Six Square: Bridging the Gap

Leading the Way for Artist Equality

Words by Sam Lauron Photos by Mackenzie Smith & Jerrell Trulove

When Pamela Benson Owens joined Six Square a year ago, her first order of business was not to take immediate action but, rather, to listen. What resulted was a subtle, yet crucial, shift in how the organization showed up and held space for the community it has served for the past seven years.

Pamela, founder of Edge of Your Seat Consulting whose background is in leadership consulting and conflict resolution, was brought on as Six Square’s interim executive director to help strengthen the nonprofit’s methodologies. As a starting point, Pamela went on what she describes as a “listening tour” in order to understand what the community in which the organization caters to truly needs. What she learned from speaking with and listening to Black artists and entrepreneurs in East Austin is that there’s a crucial gap that Six Square could be filling. 

“I think there’s a real disconnect between how the community shows up and partakes in the arts,” says Pamela, “and [understanding] what it takes to be an artist of color in one of the most expensive cities.”

Founded in 2013, Six Square’s mission is to preserve and uplift the art, culture, and history of Central East Austin. While that mission, along with the name—a reference to Austin’s 1928 city plan that forced Black residents to live within a six square mile radius east of what is now I-35—remains the guiding force for the nonprofit, Six Square is reframing how that mission takes shape. 

“We have an ongoing opportunity to say, ‘how do we need to show up in this space?’” says Pamela. “How do we get people to be curious about what they don’t know? It’s so easy to live in a bubble.”

With Pamela at the helm, the small team of four determined that Six Square’s role is to be a voice, an advocate, and a partner for artists and creatives of color. To do this, they’ve curated educational, community-driven programming around arts, economic development, and even topics like mental health. One recent program they introduced, for instance, is a virtual meditation series called Black Minds Matter. 

Through initiatives like these, Six Square hopes to not only create a safe space where artists have a voice but to also provide an educational platform that strengthens the community’s knowledge and understanding of East Austin’s art and cultural legacies.

Six Square has been a constant source of preservation and sustainability. But by paring down their programming and focusing on just a few core pillars, Pamela believes they will be able to provide for the community in new ways and achieve their ultimate goal.

“To me, the end goal is true equality around the artist community,” she states. “[This role] has been equal parts grueling and difficult, but it’s also the thing that gets me out of bed. I am meeting the most incredible artists and creatives, and it’s powerful.”

Stay Black & Live
Six Square partnered with George Washington Carver Museum and several Black organizations in East Austin for Stay Black and Live, a virtual Juneteenth festival. The festivities included free food, an online raffle and auction, and live performances. Though the annual festival was forced to take place online due to COVID-19, the event had more than 1,000 attendees.

Contact:
1152 San Bernard Street
info@sixsquare.org
sixsquare.org
@sixsquareatx