Skye Volmar and Gabrielle Banks Show to Benefit Loveland Foundation

“Split Ends” revolves around the topics of isolation, performativity, and the relationship between girlhood and womanhood. The title echoes with the artists’s portrayal of hair in relation to various perceptions of Black women, extending to the discussion of racism, colorism, and gendered expectations towards Black women.

Banks and Volmar were two of four black women to graduate from the Rhode Island School of Design Painting department in 2019. The duo aims to break through the exclusion of Black artists and showcase self-preservation, growth, and healing through a series of self-portraits.

10 percent of proceeds from “Split Ends” are donated to the Loveland Foundation Therapy Fund, which provides financial assistance to Black women and girls seeking therapy in the United States.