Last weekend, Google and LENS partnered up to present Creator Labs; an immersive art experience that featured work from popular black artists. With the backing of two powerful companies, Creator Labs provided the resources for 10 photographers, filmmakers, and YouTubers, to capture meaningful pieces of work. With those instructions, the creators created content based around mental health, black masculinity, climate change, LGBTQIA+ rights, the Latinx community, and more.
“When looking at the next generation of artists, I feel honored to be apart of this community. My Film FREEBIRD is about a young Jamaican Americans experience in Canarsie, Brooklyn,” filmmaker Anthony Prince Leslie told ESSENCE.
“With all that’s happening with Immigrants in the United States, here’s another reason to be proud of your roots. I think it’s important that we continue to preserve our culture through art and pay homage to our ancestors while pushing it forward,” he exclaimed.
The exhibit featured work from; Quil Lemons, Mayan Toledano, Joshua Kissi, MaryV Benoit, Myles Loftin, Andrew Thomas Huang, June Canedo, Tim Kellner, Glassface (Josh Goldenberg), and Anthony Prince Leslie, all using the Pixel 4. By initiating Creator Labs, Google and Lens hope to bring awareness to these young artists. With a spotlight from large corporations, the companies have now put creators of colors on the forefront.