Founded in the spring of 2020 by Jonathan Pitts-Wiley and Dee Speaks, The Vanta Guild is a Rhode Island-based photography collective that seeks to create community by cultivating and celebrating the work of Black photographers who unapologetically depict the experiences and imagination of those of the African diaspora.

The Let-Out derives its name from nightlife culture and is that period of time when people are congregating just after bars and clubs close for the evening. The energy is electric, both comforting and, at times, volatile. In many respects, the let-out is an event unto itself; it is a moment of reunion and disconnection, passion and posturing. Joy, anger, and uncertainty are all at play as people try to figure out what comes after catharsis.

Featuring images captured between April and November 2020, The Let-Out is an exhibit focusing on the joy, anger, and uncertainty of Black American experiences in Rhode Island as people grappled with the realities of pandemic-induced lockdowns, socio-political uprisings, and the struggle to maintain a sense of beauty, joy, and balance in the century’s most turbulent year.

Featuring work by Jonathan Pitts-Wiley (https://www.instagram.com/jpittswiley/), Dee Speaks (https://www.instagram.com/deespeaks_/), Nicholas Mendes (https://www.instagram.com/namphotography401/), Shaun Morse (https://www.instagram.com/fireintheeyephotography/), Rafael Medina (https://www.instagram.com/rafeakspvd/), and Marlisse Payamps (https://www.instagram.com/shotxlisse/).