Noticing a lack of spaces for Black artists to showcase their talents in Madison, Shasparay, then a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, launched the Black Arts Matter Festival in 2019. The festival began at the Madison Public Library, where Elizabeth Snodgrass attended as a spectator. When she later took a position as the Wisconsin Union Theater director, she saw an opportunity to bring Shasparay’s vision to the university’s performing arts center.
Office of Strategic Communication