You may not have yet heard the name Okeeba Jubalo, but you likely will soon.
If you’re savvy on North Charleston’s emerging cultural scene, you might already know of the man with this distinct moniker. He possesses a multi-faceted skill set and the grand ambition needed to amplify the city’s bold new role in the contemporary arts scene.
For Jubalo, the elevation of the city’s arts crosses all disciplines, and draws from his skills as a fine artist, musician, curator, gallerist, publisher, graphic designer and videographer — not to mention as the owner of a branding and marketing agency, NobleSol Art Group, whose clients have included the City of Atlanta and WNBA.
On March 14, Jubalo will flex his facility in the visual arts to gatherg a crowd at Okeeba Jubalo Fine Art Gallery in the Park Circle Communiy Building for a new group exhibition — The Dirty Dozen: SALT. A reception that starts at 7 p.m. launches the show at the gallery, which is otherwise by appointment only.
The Dirty Dozen: SALT
“New people will be shocked at the diversity of art,” he said of the works in the show.
They are Southern artists ranging from Patricia Coleman-Cobb’s sculptural mixed-media pieces to Darrien West’s abstract collage work reminiscent of Jean-Michel Basquiat to the vibrant, neo-expressionist oil and acrylic paintings of Damon Mescudi.
The Dirty Dozen: SALT exhibition is the latest in a yearslong series that has in the past focused on solo exhibitions of Jubalo’s own work. This year, the gallerist elected to focus on the voices his gallery represents, to underscore his full belief in them.
Along with Coleman-Cobb, West and Mescudi, featured artists include Vando Davis, Tosh Fomby and Margaret Warfield, along with culinary artist Alexis Mungin. The March 14 reception centers on a cultural conversation moderated by Dr. Ed Garnes and Johnny Clarkson, both of Altanta.
The name of the show guides the curation, and perhaps Jubalo’s overarching vision.
“Salt, one part of it means looking at the salt of the earth and the people behind the scenes who actually make the city and make our society move forward,” he said, observing that “too often it’s without any kind of real recognition.”
The curator’s aim is to bring in a level of contemporary African American art rooted in the Lowcountry and often pulling in from other places and states, while also providing the wider reach of Obalo’s own techniques and approaches.
North Charleston rising
Born in Charleston, Jubalo has family spanning the Lowcountry. But since moving back to the area in 2021, his focus is on North Charleston. That’s where he was raised, while also being bussed into Summerville schools and finshing high school in Irmo. After the death of his father at age 10 from lung cancer, he locked in on the arts as a way to process it.
Graduating from Irmo High School in 1993, the artist moved to Atlanta to attend the Art Institute of Atlanta, where he studied advertising and graphic design, then remained there to work in the field of the arts.
It was his wife, Kat Brown, who put the hand on the scale about returning to Charleston, a place she had grown to love from the family’s frequent visits. After the International African American Museum opened, Jubalo began mulling the move in earnest.
“From an African American cultural standpoint, I looked at the eyes that would be on the Lowcountry,” he said, determining he could bring cultural authenticity to those efforts.
Celebrated vocal artist and producer Zandrina Dunning and her partner, musical artist and director Stephen Washingon, have collaborated with Jubalo, quickly recognizing a shared passion for uplifting the arts.
“Okeeba Jubalo hasn’t been in North Charleston long, but the impact he’s made in our arts community already feels lasting. He’s brought a fresh perspective and creative energy that makes it feel like he’s been a part of this community all along,” she said.
In North Charleston, Jubalo’s goal is to raise the bar on the view of contemporary art in the South, especially in the Lowountry. He aims to make it a cultural destination, akin to Southeastern cities like Atlanta and Dallas.
His deep local roots play a crucial role in lending cultural authenticity.
“When you’re not of the soil, it’s hard to work the soil correctly.”
To elevate the place he has long called home, Jubalo converges the fine art gallery, films and other independent media platforms, including Charleston Compass, which was inspired by the now-shuttered Charleston Chronicle and its seminal role in the Black community, and Park Circle Quarterly, which homes in standout community members in that area.
His mission is to create something that is of the people and for the people, rather than being funded by government agencies, to stretch the community in ways that help it become “comfortable being uncomfortable.”
Still the high-octane change maker has found his multifarious strengths can serve as an aggregate liability, with some trying to block his progress.
“It makes it so hard to put me in a box,” he said. “But that’s like trying to block the sun on a hot summer day, you’re just not going to block it,” he said.
IF YOU WANT TO GO: A reception for The Dirty Dozen: Salt exhibition takes place from
7 p.m. to 9 p.m. March 14, at the Okeeba Jubalo Fine Art Gallery, located in the Park Circle Community Building at 4800 Park Circle, North Charleston. The gallery is open by appointment. More: okeebajubalogallery.com
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