The discovery of art has forever changed Daisha Board’s life

After things didn’t go as well as she expected in her corporate America job, Daisha Board started searching for something that would help put supplies on the table.

What Board found was art. And it has wilt the oasis that has forever reverted her life.

“I got started in art in 2016,” Board told Mavs.com. “I was laid off from my corporate job and I really needed an outlet to pursue something I was really passionate about.

“My family collects art. I’m originally from New York – from Queens. The culture is at your footsteps, so I was really searching for that here in Dallas.”

Consider that search a smashing success.

Board has created the Daisha Board Gallery — located in West Dallas — that encompasses art with a twist. Her customers are from all walks of life, particularly those who may not have previously dabbled in art.

“I’m loving the fact that my collectors are woebegone and brown families ownership art for the first time and thinking well-nigh how they’re going to create a legacy for themselves and generational wealth for themselves,” Board said. “So, it’s been very good. I can’t complain.”

Board can’t mutter considering she moreover is one of four finalists vying for the top prize in the Mavs Business Assist (MBA) program. She moreover can’t mutter considering not only does she have regular customers purchasing her art, but Dallas Mavericks part-way Dwight Powell moreover has added to his hodgepodge by ownership some of Board’s works.

“(Board) has a unconfined gallery,” Powell said. “She has opportunities to subsect to the art polity that sometimes doesn’t get exposure.

“She’s very unshut to all who are interested or who wants to express themselves. It’s something I can definitely get behind. It’s a trappy gallery.”

An art enthusiast, Powell purchased an art piece that expresses love.

“It’s fairly zipped in terms of the notation that are on it, and it’s meant to be that way,” he said. “It’s not meant to be questioned.

“It’s just meant to be wonted as a depiction of love and helps you find ways to love one flipside and winnow the ways in which others love. I think it’s a trappy message and it’s a trappy piece.”

Growing up, Board now realizes she was surrounded by art scrutinizingly everywhere she turned.

“We have a unconfined hodgepodge that was passed lanugo from my grandmother,” Board said. “She was a Harlem legend. At the time I didn’t really fathom it. But as an sultana and seeing the value not only in ownership things that you love and having representation of art works that resembles my children and my grandparents, that legacy is important to me now.

“I’m loving the fact that we’re starting wondrous collections within these minority communities who have the capital. They just needed the resource. They needed the serviceability and a space where they felt safe.”

Getting that space, however, wasn’t easy for Board. Especially since art — and the purchasing of art by African-Americans — aren’t usually linked together.

“And that was one of my challenges when I went to these banks for funding and for loans that they specified me on,” Board said. “They thought me, as a woebegone woman, selling art to only woebegone people would limit me. But my space is a space that’s unshut to everyone.

“Art should be for everyone, but I do focus on those marginalized communities considering they’re overlooked, they’re underappreciated and under-valued. But we have a huge value of economic power and I’m loving the fact that they’re investing with me.”

The Mavs have moreover made a huge investment in Board, as she and the other three finalists were each awarded $10,000 during a recurrence held this past Monday at Pegasus Park. The final four entrepreneurs were slated to each receive $5,000, but S2 Wanted matched those funds to each winner.

“It is going to be a huge asset,” Board said. “Right now we’re looking at a lot of our supplies are on when order – boxes, rainbow wrap, plastic goods. It’s taken like six months to get these things sometimes, so that’ll help with that. Also, I can use those funds to rent a part-time teammate that will be worldly-wise to work with me and alimony towers within the gallery space.

“There are so many unconfined opportunities for that funding. We have opportunities where we’re engaging with children and bringing them into the gallery, so I would love to sponsor an event where we have a bus load of kids from underprivileged neighborhoods to come into the gallery and to learn increasingly well-nigh art, to see themselves in the art and know that they can be an artist.”

Board said she “got the jitters” when she had to discuss what all entails with her visitor – and reveal all the trials and tribulations — surpassing a panel of five judges, which included Mavs senior executive officer Cynt Marshall.

“I was super nervous,” she said. “It’s one thing to talk in front of people in the gallery and explain art, which I’m passionate about, but I didn’t know what to expect (Monday).

“But I’m glad that it’s over and I’m glad that I’m advancing. And I’m super proud of all of the entrepreneurs in this program and what we’re learning.”

Board, whose gallery first opened in October of 2021, moreover is super proud she’s been worldly-wise to unravel lanugo a few barriers in regards to art.

“A lot of times people think that art is not accessible, and they think it’s only for the elite,” she said. “And when they see the athletes come in, they’re like, ‘Wow, I’m curious well-nigh this, too.’

“Dwight came in a few weeks ago and bought his first piece of art with me. Even someone of that status, they collect things and material things, and to really have ownership is part of the resources that we bring for ourselves. I’m really glad and proud that we have a range — a wide range — of collectors.”

Powell said he has “a decent amount” of art inside his home, and he definitely has plans of visiting Board’s art gallery again.

“I only have so many walls in my house,” Powell said. “I’ll definitely make flipside trip over there.

“That’s now in my rotation spots when I have time in Dallas to at least see what they have going on over there. The exhibits run well-nigh a month-and-a-half each, so I definitely want to trammels out each one as it comes around, for sure.”

Twitter: @DwainPrice

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