Virtual Artist Talk with Ni-Ka Ford & Leslie Barlow | Online at Zoom

Join artists Ni-Ka Ford and Leslie Barlow for a conversation about art, identity, health, and the power of storytelling.

Ni-Ka Ford, a board-certified medical illustrator, combines scientific research with artistic practice to create accurate, inclusive visualizations of the human body. Her work explores the effects of chronic stress on Black maternal health, examining how the body carries and responds to stress while highlighting nourishment, rest and holistic care as pathways toward healing.

Leslie Barlow is a Minneapolis-based visual artist and educator whose life-sized paintings explore race, family, love, friendship, and identity. Through her Within, Between, and Beyond series, Barlow centers the experiences of mixed-race individuals, transracial and transnational adoptees, and interracial families, inviting viewers to reconsider assumptions about race and representation.

Together, Ford and Barlow will discuss how art can make complex experiences visible, create space for underrepresented stories, and encourage greater empathy and understanding. You can view their artwork currently on view as part of the group exhibition Forms of Care: The Art of Representing the Body at Rochester Art Center through January 31, 2027. This exhibition is curated by Zoe Cinel and LaVanda Mireles.

This program will take place virtually on Zoom. Registration is required.

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/WUJfjn6TSxSRdv5OkDEcYg#/registration