About ArtRize
Akilah Shukura Nosakhere
Owner/Executive Director
A Library professional with over 30 years of experience in managing information in the fields of business, the social and natural sciences. Ms. Nosakhere has contributed to Librarianship through her writings and
editorial leadership in the fields of African Studies, African American Studies, and Black Librarianship.
A graduate of Ball State University and Clark Atlanta University, Ms. Nosakhere spent most of her career as an academic librarian at Georgia State University where she developed her research and reference
skills assisting students and faculty in the Social Sciences. While at GSU, Ms. Nosakhere served as a library consultant in Cote Ivoire (Ivory Coast) West Africa to develop an English and French speaking
community college. As the lead editor of the seminal bibliography, African American Studies Core List of Resources, and African Studies editor for the reference work, Books for College Libraries, and a contributor to the
standard handbook, Research, Reference Service, and Resources for the Study of Africa. In 2012, Ms. Nosakhere served as co-editor with Andrew Sekou Jackson and Julius Jefferson and produced the second edition of the 21 st- Century Black Librarian in America: Issues and Challenges.
In Lyon, France, at the 2014 International Federation of Library Associations, Ms. Nosakhere presented results of a survey, “Open Access Resources for Academic Libraries in Africa: Selection and Evaluation”. Her research partner Mustafa Abdelwahid, Ph.D., Dean of Student Affairs, Admissions & Registrationat Alfaisal University A fan of history and biography Ms. Nosakhere has contributed biographical essays for African American
reference resources. Her most recent work appears in “Where are all the Librarians of Color?” published by Library Juice Press in 2016.
Ms. Nosakhere became the first tenured librarian at the Carlsbad community college of New Mexico for her visionary transformation of the traditional library. The expansion of the learning lab and addition of
a children’s and safe space and collection continues to be a favorite of the community as well as students attending class with their children.
In 2016, Ms. Nosakhere and her husband Charles Freeman, a highly regarded California muralist, relocated to Muncie where she assumed the directorship of Muncie Public Library. She retired from the
directorship in 2024.
Mission
The mission of ArtRize LLC is to present multi-generational programming that inspires an appreciation of the African and African American cultural legacies.
Core Value
We believe in the Golden Rule as wellas the principles of Kwanzaa's Nguzo Saba which serve to uplift and educate our customers and community at large.
ArtRize seeks collaboration with organizationss that share our mission to promote multigenerational programming that brings joy, self awareness, and sparks creativity.
ArtRize will facilitate poignant cultural activities appropriate for all age groups through collaboration with local arts organizations, individual artists, and African studies scholars.