Billie's Blues Collector Tee | Art Is Power Vol. I
White / XS
$42.00
Sale price
$42.00
Regular price
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Billie's Blues Collector Tee | Art Is Power Vol. I
$42.00
Sale price
$42.00
Regular price
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Art Is Power Vol. I — Billie's Blues Collector Tee
Original artwork by Antionette Simmons Hodges. Designed for collectors, art lovers, and those who believe art belongs beyond the gallery wall.
About the Artwork
Billie Holiday didn't just sing the blues — she lived inside them, transformed them, and gave them back to us as something holy. Born Eleanora Fagan in Philadelphia in 1915, she became one of the most emotionally precise voices in American music history, and one of the most surveilled, persecuted, and misunderstood artists of the 20th century. The FBI kept a file on her. The government used drug laws to silence her. She died at 44, under arrest in a hospital bed.
Antionette Simmons Hodges painted her the way she deserved to be seen — through a cut-and-paste ransom-note collage aesthetic, bold typography, and painterly blue tones that feel like a record sleeve from another era. Irreverent. Soulful. Deeply cultural. This is not a licensed reproduction. It is an original work of fine art, worn.
Printed in rich matte DTG ink on heavyweight 6 oz Airlume combed ring-spun cotton. The print feels embedded, not applied. The garment feels premium because it is.
Available in: White · Natural · Navy
Sizing
Intentionally oversized and boxy — dropped shoulder, relaxed fit, made to drape. Size down for a more fitted look. True to size or up for volume.
- S — chest 36–38"
- M — chest 38–42"
- L — chest 42–46"
- XL — chest 46–50"
- 2XL — chest 50–54"
- 3XL — chest 54–58"
Unisex. 6 oz heavyweight cotton. Matte DTG finish. Free U.S. shipping.
Art Is Power Vol. I is a wearable archive — a collection honoring the artists, warriors, and thinkers who shaped Black creative life. Use code ARTISPOWER20 for 20% off through Juneteenth.
📖 Read the story behind this artwork →
About the Artist
Antionette Simmons Hodges is a celebrated artist whose vibrant, culturally rich work draws from rural life, jazz, and family. After 30 years in art education, she now paints full-time. An active member of Black Artists of D.C., her work has been exhibited globally and explores the depth and beauty of Black culture and identity.
Artist Rights & Reproduction
© 2026 Antionette Simmons Hodges. All rights reserved.All artworks are the original creations of Antionette Simmons Hodges and are protected under U.S. and international copyright law. Purchasing an original painting does not transfer the rights to reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works of the image.
The artist retains all rights to the artwork, including the right to reproduce the image for prints, marketing, and promotional purposes, unless a separate licensing agreement is made in writing.
Collectors may display the artwork in their personal or commercial spaces but may not reproduce or resell the image in any form.
Free shipping included on every order
Fit Guide
This tee is intentionally oversized and boxy — the dropped shoulders and relaxed silhouette are part of the design.
Full Size Chart
| Size | Chest | Length | Sleeve |
|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 34–36" | 26" | 8" |
| S | 36–38" | 27" | 8.5" |
| M | 38–42" | 28" | 9" |
| L | 42–46" | 29" | 9.5" |
| XL | 46–50" | 30" | 10" |
| 2XL | 50–54" | 31" | 10.5" |
| 3XL | 54–58" | 32" | 11" |
Measurements are of the garment laid flat. All measurements in inches.
About This Design
Billie's Blues Tee Billie Holiday sang the truth even when the truth was dangerous. Strange Fruit — one of the most devastating protest songs ever recorded — she performed at a time when doing so could cost her everything, and she performed it anyway. Antionette Simmons Hodges rendered her in the cut-and-paste collage tradition — ransom-note typography, a blue portrait pulled from memory and feeling, pieces assembled into something whole that somehow captures exactly who Billie was: fragmented and luminous, soft and steel. This tee lives in that same space between sorrow and defiance. Blues is not sad music. Blues is surviving.
The Artist
Antionette Simmons Hodges
A Maryland-based painter and retired Washington D.C. art educator with over 35 years of work honoring the beauty, strength, and resilience of Black life. Her signature style — bold color, stylized form, and deeply human subject matter — translates to the garment the way great art always should: it stops you.
Meet the artist →Care Instructions for Your Print
DTG-printed garments need a little extra care to keep the artwork looking sharp for years.
- Wash inside out — always
- Cold water only — warm and hot water fade DTG prints
- Gentle or delicate cycle
- No bleach or fabric softener — both degrade the ink
- Tumble dry low, or hang to dry for best results
- Do not iron directly on the print
- Do not dry clean
Treated well, your print will hold its depth and detail wash after wash.
Free shipping included on every order
Fit Guide
This tee is intentionally oversized and boxy — the dropped shoulders and relaxed silhouette are part of the design.
Full Size Chart
| Size | Chest | Length | Sleeve |
|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 34–36" | 26" | 8" |
| S | 36–38" | 27" | 8.5" |
| M | 38–42" | 28" | 9" |
| L | 42–46" | 29" | 9.5" |
| XL | 46–50" | 30" | 10" |
| 2XL | 50–54" | 31" | 10.5" |
| 3XL | 54–58" | 32" | 11" |
Measurements are of the garment laid flat. All measurements in inches.
About This Design
Billie's Blues Tee Billie Holiday sang the truth even when the truth was dangerous. Strange Fruit — one of the most devastating protest songs ever recorded — she performed at a time when doing so could cost her everything, and she performed it anyway. Antionette Simmons Hodges rendered her in the cut-and-paste collage tradition — ransom-note typography, a blue portrait pulled from memory and feeling, pieces assembled into something whole that somehow captures exactly who Billie was: fragmented and luminous, soft and steel. This tee lives in that same space between sorrow and defiance. Blues is not sad music. Blues is surviving.
The Artist
Antionette Simmons Hodges
A Maryland-based painter and retired Washington D.C. art educator with over 35 years of work honoring the beauty, strength, and resilience of Black life. Her signature style — bold color, stylized form, and deeply human subject matter — translates to the garment the way great art always should: it stops you.
Meet the artist →Care Instructions for Your Print
DTG-printed garments need a little extra care to keep the artwork looking sharp for years.
- Wash inside out — always
- Cold water only — warm and hot water fade DTG prints
- Gentle or delicate cycle
- No bleach or fabric softener — both degrade the ink
- Tumble dry low, or hang to dry for best results
- Do not iron directly on the print
- Do not dry clean
Treated well, your print will hold its depth and detail wash after wash.