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NCANY ON-LINE NEWSLETTER
Vol. 1 No. 5
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Publisher: Kwame
Brathwaite
Chief Writer: Joan Banks
Reporter: Surya Peterson
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CULTUREFEST SCORES
BIG AT BROOKLYN MUSEUM
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CultureFest 2001, billed as
the first annual celebration of global arts and culture, was just
that, a multicultural feast of performing artists performing to an
upscale crowd of cultural enthusiasts just hungry for such an event.
The festival, held at the celebrated Brooklyn Museum of Art, featured
everything from jazz, reggae, calypso and Afro-beat music to poetry,
fashions, theatre and dance.
The show was produced by cultural
veterans, Kwame Brathwaite, Nabii Faison and Aduke Aremu, as a
fundraising event for their respective organizations; The National
Conference of Artists New York, The National Black Theatre’s
Institute of Action Arts, and New Dove Productions.
The brainchild of Aremu, it was a
reunion of some of the arts organizations that participated in the
1977 Festac’77 Black Arts Festival in Lagos, Nigeria. In addition to
the full evening of cultural enrichment, it featured an awards
presentation to leaders, past and present, in various cultural art
forms. The awards were for: Institution Building, Theatre, Festival
Production, choreography, dance, art, poetry, fashion and music.
Among those honored were the late,
great Dr. Pearl Primus for her contributions to choreography; the
Honorable Bob Marley who, even twenty years after his death, is still
the most dynamic force in reggae, for his contributions to the world
of music; living legends Dr. Barbara Ann Teer, founder and builder of
The National Black Theatre, for institution building; Voza Rivers a
longtime leader in developing theatrical productions (Sarafina) for
his contributions to theatre; the International African Arts Festival
for 30 years of excellence in festival promotion; The Last Poets, who
have been performing for over 30 years, received the award for poetry;
artist and foremost art historian, NCA board member Dr. David C.
Driskell, the recipient of the White House 2000 National Humanities
Medal (presented by then President Bill Clinton), for his many
contributions to the world of art; Moshood - (Moshood Afariogun)from
Nigeria, for his pioneering efforts in manufacturing and marketing
Africentric styles received the award for Fashion; and The Dinizulu
Dancers, who have for a half century been on the forefront of African
dance led by the late founder, Nana Dinizulu, got the award for dance.
The South African band led by
Bakithi Kumalo (who played on the Graceland album with Paul Simon),
performed in the Grand Lobby playing to a lively crowd of appreciative
people that ran the gamut from grassroots activists, young
professionals, politicos, social and cultural workers to corporate
managers and executives. Excerpts from NBT’s production of “Oya”,
an African musical drama by David C. Wright, the Marie Brooks Dance
Company, a series of segments entitled Poetic Justice, with George
Edward Tait, Louis Reyes Rivera, Liberty, Calvin Anderson, Tom
Mitchelson, and the poetry awardees Abiodun Oyewole and The Last Poets
all stunned the crowd with their creative writing and delivery skills.
A carnival parade by Cheryl Byron & Something Positive, was
performed throughout the museum the entire evening. The Angela Harris
Jazz Ensemble, The New Release Reggae Band with John Moody and dancing
to the sounds of Superior Style were enjoyed throughout the evening
that also included food catered by Harlem’s Uptown Juice Bar,
Tangine’s Morrocan Restaurant, and Blue Ridge Caterers. An open bar
was provided by Hennessy for the evening.
The recording artists Imajin
performed in a tribute to NBT’s producer Tunde Samuel (who made his
transition in August in 2001). Special guests r&b recording
artists Blue Magic gave an inspiring message for the audience gathered
in the Cantor Theatre, site of the performances.
The evening also starred a fabulous
fashion production, FashioNations produced by Co-Operative Ventures,
presenting some incredible fashion designers including, Brenda
Brunson-Bey, and her fashion line Tribal Truths, Adunni Oshupa Tabasi
and her Alkebu-lan Designs, Khalil and his Threads by Khalil, Everett
Clark and his EC Designs. CultureFest will be an annual event. If you
missed it, or any of our other events, and if you are not currently on
our mailing list, write or e-mail us with your name, address, zip,
e-mail etc.
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Members of Cheryl Byron’s Something Positive
perform at
CultureFest
Photo by Kwame Samori |
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Kwame Brathwaite accepts award for NCA
Board member
Dr. David Driskell, presented by Leroy Campbell
at Brooklyn Museum of Art.
Photo by Kwame Samori
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THE DEDICATORS HONOR FAITH RINGGOLD & VINCENT SMITH @
BROOKLYN’S MARRIOTT HOTEL
Kwame Brathwaite
Grace Y. Ingleton, Anesta Samuel
& company presented their Sixth Annual Celebration of the Black
Artist as a fund raiser for their 48th annual scholarship fund.
Supported by more than 40 leading artists, who contributed work for
sale for the fund, and who helped to pay tribute to two of its own,
painter, mixed media artist, sculptor, performance artist, writer,
educator and noted quilt maker, Faith Ringgold and printer, print
maker-illustrator, muralist and educator, Vincent D. Smith.
Ringgold added the Dedicator’s
award to the more than 75 awards she now possesses, including fifteen
Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts Degrees and numerous grants throughout
her career.
Smith, a Brooklynite, who once lived
right where the Marriott now stands, before he left “to make room
for it”, is listed in 30 museum collections, including the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art and The Brooklyn
Museum of Art, has participated in more than 300 shows. Vincent is the
recipient of a host of grants and awards including The John Hay
Whitney Fellowship, The American Academy and National Institute of
Arts & Letters, The National Endowment for the Arts and
Humanities, The Childe Hassam Purchase Award and the American Academy
of Arts and Letters. His murals at Boys and Girls High School in
Brooklyn, and the Oberia D. Dempsey Social Service Center in Harlem,
and his two mosaics in the 116th Street and Malcolm X Blvd. station in
Harlem are well known to New Yorkers.
The exhibition was curated by
collector/ attorney Valerie Pilgrim Bell-Bey. Among the many NCA
artists (past or present) in the show and/or on the dais were,
Abdullah Aziz, Betty Blayton, Adger Cowans, Louis Delsarte, James
Denmark, Frank Frazier, MLJ Johnson, Karl McIntosh, Elizabeth Catlett,
Ernie Crichlow, Otto Neals, Emmett Wigglesworth and yours truly.
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Photographs
by Kwame
Samori
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JUST FOR THE RECORD by Joan D. Banks
Our cup runneth over… Our Friday night
“tripleheader” CultureFest at the Brooklyn Museum of Art was a
virtual kick-off for a weekend that was overflowing with events
under that banner. That same evening also offered a different slice
of our culture up at the Studio Museum in Harlem. “Dancing through
the Decades” celebrated Black dance with an invitation to “dress
up in garments from the 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s.” Free Charleston
and Lindy-Hop lessons were available and the special guest was
Wycliffe Gordon, the acclaimed trombonist, composer and arranger.
Saturday and Sunday brought a marathon program
presented by NYC & Company, a showcase of more than 60 of the
city’s cultural institutions from 11 AM to 6PM in Bryant Park
(behind the NY Public Library at 42nd St). all FREE! It is projected
to become an annual event. “Meanwhile, back at the ranch”-
Brooklyn that is - the same time frame offered another opportunity
for artists and their neighbors and friends to commune. SONYA held
its 5th semi-annual Studio Stroll. South of the Navy Yard Artists is
the organization founded to promote the work of those living within
a broad area of Central Brooklyn, loosely defined by Flatbush,
Atlantic, Flushing and Bedford Aves.
This group has created a welcome nexus for the
artistically and ethnically diverse population spread throughout
their contiguous neighborhoods. Those who aren’t able to
accommodate visitors in their personal space often team up with
other artists in a convenient location. It’s a great chance to
make your neighbors aware of the talent in their midst and initiate
other mutually beneficial alliances. For this tour they produced
their own little newspaper - SONYA News-with articles by
participating artists and tour-goers to acquaint us more fully with
their enterprise and its impact. They have promised an 8-page
edition for the Spring 2002 tour. Free self-guided tour maps were
available during tour hours at these starting points: Tillie’s ,
248 DeKalb Ave. at Vanderbilt Ave., and Clinton Hill Simply Art
Gallery, 583 Myrtle Ave. at Classon Ave.
Deborah Singletary contributed an inspiring
article about how she became a real artist, after years in the
“wannabe” limbo. She generously shared her modest quarters with
two other artists this time: June Gaddy, and Ken Wright, - new to
the tour. He had come to my attention a couple of years ago because
of the handsome and imaginative framing he had provided for an art
exhibit. That expertise was recently shared in a seminar he held at
Bed-Stuy Restoration. For this tour he exhibited stained glass
mosaics.
We’ll be seeing them again soon in upcoming
shows. June is in the show at LIU’s Salena Gallery and Deborah
will be at the Parlor Gallery (one of the principal SONYA venues)
along with P. Oliver (ceramics) and D. Lammie-Hanson, Nov. 11 - Dec.
9. Opening reception is Sunday , Nov. 11, 2-6PM and an Artists
Discussion is scheduled for Sat. Dec. 1, 2-5PM,. Do try to attend!
The Parlor Gallery is at 305 Vanderbilt Ave., between Lafayette
& DeKalb Avenues. Curators: Kathleen Hayek and Michelle Kerr.
718.789-2545.
Sunday October 21 also introduced an artist not on
the SONYA circuit - yet. Kennis Baptiste is a relative latecomer to
the art world whose present immersion is not the result of a
longtime aspiration. He grew up in Grenada and later moved to
Brooklyn.
Though told he had talent, Kennis admits he
“never really explored that avenue, did little sketching and no
painting at all”. Instead, he concentrated on subjects like math
and science, which led to a degree in Electrical Engineering, his
current occupation.
His first piece of art was a portrait of Bob
Marley, but it remained a solo effort for a long while. Six years
passed before he heeded the urging of friends and renewed his
exploration of painting. He felt a sense of wonderment that he could
be producing such work without prior art instruction or education.
His output and confidence increased to the point he finally decided
to share his work with others.
His first showing was so well received that he was
energized to continue. And thus we meet him with an exhibition
“Soul in Motion”, at Indigo Café and Books - on view to October
31. All this has occurred just since last year! Uncovering his
dormant talent has been so stimulating and satisfying that he hopes
to elicit a similar response from viewers. Kennis also told me that
he has joined NCA New York. Indigo Café is located at 672 Fulton
St. betw. So. Portland & So. Elliot Aves. Open Wed.-Sun.
Zakiya Arts (Willie Torbert’s Studio) invites us
to a group showing by Karin Wilson (botanicals), Ken Wright, and the
collage works of Willie Torbert himself. The exhibition entitled
Uplift, Continuity and Evolution will have opening receptions Sat.
Nov. 3, 3-11:PM and Sun, the 4th, from 2-7PM. 528 Herkimer St.,
between Albany & Troy Aves. 718.735-4778.
Jewel Golden (NCA NY 1st V.P.) has managed to
dazzle us again, causing me to reflect anew on the appropriateness
of her name! Renowned for her complex collage compositions, she has
surprised us with a foray into a new area. Besides three new
examples of her brilliantly conceived collage works, her solo show
at SATTA GALLERY displayed an array of fascinating dolls fashioned
around carvings of the familiar fertility symbol. Her
“Honeychiles” are truly unique figures, in elaborate, richly
adorned outfits that doll collectors will find irresistible. An
inspired feature is the mounting of some of them on brooms, in
reference to the old ritual of “jumping the broom”. They would
make a really special wedding gift for a “culture conscious”
pair. These creations can be seen through Nov. 30, 349 Atlantic Ave.
718.257-7139. Wed. - Sat.
One of the many special events cancelled by the
WTC catastrophe was an evening at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
(Sept. 13) that was to have introduced Roy DeCarava’s new book,
The Sound I Saw. The occasion was arranged by the Multicultural
Audience Development Advisory Committee and Phaidon Press, with
David Ushery, anchor / reporter from WABC-TV engaging Mr. DeCarava
in conversation about this prodigious volume. Many years in the
making, it represents some 40 years of creating images that focus on
jazz musicians and scenes of Harlem, along with his own poetry.
On Oct. 24, WBGO, the Jazz radio station, was
heard offering 4 autographed copies as a reward to the first 4
persons to make a $150 pledge during their fund drive. They
described it as a truly beautiful (and weighty) publication that one
would treasure. The invitation sent out by the Met bore a really
lovely portrait of a young Sarah Vaughn.
FIRE PATROL No.5: Where it’s comin’ from…
Many of us just discovered “Uptown’s” newest
art venue when notified of the solo show of new works on paper by
Danny Simmons (Sept. 22 to Oct 13). The gallery’s intriguing name
refers to the original occupants of the small building at 307 W. 121st
St. (betw. St Nicholas & Manhattan Aves). It opened there, in the
heart of Central Harlem, in January of this year, but it is actually
not a new enterprise. Director Christine Louisy-Daniel had maintained
a presence in the East Village for 15 years as “The Emerging
Collector”, holding exhibitions, auctions and poetry readings.
Transplanted from France, she has a history of
hosting art events in several European countries and deals with a
roster of international artists that run the gamut of contemporary
expression. The gallery is a welcome addition to the neighborhood,
allowing art lovers to find innovative and appealing artwork without
traveling to Chelsea or Soho.
On October 27, Christine presented a new show -
“Love Letters”, curated by Amir Bey, featuring Verna Hart, Robin
Holder, Charlotte Ka, Whitfield Lovell, Luanda Lozano, Lynn Seeny,
Beuford Smith and Bey himself. The reception included a hilarious
“frog and prince” performance by humorist Gywned Simpson. She had
the jam-packed gallery in stitches. On view to Nov. 17; Wed-Sat.
11-7PM… 212.316-2609.
FRANK WIMBERLY is “in the wings” as the next
soloist at the June Kelly Gallery - Nov.2 - Dec. 1. “Compositions
for Matter” is a series of new abstract paintings in which,
according to art writer Phyllis Braff, “ a striking, unusual
luminosity coats the canvases, making them seem otherworldly”.
Wimberly studied at Howard University with James
Porter, Lois Mailou Jones and James Wells. He is represented in many
public and private collections, including The Metropolitan Museum of
Art, The Art Institute of Chicago and Time Warner, N.Y. He lives and
works in N.Y.C. and Sag Harbor. 591 B’Way; 212.226-1660; Tues.- Sat.
11AM - 6 PM.
A Book On Business Savvy some of you may need to
peruse is Licensing Art & Design: A Professional’s Guide to
Licensing and Royalty Agreements, Revised Edition, by Caryn R. Leland
(Allworth Press). It promises to show “designers, illustrators,
photographers and fine artists how to increase their income by
licensing their creative images.” Sounds like a MUST to me. 128 pp,
6x9 paperback, ISBN 1-880559-27-7. $16.95.
The Show Will Go On! …We have received word that
MoCADA’s Masquerade Ball has been rescheduled for Saturday, Nov. 10
at the Picnic House in Prospect Park. Those of us who were
disappointed about the postponement can now rejoice. Get your masks
and costumes ready, there’s going to be a good time for all. A new
mailing is going out for it.
The Lobby Gallery at the Brooklyn Central Library
(Grand Army Plaza) just completed a showing of another bright young
artist Aisha Bell. Selected by The Skylight Gallery of Bedford-Stuyvesant
Restoration Center, Ms Bell’s “Looking Through Stone Walls”, was
a series of ceramic relief portraits “exploring the transition
between painting and sculpture” with diverse characters aggressively
projecting themselves upon your consciousness. This space is a small
nook, but its location, by the elevator, assures its visibility. The
emphasis in these displays is on contemporary forms of creativity. Ms
Bell is a recent graduate of Pratt Institute and has been employing
her skills in various teaching situations. She has also been involved
in fashion design and a spoken word group.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
 | MFON ESSIEN will be the next featured artist at
Rush Arts (526 W. 26th St.) with a retrospective covering
1995-2001. opening reception is Friday, Nov. 2; on view thru Dec.
1. The gallery has a new director -Quashelle Curtis. She replaces
Derrick Adams who has left to pursue an art program at Columbia
University. He reports that he “loves it”. |
| ·@ SKOTO GALLERY, Oct. 18-Nov. 17: Nexus II is
exhibiting work by Paul C. Gardere, Helen Evans Ramsaran and
Freddy Rodriquez, curated by Carl E. Hazelwood (of Aljira). 529 W.
20th St. 5th floor. Wed-Sat, 11-6 212.352-8058. |
| The Studio Museum In Harlem has a lot going on in
these upcoming weeks. Sunday, November 4 they’ll begin its
Artists-in-Residence Open Studio program with a press preview from
2-3PM and will admit the general public from 3-5.Conceived at the
formation of the Museum over 30 years ago, the AIR program remains
central to SMH’s identity. You’ll get to meet the 2001-2002
AIRs, Kira Lynn Harris, Adia Millett and Kehinde Wiley in their
new studios. |
| SMH will present The Artists Voice at the Robert
Miller Gallery featuring noted photographer Renee Cox on Thursday,
Nov. 8th at 7PM. |
| On Friday, Nov. 9th at 7PM, SMH’s Adult
Programs will present Curator’s Conversation w/ Deborah Willis.
Debbie, an artist, curator and scholar, will share her perspective
about her contributions to the field of photography, and her work
towards creating the noted exhibition Reflections in Black:
Smithsonian African American Photography. Seating is limited and
on a first-come, first-served basis. Admission $5 members,
students and seniors, $7 general admission. Call for reservations
212.864-4500 x264. |
| Books & Authors featuring Elizabeth Alexander
will be SMH’s Adult program speaker Mon., Nov. 12 @ 7PM. She
will read from, and open up discussion on, her newest poetic
endeavor, Antebellum Dream Book. FREE. |
| Benny Andrews will be at the SMH, Sat. Nov. 17,
11-1PM, where the renowned artist will lead a hands-on workshop,
Books and Authors, Kids! Hear stories, have your books signed and
participate in the workshop with Benny. This program is free for
families with children 5-12 years old. 212.864-4500 x220. |
| Simone’s Gallery in Pelham, N.Y. is showing
“Homecoming: A New Beginning” thru Nov. 30th, featuring works
by Ken Addison & Toph. They are located at 140 Fifth Ave.
Pelham, N.Y. for info: 914.712-0888. |
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