On February 7, The Fortune Society’s Creative Arts community celebrated the unveiling of a mixtape at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) during A Celebration for The Healing Project Artists. Beginning in August 2025, a group of talented Fortune artists collaborated with Samora Pinderhughes to craft a creative and deeply moving mixtape that highlights their unique talents and personal stories. This weekend’s event at MoMA marked the culmination of months of dedication from the featured artists and invited a wider audience to listen, engage, and connect with their inspiring work. 

Each of the featured artists created an original song, with support from Samora and Caleb Knight, Creative Arts senior associate, in the final production. Throughout the process, the artists frequently collaborated with each other by brainstorming lyrics and sharing feedback. 

After they finished writing and composing their songs, the artists recorded their songs at Figure 8 Studios in Brooklyn. The mixtape project was an opportunity for the artists to pour themselves into the art and express themselves freely. 

“I want people to understand how serious it is when we say that music is a part of a person’s healing and can be a part of a person claiming their identity and developing the confidence that we all should have as we move through our lives,” Caleb said. “I think the most amazing thing is watching people start to identify themselves as artists. I know that, for me, if I can bring that part of myself into a space, I feel like I can actually present the whole of who I am to somebody.”

Along with the mixtape, the celebration featured a powerful photo series titled Who Gets to Name You? that showcased how society can label you and the empowering act of owning one’s story. Malik Simmons, a Fortune artist featured in both the mixtape and the photo series, expressed the profound impact of reclaiming his identity through this project. 

“It was beautiful that other people could see me in certain manners,” Malik shared. “I’ve learned a lot about myself through my community. I used to beat myself up a lot of it. Now, I have a lot of people who talk a lot of life into me now.” 

Malik’s song, “Walk with Me,” touched on themes of leaving the past behind and being guided by his faith. For Malik, art is a vital tool for healing.  

“I heal through most of my poetry, just writing, just being honest with myself for writing,” Malik said. “It helps A lot. It gives me clarity, and then I don’t really have to stress about a lot of things. Or I just write a song about something I’m stressing about.” 

The celebration at MoMA reflected a deep sense of accomplishment and hope by highlighting the artists’ healing journeys. The connections forged through creativity served as a powerful reminder of the importance of community in overcoming adversity.