In conjunction with the Dreamland Theater’s screening of I Love Boosters, this panel brings
together artists and cultural practitioners to explore the role of radical cinema in shaping Black
cultural imagination across time and place. Drawing connections between Oakland and Tulsa’s
historic Greenwood District—two places shaped by powerful histories of Black cultural
production, political struggle, and artistic innovation—the conversation considers how artists use
film and visual culture as sites for storytelling, critique, and imagining new futures.

Moderated by Dr. Tiffany Barber, the panel features filmmaker and musician Boots Riley,
Dreamland Theater founder Kolby Ari, and artist and filmmaker Adrian Burrell. Together, they
will discuss how artists, filmmakers, and cultural spaces help shape new narratives about
community, history, and collective possibility.

The program will take place at Burning Cedar Sovereign Wellness. Doors open at 7:00 PM,
followed by the panel discussion and audience Q&A at 8:00 PM.

Dr. Tiffany E. Barber is an award-winning scholar, curator, and critic whose work reshapes how we understand race, gender, and representation. A sought-after voice in contemporary art, culture, and fashion, her expert commentary spans academic journals, museum exhibitions, acclaimed documentaries, and major media outlets like The Nation, Huffington Post, Frieze, and Tate Etc. Currently Assistant Professor of African American Art at UCLA, Dr. Barber’s unique blend of art history, performance theory, and Black feminist thought inspires diverse audiences and institutions to advance new cultural futures. Her accolades include the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery Director’s Essay Prize; leadership roles at the International Journal of Surrealism, the Delaware Contemporary, the College Board, and the Black Speculative Arts Movement; and numerous fellowships. Her path-breaking exhibitions have been featured in Essence, The Brooklyn Rail, Surface Magazine, and Google Arts and Culture. Her debut monograph, Undesirability and Her Sisters: Black Women’s Visual Work and the Ethics of Representation (NYU Press, 2025), cements her reputation as a leading tastemaker and thinker of this generation.

Adrian L. Burrell is an Oakland artist and filmmaker whose practice examines the intersections of race, class, and intergenerational dynamics. His work has been exhibited at ICA San Jose and Minnesota Street foundation (USA), the FORMAT Photography Festival (UK), Lagos Photo Festival (Nigeria and the Republic of Benin), and featured in The New Yorker and the BlackStar Film Festival. His works are held in the permanent collections of the SanFrancisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) and the Crocker Art Museum. Burrell is a past resident of Black Rock, Senegal. he represented the USA in the Dakar biennale and is a recipient of the Kenneth Rainin Foundation grant(USA). 

Amir Saadiq is a conceptual artist whose multidisciplinary practice explores the psychic residue of historical violence and the complexities of Black embodiment. Working across photography, film, and installation, his research-driven projects engage critical theory, history, and archival absence to examine memory, visibility, and cultural trauma. Saadiq holds an MFA from the University of California, San Diego, and a BA from Howard University, and is an alum of the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture. He is currently a Tulsa Artist Fellow, and his work has been exhibited nationally and internationally.

Program organized and presented by Amir Saadiq with support from Tulsa Artist Fellowship,
Dreamland Theater, and Kinship Frame.