Holding Spaces Exhibition

In Steven Hatchett’s photo exhibition, he pays homage to the legacies of Black businesses in Austin, Texas. 

As a photographer and artist, Steven Hatchett’s Holding Spaces is a dedication, a witnessing, and a love letter to generations of self-determination in the Black Austin community. Comprising photographic portraits of local businesses—like Marshall’s Barbershop, Black Pearl Books, Luv Fats Ice Cream, Cajjunn Eats, Kickin’ It, Riches’ Art Gallery, Homestead Hub, and Shag Noir Salon—the immersive exhibition documents vital third spaces in Austin, while celebrating Black histories of generational wealth, cultural safety, and economic independence. 

Historically, Black businesses provided safe and reliable spaces for everything from celebrations to community organizing in the face of racial and economic injustices. Hatchett’s work situates itself within contemporary Black archival portrait photography in the United States, which aims to preserve and celebrate Black cultural traditions and memories, even as hegemonic narratives attempt to erase or disregard their importance. For example, the featured portrait of Kevin Asperry, the owner of Marshall’s Barbershop, is accompanied by a barber’s chair, immediately evoking familiar symbols of fellowship through imagined buzzing clippers, light hearted voices of barbers shouting wisecracks across the shop and heads being held delicately, but firmly while fresh-cut clippings are swept across the floor. 

Visitors can also sit in an interactive reading nook to browse through a curated selection of library books from Black Pearl Books, view pieces from the personal art collection of Richard Samuel of Riches’ Art Gallery, and recall the feeling of waiting for a silk press or a loc retwist in Shag Noir salon. This experiential exploration demonstrates the inherent value of the cultural capital that Black businesses offer to the world and reminds us of the creative ways culture is infused into the idiosyncrasies of our everyday life.

In Holding Spaces, Hatchett invites us to consider what is possible when we amplify and support Black businesses—and the third spaces they inherently create. His work ennobles the contributions these spaces make to cultural preservation and fights against displacement and gentrification in Austin today; fights that attempt to reverse the severe loss of spaces dedicated to Black cultural creation and historical memory. By tapping into these collective and shared memories, Holding Spaces tells a larger story, about belonging, resilience, and what it really means to hold space for each other.

About Steven Hatchett

Steven Hatchett is a portrait photographer rooted in Austin for the past eight years. What drives him is the quiet power of seeing — really seeing — Black life, in all its complexity, beauty, struggle, and joy. His images weave social commentary into contemporary expressions of identity, community, labor, and play.

His show All Kinds of Black in Tech was exhibited at AfroTech and at the Austin Public Library, where his work invited reflection, celebration, and conversation about access, presence, and belonging in tech spaces.

But Steven’s mission extends beyond creating images. He is the co-founder of _OFCOLOR, a nonprofit born out of a desire to uplift emerging artists of color, not just through exposure, but through mentorship, resources, and collective creative power. Over the years, _OFCOLOR has grown into a focal point of artistic growth, cultural dialogue, and community in Austin.

About OFCOLOR_OFCOLOR is a non-profit organization, an emerging arts alliance dedicated to cultivating a community of creatives and launching inclusive spaces for artists of color to showcase their craft and talents. Established out of a need to spotlight underrepresented communities in Austin, the organization devotes its efforts to uplifting the work of BIPOC artists, initiating visibility, and forging opportunities.

About Taylor Danielle Davis

Taylor Danielle Davis is an  independent curator and landscape designer dedicated to amplifying emerging QTBIPOC artists through inclusive exhibitions and community engagement. Her work bridges art and culture, fostering diverse creative expression and meaningful conversations in the arts.  Raised in Los Angeles, CA and based in Austin, TX, Taylor’s curatorial practice is driven by a commitment to fostering artistic expression, elevating underrepresented voices, and sparking meaningful conversations through diverse works of art.

In addition to her curatorial work, Taylor is actively involved in the Austin community, previously serving as a board member for both Women and their Work Gallery and for the Trail Conservancy, where she chaired the Arts and Culture Committee. She also served as a panel member for Austin’s Art in Public Places program, is a member of MASS Gallery, and serves on the curatorial advisory board for Future Front Texas. Taylor’s multifaceted roles reflect her passion for integrating art, culture, and community, creating spaces where creativity thrive and artistic vision is supported..

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