Born and raised in Baltimore, Latasha Dunston has been making art since pre-school. She's called Colorado home for three years and though she considers herself an "analog girl" with a paintbrush or ink, her portfolio of work continues to expand into other spaces. Regardless of the medium, the outdoors continue to be her greatest muse. 

Future Retro: Meet The Artist from Warren Miller Entertainment on Vimeo.

 "When I get outside, there is so much life and so many things to be seen. So many textures, so many patterns and colors, it's endless inpsiration that you can immerse yourself in," says Dunston. 

Latasha does a lot of  "Plein air painting", meaning she creates her work outside, in the ever-changing and evolving elements. 

Other than making art inspired by her time outside, Dunston is also passionate about disverifying the outdoors and environmental advocacy. "The outdoors are for everyone and what it means to 'be outside' can look different for everyone," she says. 

 

 

 

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A few weeks ago I was commissioned by @breckcreate to make a mural in downtown Breckenrigde. I accepted because Breck is a place that I visit often to play and it’s the location of my other large murals at @logecamps. I also had to be sure that they were taking actionable steps on a government level. I’m happy to report that they are (hence why I took the job). Things like hiring DEI consultants to put real legislation in place and diversifying their boards. But I knew entering a super white town with a message of equality would rub bad people the wrong way. Thankfully I only had one encounter, the situation doesn’t deserve my energy or space on my feed. This piece took me three days to do, approximately 30hrs of work. I’m very proud of how it turned out and the conversations it has already started in this community surrounding supporting Black Lives and making the town more inclusive. There is still so much work to be done but it going to take all people from all walks of life to make it happen. I’m honored to have my art be a catalyst for change. #blacklivesmatter #solidarity #muralartist #streetart #changeyourmindset #weareallinthistogether #blackartist #muralpainter #breckenridge #colorado

A post shared by Latasha Dunston (@jitterbug_art) on Jul 19, 2020 at 4:40pm PDT

The making of the Warren Miller "Future Retro" poster art and logo this year was a team collaboration and Dunston worked to draw in the fun, goofy energy Warren Miller films were originally known for. Latasha is a snowboarder and says she's sees people on the mountain from all walks of life that brands like Warren Miller Entertainment should be including in their storytelling, especially if wintersports hope to grow into a more inclusive space.

"There are people who enjoy snowports from all over and even though they may not be as extreme, they're still a part of the story. And so I leaned in on that idea of, 'we're going to have fun on the mountain today, and take this trip down memory lane, and enjoy ourselves."

"Future Retro is about paying homage to the legend that is Warren Miller Entertainment and where the sport will progress in the future," Says Art Director Elyse Schreiber. "It could have been an ambiguous subject for an artist, but Latasha totally ran with it and gave it life. We're excited to have her stamp in our passport of films and honored that we got to work together."

"It's so amazing what art can do for a community," says Latasha. "The fact that I get to see myself in these frames and share this with my community, it just opens up windows for people to see, 'wow, that's something that I can do too.'"

Follow Latasha's art and advocacy work here. And get your tickets for the virtual tour for Warren Miller's "Future Retro" here. 

-- Learn more about organizations you can get involved in ot donate to that are working to diversify the outdoors. 

-- See poster art from the past in our film catalogue here.