Art Is Not Decoration—It’s Declaration. - Charly Palmer & Tonya Boyd-Cannon

Grammy-nominated vocalist Tonya Boyd-Cannon and celebrated visual artist Charly Palmer engage in a riveting, soul-baring conversation that moves between art, ancestry, mental health, and creative purpose. With disarming honesty, they explore how grief, trauma, and generational memory shape their work—and why Black artists must create from spirit, not ego. From Palmer’s reflections on using flowers as both beauty and protection, to Boyd-Cannon’s revelation of how roses became emotional triggers, the two uncover how creation becomes a sacred act of survival and healing. The conversation crescendos into a powerful meditation on legacy, water as a spiritual medium, the sacredness of altars, and Blackness as a universal, unshakable force. What emerges is a profound testimony: art is not decoration—its declaration, remembrance, and resistance.

This episode is part of the ongoing conversations hosted by Baldwin & Co., a Black-owned bookstore, café, and cultural institution based in New Orleans. Baldwin & Co. exists at the intersection of literature, ideas, and community—creating space for rigorous dialogue, storytelling, and intellectual exchange.

Through author talks, podcasts, live events, and community programming, Baldwin & Co. amplifies voices shaping how we understand culture, history, politics, faith, and the future.

Stay connected with Baldwin & Co. across platforms:

Instagram: @baldwinandco
X (Twitter): @baldwinandco
Facebook: Baldwin & Co.
YouTube: Baldwin & Co.
Website: www.baldwinandcobooks.com

Visit us in New Orleans or online to support independent bookselling, discover powerful literature, and engage in conversations that matter.

#CharlyPalmer #TonyaBoydCannon  #BlackArtMatters #ArtAsResistance #CreateFromSpirit #BlackCreatives #HealingThroughArt #GriefAndCreation #SacredNotSafe #BaldwinAndCo #BlackArtistsUnite #ArtAndAncestry #VisualHealing #EmotionalArtistry #AncestralLegacy #CanvasOfTruth #WaterAsWisdom #AltarsInArt #TriggeredByBeauty #ArtForThePeople #BlackStorytellers #CulturalMemory #ExpressionWithoutPermission #VoiceAndVision #SpiritLedArt #kwamealexander #howsweetthesound