God Bless Their Soles

For 30 years Linda Mickens was a neonatal intensive care unit nurse, “providing tender care to infants and their families,” her daughter Karimah Mickens said. Linda was also an artist who made sculptures out of bronze. But she put her art on hold as life got busy with raising children and materials became expensive. 

Then, in 2019, Linda Mickens began to get back into her art, spending more time as the pandemic unfolded and as she retired. She experimented with new materials, using recycled paper, wire frames and found objects. She made sculptures of the everyday angels among us,” that turned into a collection she called, “God Bless Their Soles,” which celebrates the resilience and strength and joy of African Americans. She also creates pieces influenced by the far-reaching impact of gun violence on African American communities. 

A “social art activist,” Mickens has said she is “deeply inspired by the sounds of black folk and my southern roots. The blues, jazz, gospel, the familiar sound of cloth scraping across a washing board and Grandma’s laughter.” 

Her work has been acclaimed in the press and widely exhibited at the Creative Arts Workshop, the Ely Center, John Lyman Hall and in a permanent collection at the River Road African American museum in Donaldsonville, Louisiana. She’s received support from foundations and funds and is at work on life-size sculptures of a New Orleans funeral procession and a series of angel benches to be placed all around New Haven. 

Her daughter, Karimah, happily watched it all unfold. “My Mother has always centered our family,” Mickens said. “She was a single Mom raising three kids working the third shift, working all the time to give us opportunities. She taught us to have courage and to explore and try new things.”

With her mother turning 70 in 2024, she wanted to find a way to honor her and decided to establish the God Bless Their Soles Fund at The Community Foundation.  “The God Bless Their Soles Fund is dedicated to helping artists succeed by removing barriers to creativity and providing essential support,” Mickens said. “Inspired by my mother, we recognize the powerful impact of art in bringing people together and influencing the world. We aim to make it easier for artists to support themselves, celebrate their talents and create meaningful contributions. Together, we can empower artists to reach their full potential and make a lasting impact on the world.” 

Karimah Mickens, Hamden’s Town Clerk, has long known of the work of The Community Foundation. She is a member of the New Haven Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. Established in 2006, it was the first charitable endowed scholarship fund established by an African American sorority at a community foundation. The Community Foundation has also supported  Amplify the Arts Festival in Hamden which Karimah Mickens founded. The festival showcases the voices and perspectives of youth, LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities in Hamden. “I’ve been a public servant and volunteer my entire life,” she said. “And I know the great work of The Foundation.”

With The Community Foundation’s Vineyard Project in New Haven encouraging Black philanthropy, contributing $2,000 to people creating a fund, Mickens knew the time was right.

“I want to remove barriers for aspiring creatives,” Mickens said. “I have a vision and want to be sure that local artists have supplies and that there are more spaces where they can work. I want to help support access so their art can be part of exhibitions and seen in galleries and museums.”

“Art nurtures us,” Mickens added. “It uplifts us, encourages us to question things and to think. Art brings my mother so much joy and I want to find ways to have other artists have that joy.”