Joe Freshgoods wants to put Chicago creatives on game with ‘Featuring Us’ art education event
West Side streetwear king Joe Freshgoods always puts on for the city of Chicago. Next week, on Nov. 4, he will host an immersive art education event called Featuring Us.
In partnership with the award-winning 1800 Tequila, Joe Freshgoods’ nonprofit Community Goods will produce the event, featuring seminars with writer, content strategist and media entrepreneur Ernest Wilkins, along with visual artists Bianca Pastel, Courtney Collins, Amuse and Mia Lee.
The conversation will center on “The Idea of Art,” and how partnerships with brands can sharpen artists’ craft, according to the press release. For example, Lee partnered with Jordan Brand during the 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend to design graphics and animations, and to lead sessions on illustration and design at luxury retail store SVRN in the West Loop. And Joe Freshgoods is partnering with 1800 Tequila for this educational event.
Featuring Us begins at 5:00 p.m. on Nov. 4 at Wildman BT, located at 3020 W Carroll Ave. An on-site Visual Artists Gallery will open later that evening.
Joe Freshgoods plans to announce ticket details for Featuring Us on Nov. 1. Tickets for the event will be free, but limited because of COVID-19 restrictions at the venue, he said.
Folks must be age 21 and over to enter the event.
In an interview with The TRiiBE on Oct. 26, Joe Freshgoods said it’s important that any brand he partners with — including 1800 Tequila — shines a light on up-and-coming Chicago talent.
This is a consistent theme in his work; in the video promo for his 2021 Outside Clothes release with New Balance, for example, he worked with Chicago peers such as director Mike Carson, filmed on his native West Side and featured everyday Chicagoans in an effort to show the beauty that exists within Black Chicago neighborhoods.
“When I structure my deals, I always try to think about how can I spotlight and uplift people,” Joe Freshgoods said.
At the Featuring Us event, a few local creatives — Anieya, Myles and Matoe — will also have an opportunity to showcase their artwork at the on-site Visual Artists Gallery. Their work will be available for purchase. According to the press release, 1800 Tequila will match total sales and all profits will go to the artists.
While Joe Freshgoods is widely known for his streetwear drops and being one of the co-owners of local creative hub, Fat Tiger Workshop, he’s also big on giving back to the community. He officially launched Community Goods as a nonprofit in 2021 as a way to provide students from underserved communities with the education and tools to thrive in creative spaces.
In an Instagram post about the nonprofit launch, Joe Freshgoods wrote, “This is bigger than an organization we are building a movement. Chicago has done so much for me this is my way of saying thank you.”
In 2020, Community Goods hosted a drive-through fundraiser with the Chicago Blackhawks to raise money for families in need of remote-learning technology during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over the years, Joe Freshgoods has amassed a following of more than 225,000 across social media platforms. Through his work, he hopes to be a guide to aspiring young creatives.
“We need heroes that we can see and touch. I got big in Chicago, and it made me get big around the world. So now that I’m a worldwide person, I don’t want to turn my back on the city. That’s the reason why I’m there,” Joe Freshgoods told The TRiiBE.