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National Conference of Artists of New York |
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THE ART SCENE
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Brooklyn, NY MoCADA continues it winning ways: their 3rd annual Art Collectors Event was held on March 16 and harvested some $16,000 in sales. Those proceeds will benefit the further development of the museum. With works selling at a flat price of $350, one to a customer, this occasion had eager buyers lining up outside from noon for the 3 pm opening. Last December 18, they were recognized as a New York State museum by the State Board of Regents -- the only one in Brooklyn with a specific mission to further promote, document and exhibit the art and culture of the African Diaspora. The current show (0n view ‘til June 1)
is a tour de force by Laura James. A self-taught painter living here in
Brooklyn, she was commissioned to produce the illustrations for The Book
of the Gospels. She has often depicted biblical themes using iconography
typical of Ethiopian Christian art. |
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Chelsea UFA has a group exhibit, “Women in the
Arts”, thru April 21. The “chosen” are: Nicole Awai, Xenobia Bailey, Syd
Carpenter, Shelley Herman, Ashley James, Karen Leon, Cheryl Miller, Ruth
Neustadter, Susan Schwalb and Peri Schwartz. Xenobia has “miniaturized”
her pieces for those of us with limited spaces, by rendering them in fine
thread, mounted and framed under glass. RUSH ARTS
will present “Silence” featuring the works of Bradley McCallum and
Jacqueline Tarry April 12 - May 18. |
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Harlem FIRE PATROL #5 set the night on fire with the opening
reception on March 9. “In the Spirit of Yemaya”, the mythical spiritual
goddess known as the Great Mother, celebrated the creativity of women. The
works of over a dozen contemporary artists from diverse backgrounds and
cultures were represented. The full house brought together many of the old
“downtown” crowd to mingle with Christine’s new uptown constituency. The
performance piece, “All the Things We Are” was a big hit, and despite all
the socializing, several items were sold. Small in scale, they were very
accessible to comparable spaces and budgets. Carol Blank produced an image
for the gallery’s mailing card that was a clever play on “one picture is
worth a thousand words”: from her fertile imagination, layered words
created the picture. |
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SoHo JUNE KELLY new works by Debra Priestly were displayed thru March. Her mixed-media compositions melded the new technology of digital photography with painting in an appealing format that set out family and historical photos. Aptly titled “Preserves” they were framed within the visual metaphor of her grandmother’s Mason jars. Now - New sculpture by Elizabeth Catlett will be on
display from April 4- May 5. A recent public commission for Catlett was
the 15x10-foot bronze memorial of writer Ralph Ellison, to be installed
later this year, near his former home at Riverside Drive & 150 St. A
ceremony was held last November for the unveiling of the plans for the
project, which was a city community collaboration. It was noted that
Ellison was once a sculptor. Catlett’s design was inspired by his
best-known work, “Invisible Man”. |
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East Village SAVACOU GALLERY. NUWAC (Nubian Women’s
Art Circle) has again teamed up with Savacou to present “Expressions III:
Creativity Thru the Eyes of Women” - on view to April 12. The artists are:
Nancy Brandon, Calida Garcia, (a new young talent), Jewel Golden, Marion
Howard, Enid Richardson-Moore, Sonia Lynn Sadler and Jackie Peters-Cully.
Jackie and husband Bernie have been happily ensconced in Florida for more
than a year now. They would welcome hearing from us from time to time:
2737 Horseshoe Court, Sarasota, FL 34325, Jackie’s entries demonstrated
her fondness for jazz - with a quartet of paintings on silk (her
specialty) depicting jazz musicians at work. I want to call attention (imagine a trumpet fanfare) to the special 25th Anniversary issue of IRAAA (International Review of African American Art). Vol. 18, #1. You will learn a lot more about many familiar names in the realm of Black art, along with others you may barely recognize, but you should certainly have this issue for reference. In reading about “25 Who Made A Difference” (and the editors are not suggesting that the list isn’t at least twice that length) I was especially impressed by the story behind Kenkeleba Gallery, over at 214 E. 2 St. Owners Corinne Jennings and Joe Overstreet are due a huge helping of R-E-S-P-E-C-T! Read the details on page 39. |
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Midtown D.C. Moore Gallery - “Embers: the Art
of Whitefield Lovell - Thru May 4. Working from anonymous portrait photos
of African -Americans from the late 19th century, the artist has used
charcoal to draw life-size likenesses on old wall and floorboards. To
these he has added a variety of appropriate artifacts to create a series
of historical tableaux. These images will resonate with viewers who will
surely recall their own family photos and keepsakes from that era. There
is a beautifully done catalog available at D.C. Moore. |
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Baltimore, MD If you’re headed for Baltimore soon,
be sure to visit the Baltimore Museum of Art. “Looking Forward/ Looking
Black: Race in America” tackles the issue of the revived use of racial
stereotypes in contemporary art, often by African-American artists.
Included are works by Kara Walker, Renee Cox and Robert Colescott. |
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New Jersey WBGO-FM has a record of fostering visual art appreciation as well as jazz. Brooklyn’s Leroy Campbell and Willie Torbert are among those who have had exhibits in the offices/studios @ 54 Park Place, Newark, NJ. They can be visited during regular working hours 973.624-8880. Currently on view ‘til April 25, are lithos, watercolors and textile pieces by Romare Bearden - provided by the Bill Hodges Gallery (24 W. 57 St., N.Y.C.). |
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Westchester, NY SIMONE’S GALLERY LTD presents “B-Side Second Sights: The Color Faces of Real Life & Music” featuring work by: Anthony “Pan” Nelson. April 13 - May 11. Artist Reception Saturday 4/13 6:30-9:30 p.m. phone 914.712-0888\140 Fifth Avenue, Pelham, N.Y. www.simonesgallery.com |
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