Let the Hood Cry, a solo body of work by CIA Painting junior Tion "Toast" Best, expresses collective grief for young Black children across America who have been left with no viable alternatives to death and prison.

As a Black artist from the South Side of Chicago, Toast utilizes 2010s Chicago drill-era aesthetics and memorabilia to reconstruct the all-too-common stories of youth trapped inside an inescapable cycle of poverty, gangs and violence. To Toast, this era specifically was marked by a simultaneous surge in creativity and violence, serving as the direct aftermath of successive, racially targeted legislative acts that shaped Chicago's modern environment. By precisely capturing the everyday in his artwork, Toast forces viewers to look beyond the surface and ask what conditions have shaped this generation’s normal.

Let the Hood Cry opens with a public reception from 6 to 8pm Friday, June 19 in the Feinberg Gallery at Cain Park (14591 Superior Road, Cleveland Heights). The exhibition will remain on view through Sunday, August 2. Admission is free.

The exhibition is part of Bringing Light, a dual-presentation format alongside Room for Dessert? by fellow CIA student Ashley Olszewski. Bringing Light features two distinct shows that tackle complex issues uniquely shaped by perceptions in American society.

Let the Hood Cry was created through the Creativity Works program, which is made possible by the generous support of the Fenn Educational Fund and the G.R. Lincoln Family Foundation. Creativity Works is a self-initiated internship program with the goal of supporting a student's professional development. Participating students create proposals that align with their long-term professional goals.

Image: "The Story of Yummy" by Tion "Toast" Best

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