Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Cole.
Hi Christina, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Art and creativity is central to my story. I am currently studying Art History on a pre-law track at the University of Texas at Austin, with two minors in Business and Public Policy and African and African Diaspora Studies. Prior to pursuing college, however, I was a professional ballet dancer. I am originally from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, however I left home at 15 to pursue ballet through Boston Ballet’s Pre-Professional division. I graduated from Walnut Hill School of the Arts as they partnered with Boston’s Pre-Professional program during my last two years of high school, before moving to Seattle and eventually Austin to dance with Ballet Austin before parting ways with ballet due to a hip injury. Through my ballet journey however, I always had a love for learning, particularly English and history. Additionally, I have always been surrounded by artists and creatives, from my own family members to close friends. This led to my desire to study Art History at UT Austin, however I ultimately aspire to become an attorney working on the legal side of the art world.
My special interests lie at the intersection of art, advocacy, and empowerment. My time in ballet nurtured my deep love for the arts and creative expression, in addition to teaching me discipline, leadership, and how to be graceful under pressure. Creatively, I thrive in spaces that merge purpose and innovation, which I have found through my leadership roles on campus and public service. I enjoy project management, event planning, and visual storytelling, which are a culmination of creativity, strategy, and logistical planning. These interests led to found Noire, a Black student organization for creatives at UT Austin.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Transitioning from an all-consuming art form such as ballet into college life was easy in many ways– I had already developed the discipline, independence, and maturity necessary to balance my academic classes, extracurricular activities, and social life. However I struggled to truly decide where I wanted to go next in my career. As someone who is very structured and known to have a plan, this uncertainty was difficult to navigate. I have always been creative and strategic, and deeply enjoy project management and leadership. I also love writing, analysis, and research. I also have always been interested in law, however with no lawyers in my family or immediate network, the idea of diving into the legal world was daunting. However, through my time at UT, I’ve learned to embrace the uncertainty and begin to explore what it means to pursue a legal career while staying true to my love for art and advocacy for my community. I hope to become an attorney working in the art world through a legal perspective, whether it be with a museum or fashion house, or even doing repatriation, reuniting previously colonized cultures with the art that was stolen from them. Noire has provided the opportunity for me to utilize my skillset and love for art to serve my community, and has even allowed me to bring intellectual property attorneys to the organization, an area of law I’m interested in, to our members to inform them of ways they can protect their intellectual property. I hope to have a legal career where I can continue to serve marginalized artists and my community as a whole.
As you know, we’re big fans of Noire. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I have always been surrounded by artists and creatives, from my own family members to close friends. At UT, I noticed how many Black students had creative or entrepreneurial interests, whether it was modeling, film-making, or owning a braiding or nail business. I felt that our community, while close-knit as Black students only comprise 5% of UT Austin’s student population, did not connect enough when it came to our creative and entrepreneurial talents. I also saw an opportunity for Black student creatives to develop professionally, whether it be through networking, building financial literacy, or building their resumes and portfolios. Student organizations are a crucial part of community-building at UT Austin, particularly for Black students, so I began connecting with various student leaders to learn how I could make an organization for Black creatives fit into our small but talented community. I approached my eventual co-founder and close friend Nia Nash with the idea for this student organization, and as an artist herself, she also saw this need in our community, and we began to work together in the spring of 2025 to bring our vision to life. We registered as an official student organization, created an executive board, and began to hold events last fall. Of course, are many challenges that come with starting a student organization, especially at a large institution like UT Austin, where DEI initiatives were defunded in 2024, making it difficult for identity-based student organizations to get funding or have visibility. In addition, the number of Black student organizations on our campus can make it difficult for newer organizations to stand out and gain consistent engagement from Black students. We have many other Black organizations that fulfill a creative niche, such as film and fashion, however we intended for Noire to function as an umbrella organization, or a brokerage, that connects all of these creative niches. We’ve initiated collaboration opportunities with them, as well as other non-creative organizations, such as our Black Law Student Association, to bring more awareness to Noire and our mission. Raising money to hold events has been a challenge, particularly in our first year, however we are working hard to continue raising money to support our initiatives, and hope to look for corporate sponsorship in the future. As we approach our second academic year as an organization, we are excited to continue to help Black creatives at UT cultivate a creative network to elevate their craft, sharpen their professional skills, and grow their personal brands through collaborative projects and vibrant events.
What were you like growing up?
I have always been ambitious. When I was in kindergarten, my teachers asked my parents if they put a lot of pressure on me, specifically academically. They would respond “No, she sets those expectations for herself.” Even now, that hasn’t changed. I have always been a creative individual, but also very structured. I was an avid learner, constantly checking out books from the library, having spelling bees with my mom, and always eager to be challenged. Obviously, I had a love for dance and took ballet seriously from a young age. It was everything I loved: art, expression, athleticism, and a good challenge. I also loved to write, draw, and read as I mentioned previously. Creativity was always central to who I was, although I have found I enjoy being strategic and managing creative projects as I’ve gotten older. I am a natural leader, often advocating for myself and my peers, which is something my mother instilled in me from a young age. I did not demand nor command a lot of attention as a kid, I was very comfortable with myself and who I was; however I did love being on stage and was never afraid of performing, however off the stage I was much more introverted. I’ve always been very imaginative as well, which likely is why I dreamed up Noire, as I am always creating something, even if it’s not necessarily an artwork or a poem.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noire.tx/
- Other: texasnoire@gmail.com
