Drake Leblanc is this week’s featured Art Circle artist. He is a filmmaker and media artist, and Founder and Creative Director of Above the Beyond,  a media powerhouse responsible for creating disruptive, thought provoking film and digital content. Drake is also a resident creative artist at Basin Arts. 

I got into film because I saw both of my parents using cameras to document things that were important to them. As I got older, I realized that the black community was often underrepresented in media and fine art and even when they were present, it was never at the same high standards as other demographics. This developed into my mission to give my community and culture a platform to share our stories in the best way possible with style and grace. 

I’ve been doing film professionally since 2016 (when I graduated high school). Everyday I try to beat what I did yesterday in creativity and quality but if I had to pick my most creative project it would be my “Silence of Quarantine”.

Each week Basin Arts is featuring a different artist in the hopes that readers will get to know more about the diverse range of artists in our community. Read more about Drake Leblanc below.

Who makes up your art circle?

My art circle is made up of other creatives that create everything from dance, photography, film, visual, art and more. They tend to be about their coins!

How do you expand your art circle?

My best and most promising way of networking is trying new food. It always leads me to a new place with new people and whether you’re a rock singer or an astrophysicist, you gotta eat!

What value do you see in having a creative community?

Having a creative community directly impacts the livelihood of a creative economy. I think it’s important to create opportunities and a way of living for people whose talents lie outside of traditional occupations.

How does your artistic approach contribute to your community?

My approach contributes to my community because I like to share what’s real and do so in a raw way. I’ve always believed the beauty of art lies in interpretation. So I do my best to present art in its rawest form so my peers can learn what’s most relevant to them.