Mark the Spot, E1: Art, Pencil on Paper

Few represent the innovative and communal spirit of the Dallas creative scene quite like Temi Coker, the 33-year-old multidisciplinary artist who is attracting the attention of global brands and audiences with his vibrant, layered designs that are deeply inspired by his Nigerian heritage. 

While the world is calling (and Temi is certainly answering the call), he maintains Dallas as his homebase, running his namesake creative studio, Coker Studio, alongside his wife, Afritina Coker, and raising their children amid one of the most productive and collaborative Black arts scenes in the country. With Drop a Pin, a new travel series from VIBE & Rolling Stone, Temi is taking us along in the 2026 Lincoln Nautilus® Hybrid to show us some of his favorite Black creative spaces throughout DTX. 

Though frequently overlooked in favor of its coastal counterparts, Dallas actually boasts one of the largest urban art districts in the country. Couple that with its affordability and broad spectrum of artistic backgrounds, and you have all the makings of a cultural epicenter.  

“What I love about Dallas is there are different creative pockets,” Temi says. “It’s people who sew and crochet, people who do ceramics, people who are in theater. There are different hubs and you get to find your community and sometimes the communities intermingle. I love it because now you have a videographer who needs someone who can dance on a video and the video is for a fashion designer who wants someone wearing their outfit and now you have these people collaborating together.”

Before he hits the road, it’s important that Temi—whose mind is working overtime between his graphic design, brand partnerships, clothing label, and parenting two under two—finds a moment of stillness and peace. While driving, “I’m playing jazz, I’m playing blues, I’m playing gospel. I have two kids now, so I’m also playing kids songs,” Temi says.

The available Lincoln Rejuvenate, a feature of the Nautilus®  Hybrid, helps him to tap into what he describes as a “flow state” before setting out on his journey. The 48-inch panoramic display, ambient lighting, sound, scent, and massage seating work together in Lincoln Rejuvenate to help quiet what’s competing for your attention, to help you  reset and return to your flow.

In ART,  the first episode of Drop a Pin, Temi visits Pencil on Paper, a gallery and educational facility in Dallas’s Design District. The space—dedicated to uplifting and platforming Black art—is driven “by a desire to create intentional opportunities for artists, particularly those deeply invested in storytelling and experimentation,” says gallery director Dr. ie Bennett, who adds, “I wanted to build a space that could support artists beyond exhibitions by fostering dialogue, community, and creative growth.” 

Among the artists featured at Pencil on Paper is Dr. Bennett’s husband, painter Emmanuel Gillespie, whose “Joy and Love” series depicts simple yet deeply profound moments of happiness in various eye-catching shades of blue. 

“Talking with Temi reminded me how important it is for artists to share perspectives across disciplines,” says Gillespie. “That exchange of perspective is important because it pushes the work forward and creates a deeper sense of community within contemporary art.”

Agreeing, Temi reiterates the significance of connection and collaboration among Black creatives, saying, “I’ve always believed in having enough room at the table to bring friends and give visibility. As a Black artist, we sometimes feel like, ‘Okay, there’s only one spot for us in this niche.’ … There’s something that we say in the African community, which is “There’s enough food at the table.”

On the next episode of “Drop a Pin,” Temi is taking us in the Lincoln Nautilus® Hybrid to his favorite clothing store D For Dapper, where owner Derandon Davis offers some of the finest curation of high-end resale in Dallas.