Spring is upon us, the flowers are blooming, the weather is warmer and the calendar is filling up with fun and creative events all over the city. Sista Soul Fest NC is hosting its annual fundraiser, Say it LOUD! NC: The Creative Art Gala and Auction on Saturday, April 26 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the District 26 Studios located at 991 Old McPherson Church Rd. It’s the perfect opportunity for artists, art enthusiasts, and collectors to put on their best cocktail attire to convene in support of local talent and help Sister Soul Fest raise money for upcoming community events.
Participating artists have been encouraged to create art representative of their community and “to say something meaningful, say it loud, and say it proud.” Say it LOUD! will feature a variety of artists and art mediums, including paintings, videography, photography, and fashion design. Guests will be treated to light hors d’oeuvres, complimentary champagne, and live performances while they mingle with showcasing artists and bid on their favorite pieces to take home at the end of the evening. General admission is $40, and students can purchase at a discounted rate of $20. Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.sistasoulfest.com/say-it-loud.
Ayreka Plowden, event manager, director of the organization NC Chapter, and owner of Aje Noire Creations/Pressure Applied Management, is excited about this year’s event and the opportunities for growth for future events. As an avid supporter of the arts and community engagement, Plowden is hopeful this event will provide artists with a platform to showcase their art, build a buyer portfolio, and network with like-minded individuals.
“Say it LOUD! is an annual fundraiser to fund Sista Soul Fest, but it is also an opportunity to support local artists. It was brought to both me and the founder, Miss Loretta, whenever we were looking at different artwork. She [said] 'Ayreka, you know there are so many artists, especially black artists here, but they don’t get that much push.' She said she wanted to do an art gala, and I said, ‘let's go.’ I wanted to do it in my city. We have so many artists and art-based things, whether it’s music, whether it’s individual art or poetry, all of them are killing it. We have so much to offer and I feel as if we need to have a lot of different avenues. I’ve heard a lot that artists don’t feel appreciated enough. And I wanted to let this be an opportunity for them to be seen, get their artwork out there, possibly meet some collectors of their art, and get dressed up because who doesn’t like to get dressed up? And it’s for a good cause, which is funding productions by Sista Soul Fest. So this is a [great] opportunity,” Plowden said.
Sista Soul Fest is a nonprofit founded in Des Moines in 2020 by Loretta Torrell. Torrell has successfully run a festival that creates a space for women, especially women of color, to offer/sell and display their talents, gifts, and businesses. The festival not only highlights black women-owned businesses, products, and art but also hosts an annual “We See You Sis” Awards, recognizing the best and brightest in the community. In 2022, the organization expanded to North Carolina under the direction of Plowden and hosted its first Sista Soul Fest in 2024. While the organization has had a slow start in the community, Plowden is confident that residents will see the value in pouring back into the women, especially black women, who are the pulse of this city.
“Sista Soul Fest’s main purpose is to help build a community of women that is going to help build and build our communities because, of course, we always know that when women put their hands on something, it’s going to get done. We are a moving force behind almost everything. It’s a [festival] that helps bring awareness to women-owned businesses, all women, but it does have a special niche for African American women, brown women, and women of color. Because sometimes we are often underrepresented.”
For more information, visit the Sista Soul Fest website at https://www.sistasoulfest.com/.

(Graphic courtesy of Say it LOUD! Facebook page)