Paint & Shade The Stigma Vol 2

🎨 A Movement in Color. A Canvas of Care.

This December, Blaq Linq invites you back into the circle — where color meets courage and art becomes activism. Paint & Shade The Stigma Vol. 2 returns to honor World AIDS Day, reminding us that every brushstroke can tell a story of resilience, remembrance, and radical love.

What began as a celebration of creativity and community has grown into a movement — one that continues to reimagine how Black, Brown, and LGBTQIA+ people gather, heal, and resist together.

Here, we paint not to cover what’s broken, but to reveal what’s brave. We sip not to escape, but to exhale. We  show up not to perform, but to be seen — whole, human, and healing.

📍 EVENT DETAILS

Location: Oak Cliff Cultural Center – 223 W Jefferson Blvd, Dallas, TX 75208
Date: Friday, December 5, 2025
Time: 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Parking: Free Street Parking Available

🎟️ LIMITED TICKETS – RSVP TODAY!

🔥 WHAT TO EXPECT

🎨 Embodied Paint & Sip Experience

🧍🏾‍♂️ LIVE Model Canvas – The body becomes the art. A living, breathing surface of expression where participants are invited to paint directly onto the model in real time — transforming vulnerability into visibility. Each brushstroke is an act of remembrance and resistance through our “Ink Your Impact” experience: choose a word, phrase, or symbol to paint on the model — honoring those we’ve lost, those who live, and those still healing. 🎭 Models provided by The Legendary International House of Garçon – Gulf Coast Chapter & The International Captivating House of West – Gulf Coast Chapter.

🎤 “Stigma I’m Shading” Open Mic – Guru (Spoken Word Artist) Your truth. Your mic. Your moment.
🗣️ Guest Speakers: Kahlib Barton (Father) – The Legendary International House of Garçon, Gulf Coast Chapter & Deon West (Father) – The International Captivating House of West, Gulf Coast Chapter
🤝 In part with support from BLACC (Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition)

💎 INCLUDED WITH EVERY TICKET ($10)

✔️ Apron + Gloves
✔️ Brushes + Paints
✔️ Complimentary soda & juice
✔️ Charcuterie by Fogo de Chão — A selection of cured meats, aged cheeses, and accompaniments
✔️ 1 Raffle Ticket for exclusive giveaways

💎💎 VIP TICKET ($20) PERKS:

🍸 1 Complimentary Premium Drink Ticket
👑 Limited Availability – Go VIP & sip in style!

🎟️ RAFFLE BUNDLES AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE:

• $5 Bundle – Includes 5 raffle tickets

• $10 Bundle – Includes 10 raffle tickets

✨ COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

🧪 On-site confidential HIV testing & local wellness resources
🤝 Community Collective — Featuring local fraternities, organizations, creators, and cultivators
🎶 DJ vibes + intentional networking
📸 IG-worthy moments from the minute you arrive

💬 OUR STORY CONTINUES

Last time, we painted the power of visibility.
This time, we paint the power of remembrance.

In the spirit of World AIDS Day, we gather to honor those we’ve lost, uplift those living and thriving with HIV, and remind each other that healing is not linear — it’s layered, communal, and alive.

Because this isn’t just another paint & sip.
It’s a living altar of art and advocacy — a reminder that beauty and grief can coexist, that joy can rise from remembrance, and that we are still here.

🖌️ We’re not just painting — we’re remembering.
🍷 We’re not just sipping — we’re celebrating survival.

💥 We’re not just showing up — we’re Shading The Stigma.

📲 Spots are limited — RSVP now to secure your place in this story.

#PaintAndShade #WorldAIDSDay #SlayTheStigma #RedRibbonDrip #ArtMeetsAdvocacy #BlackAndBrownHealing #CommunityUnfiltered #BlaqLinq