Medium

Tieshka K Smith

she/her/they/them

Featured Book

Compositions of Black Joy: A Visual Chronicle of the Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival (2015-2022)

Compositions of Black Joy: A Visual Chronicle of the Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival (2015-2022)

Compositions of Black Joy celebrates 7 years of the Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival in Germantown.

2024

Stories

Pinned

In

Zenite

by

Tieshka K Smith

·

May 12

The Political Power of Black Cultural Gatherings

Documenting joy in a time of democratic anxiety

The Political Power of Black Cultural Gatherings

Tieshka K Smith

·

Sep 9

Framing Creative Authority

What we think we know about the work — and the person who made it

Framing Creative Authority

Tieshka K Smith

·

Sep 2

What Has The Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival in Germantown Asked of Me as a Witness?

What twelve years of photographing one community celebration has taught me about presence, context and bearing witness.

What Has The Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival in Germantown Asked of Me as a Witness?

In

Engage

by

Tieshka K Smith

·

Aug 22

The Space Between What Was, And What’s Next

What my photographic practice is teaching me about patience, discernment and creative uncertainty.

The Space Between What Was, And What’s Next

Tieshka K Smith

·

Jun 22

The Question That Persisted

What an Elder’s Insistence About the Plans For Festival Photographs Taught Me About Listening, Memory, and Stewardship

The Question That Persisted

Tieshka K Smith

·

Apr 13

When Attention Becomes the Measure of Everything

What gets lost when visibility is treated as value

When Attention Becomes the Measure of Everything

Tieshka K Smith

·

Mar 16

From Exhibit to Archive: The Inspiration Behind Compositions of Black Joy

How a social media question sparked a book project connecting past and present celebrations of Black liberation and joy.

From Exhibit to Archive: The Inspiration Behind Compositions of Black Joy

Tieshka K Smith

·

Mar 3

Investing in Legacy: The Power of Collaborative Festival Documentation

Note: This essay is adapted from remarks I delivered at the Philly Festivals Network planning session on Friday, October 24, 2025.

Investing in Legacy: The Power of Collaborative Festival Documentation

Tieshka K Smith

·

Mar 3

Compositions of Black Joy

How a book of photographs of a community celebration reveals its structures, rituals, and resilience

Compositions of Black Joy

Tieshka K Smith

Tieshka K Smithshe/her/they/them

Book Author

Photographer exploring community & cultural memory. Author of Compositions of Black Joy: A Visual Chronicle of the Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival (2015-2022)

Following

Help

Status

About

Careers

Press

Blog

Store

Privacy

Rules

Terms

Text to speech