The back of a Good Samaritan hoodie, sold within the space. (Photo: Rasheed Z. Ajamu)
Anonymous Germantown artist and resident NOMAD is taking his name to new heights with the concept and impact of the Good Samaritan Clubhouse, supported by the Our House Culture Center (OH) residency.
The Good Samaritan Clubhouse is your stop for priceless thrifted finds like pants, shirts, buttons, shoes, old vinyls, VHS tapes, and more. The clubhouse catches your eye instantly from the outside with the block yellow storefront font on the window. Within, NOMAD’s artwork is plastered everywhere from wall to wall and on top of furniture.
Though he’s always sold goods, Nomad found challenges working out of his house due to space constraints, so the need for a dedicated space was in the vision.
At the perfect time, he was encouraged by neighbor and business owner Courtney Childs, owner of OH2, to secure his own space, which he found to be a good idea. But, he needed to do something that “felt right.”
“I wanted to have a space where people can come,” the artist said. “And I know a lot of people want to work with me, I know I want to work with a lot of people, and I don’t like doing it out of my actual house.”
Child’s very own OH Residency seemed to be a vehicle to help make his dreams a reality, as she launched the program to provide space for creativity to thrive and for artistic visions to flourish.
The NOMAD tag, symbolizing anonymity and cultural expression, has resonated deeply with the community, particularly highlighting Black identity and resilience.
“My intentions weren’t what [NOMAD] is known for now. I was just wrestling with the way I felt about anything, the plight of Black people in America, just the living conditions we have, just so many different things. And NOMAD is like a vessel to express those things. And I almost feel like I’m the voice for the voiceless,” said the artist NOMAD.
It is not just the iconicism of NOMAD and the affordable digs that uplift the Clubhouse. The people you find at the house are all uniquely and intrinsically connected to their community. Artists, organizers, entrepreneurs, and family. The community’s response to the tag and the Clubhouse is positive, with people buying the art and the Clubhouse becoming a community hub.
Being in the space, you gain affirmation from the culture that is on display and being in positive spirits with one another.
“It’s a great space with great creative energy,” said community member and marketing support, Chris Harper. “There’s always trendy people coming in here. You can find really discounted, refined, high-quality, culturally relevant items.”
Harper shared his personal connection to the tag, noting its African features. The tag is seen as a symbol of Black pride and cultural rediscovery, with its iconic Bantu face being a hieroglyph for face in Egyptian hieroglyphs.
Two signature messages with the NOMAD tag are “Stop Gentrifying this Jawn” and “Black is Beautiful,” which you might find walking around Germantown on many things, from storm doors to fire hydrants.
Clubhouse Samaritan, Cody, spoke about his first time seeing the NOMAD tag around 2022 or 2023, while in his commute to work.
He says, “I had got out of my car real quick to, like, look at my tire, and I just randomly looked to the left, and right there it was in a very like fine print. And it said, ‘Black is Beautiful’ with the face, kind of like shouting it out, and I took a picture. I still got the picture on my phone to this day, and that shit made me smile. I needed that.”
Nomad has plans for the store to turn into a gallery show starting on Friday, April 18, 6-10 p.m., where all valuable art will be on display. The residency officially ends on April 25, where a closing celebration will be held in partnership with the Germantown Sound Sessions show, from 7-9 p.m.
Nomad values the temporary nature of his presence, using it as a platform to distribute his art and connect with diverse audiences. The residency is a stepping stone for NOMAD’s future projects, with continuous evolution and community engagement. But there are big things in store for the artist.
Stop by and join the club before Nomad goes back into the shadows at 6376 Germantown Avenue.