An Evening Of Excellence

A Vision, a Leap of Faith and a Night to Remember

First of all....wow! I can’t believe I actually did it!

After my first solo art exhibition in 2025, I knew I wanted my next exhibition to be bigger and grander. I wanted to create something that went beyond the traditional white walled art exhibition...and that’s exactly what i did this year for Black History Month.

On Saturday 3rd October 2026, An Evening of Excellence brought together art, culture, fine dining, live entertainment and most importantly, community.

The vision behind An Evening of Excellence

The idea was simple. I wanted to bring people together to celebrate culture, community and creativity.

As an artist whose work celebrates and empowers Black and Brown women, hosting an exhibition during Black History Month felt right. I also felt that it was an opportunity to do something different in Birmingham as i don't believe enough is done to celebrate Black History Month in the city. Therefore, I wanted to create an experience where people could enjoy art alongside food, live music, entertainment and dancing.

It was never about making money or selling paintings. I genuinely wanted people to come together, have a fantastic time and see my art.

Having a big vision is one thing. Bringing it to life is another. I’d never organised an event like this before and I was learning as I was going along. From approaching sponsors and asking for financial support to managing all the different elements that make an event like this possible.

I reached out to over 100 potential sponsors and received a yes from only 7. Big contrast right? However those 7 made the night possible - Shout out to Vision4all CIC, Tesco, Brightpath Community Housing CIC, Dalgety, ByChy, Treasuretress and Olu Olu Foods. 

The night was incredible but being honest, it did not come without it's hardships on the lead up to it. It was hard work getting those sponsors and finding a venue last minute when the one i had booked suddenly went into administration. It began to feel like everything was working against me which i didn't understand as i was trying to do something positive. 

Then there were the ticket sales. They were very slow and I did not expect to sell out. Some weeks, I wouldn’t sell a single ticket and I started questioning whether people were interested in my vision at all...but then, out of nowhere, I’d sell a bunch in one day and i was reminded...my vision is my vision for a reason!

Looking back, I can see how much I allowed fear and doubt to creep in. Although i did pray and try to practise faith (as I know that God can do all things), i did worry. However, now I see that I just needed to hold on to that faith as everything worked out in the end.

A night that exceeded my expectations

The atmosphere on the night was beautiful. We had a live singer, keyboard player, a saxophonist, a DJ, a three-course dinner, an art exhibition and a silent auction.

Guests arrived dressed elegantly, with beautiful dresses and smart suits. Everyone looked amazing and I loved seeing people make an effort to show up as their best selves.

I loved seeing people mingle, laugh, dance and genuinely enjoy themselves. I wanted everyone attending alone to feel welcome, not like a stranger in a room full of people - which is why i wanted it intimate and not hundreds of people. Seeing everyone talking to one another and enjoying the evening made me realise that the atmosphere I’d hoped to create was actually there.

Celebrating Black history through art

A major part of the evening was my artwork. I created a painting featuring 25 iconic Black figures specifically for Black History Month, alongside ten additional paintings.

I wanted people to experience my work in person because, as I’ve often been told, seeing my paintings in real life is very different from seeing them online. The detail, texture, light and shadow are things that photographs don’t always capture.

The exhibition gave people the opportunity to stand in front of the work, appreciate the details and engage with the stories behind it.

We also held a silent auction of an original painting in support of Five X More, a charity that campaigns for improvements in Black maternal health. The auction was a last-minute addition after someone suggested it just a week before the event. I thought, why not? It’s for a good cause.

I’m incredibly proud that we raised £1,500. I hadn’t expected to raise that much, so it was certainly another highlight of the evening. A victory I will not forget.

There was another reason this evening meant so much to me and it’s something I don’t want to overlook.

I’ve been painting for six years and every year until recently, I’d sold paintings and surpassed the previous year’s sales. However, over the past year, I hadn’t sold a single painting. I didn't quite understand why that was, especially as i had been pouring into my art and artistic career so much this year.

So, to sell three paintings on the night was an unexpected and massive achievement for me. One of those paintings actually sold for the highest amount I’ve ever sold a painting for!

After a year without making a sale, that moment meant more to me than I can explain. I had to keep believing that things would come back around and that things would work out, even when it was taking time to happen. 

You may not be religious but I am and in everything I do, I have to give God the glory because I genuinely wouldn’t be able to do any of this without His strength. 

What I’ve learnt and what’s next

If there’s one thing An Evening of Excellence has taught me, it’s to trust God more and stop allowing fear to overshadow my faith. If you have the vision, the dream, the idea...ACT ON IT!

It’s also taught me to accept help. I can be so focused on getting things done myself that I forget I don’t have to carry everything alone. I did have a village behind me! Organising an event over ten months while managing my art career and my personal life was a lot and that’s something I’ll need to approach differently next time.

Will there be another An Evening of Excellence? Absolutely!

I’ll be honest, immediately after the event, I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it again so soon. The planning takes a huge amount of time and energy, particularly when you’re doing so much yourself. However, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many asking for it to be an annual event.

Knowing that people believe in this vision makes me excited to see what I can do in 2027. I don’t know exactly what the future holds for An Evening of Excellence and if there will be a year 3, 4, 5...but I do know that I want to keep creating experiences that bring people together and celebrate our culture.

And if we’re doing it again, we’re going to have to level up so i will definitely start taking my ashwagandha from now to calm my stress levels LOL

To everyone who attended, purchased tickets, supported me, sponsored the event, performed, helped behind the scenes or contributed in any way, thank you!

Thank you for believing in my vision, showing up and helping make the evening what it was. Thank you to everyone who purchased artwork and to those who supported our silent auction for Five X More. 

Most importantly, I thank God for the strength to keep going when I felt like giving up - for reminding me to hold on to my faith and for allowing me to see this vision come to life.

An Evening of Excellence was about so much more than an exhibition. It was about community, culture, connection and creating something meaningful.

I started with an idea that sometimes felt bigger than me, questioned whether people would support it and worried about whether I’d be able to pull it off...BUT I DID...  and I couldn’t be more pleased.

Here’s to An Evening of Excellence 2027!