with numerous artists, including Rachel Wolfe, to co-create exhibitions and curate community spaces across the Bay Area. Her commitment to social change through art is evident not only in her works, but also in her ongoing efforts to establish safe, creative spaces where community voices can thrive.
With her art woven into the fabric of San Francisco, Matrii.Art remains steadfast in her mission to uplift her community and challenge societal norms. She continues to create with passion, purpose, and the unshakable belief that art can be a vehicle for transformation.
Isaiah Williams
My Name is Isaiah Williams. I have been drawing and painting for as long as I can remember. Growing up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, my art has always had a Black Southern touch. Now, i’m on a mission to help bring that to other states and local communities. My art is about the beauty of blackness & humanity in itself.