Press "Enter" to skip to content

Posts published in “Exhibitions”

LIFESTYLE: GBN Picks for July 2015

By goodblacknews on June 30, 2015

GBN In JULY

by GBN Lifestyle Editor Lesa Lakin
by GBN Lifestyle Editor Lesa Lakin

It’s here!  Summer… and man, is there is a lot going on in the world.  So if you just want some time to pause and do something fun alone or with loved ones, check out a few things happening this month. Personally I am looking forward to the Sneaker Exhibit. Enjoy July!
IN CINEMA

ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL

Rated PG-13 –NOW PLAYING

Me, Earl and the Dying Girl

If you just want to catch a really great flick…. Me and Earl and The Dying Girl “lives” up to the hype. (Yes, I’ve seen it, and yes, I’ve got a lot to say… GBN review coming soon.) Oh, and Earl is the greatest character I’ve seen in a while. Highly Recommend.  Check out the trailer here: https://youtu.be/2qfmAllbYC8

DOPE

Rated R – NOW PLAYING

dope1

Admittedly I’ve been benched for the last few months and not up on my reviews and screenings, but I  have been meaning to see the critically acclaimed DOPE.  

High-school senior Malcolm (Shameik Moore) and his friends Jib (Tony Revolori) and Diggy (Kiersey Clemons) bond over ’90s hip-hop culture, their studies and playing music in their own punk band. A chance encounter with a drug dealer named Dom lands Malcolm and company at the dealer’s nightclub birthday party; when the scene turns violent, they flee — with the Ecstasy that Dom secretly hid in Malcolm’s backpack. A wild adventure ensues as the youths try to evade armed thugs who want the stash.

 Now playing check out the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=strEm9amZuo

SOUTHPAW

(Currently unrated) – RELEASE DATE JULY 24th

“Southpaw” stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson (Photo via usatoday.com)

I just saw the trailer for this and I’m hooked. Gotta say… I am loving Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson in the acting game. Antoine Fuqua (“Training Day”) directs. Check out the trailer here: https://youtu.be/Mh2ebPxhoLs

IN MUSIC

BROOKLYN, NY

2013-bhf-logo

July 8 – July 11, 2015 Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival: A celebration of Hip-Hop Culture and the Borough of Brooklyn Artists include: Common, Mobb Deep, Lion Babe, Freeway, Charles Hamilton, Pitch Blak Brass Band, Skyzoo, John Robinson, DJ Rob Swift, Torae, and “Uncle Ralph” McDaniels, http://www.bkhiphopfestival.com

July 10- October 4, 2015 Brooklyn Museum – catch the exhibition: “The Rise of Sneaker Culture” https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/rise_of_sneaker_culture/

1_AJ_1_From_Nike_428W_less_shadow
Nike. Air Jordan I, 1985. Nike Archives. (Photo: Ron Wood. Courtesy American Federation of Arts/Bata Shoe Museum)
July 2 – July 4 – LOS ANGELES, CA
5
Smokey Robinson at the Hollywood Bowl.  To get tickets, visit: http://www.smokeyrobinson.com

July 18 – IRVINE, CA; July 19, 2015 – MOUNTAINVIEW, CA

Screen Shot 2015-06-30 at 10.18.24 AM
Artists Include: The Game, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Ice T, Afrika Bambaataa and The Soulsonic Force, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Mack 10, Xzibit, Warren G, Rapper’s Delight, Kurtis Blow, Too Short, Doug E Fresh, DJ Quik, Kool Moe Dee, King T, Grand Master Melle Mel, Tha Alkaholiks, Biz Markie, Slick Rick, EPMD, Cold Crush Brothers, Ras Kass and other special guests. The event will be MC’d by Chief Rocker Busy Bee. https://www.facebook.com/artofrapfest
RELATED: Ice-T Breaks Down Why “Art of Rap” Festival in July is Important to Hip-Hop, Art & Music
July 30 – LOS ANGELES, CA

Moses Sumney
Moses Sumney

Thanks to my little sis, Ashley,  I’m also recommending checking out  the truly captivating musical artist-singer Moses Sumney.  Check him out on SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/mosessumney
He’s headlining the Echo in Los Angeles on July 30th.  http://www.theecho.com/event/861489-moses-sumney-los-angeles/venue/
IN ARTS
July 10-12 – DENVER, CO
(Photo via colbaf.org)
(Photo via colbaf.org)

The Colorado Black Arts Festival is excited to present the best of visual and performing arts to celebrate its 29th Annual Festival July 10-12, 2015 in historic Denver City Park West. This year’s Festival theme “Rock Steady” conveys the ability to excel in the arts with a rocking and soulful dimension.  It represents a soulful genre that captures artistic rhythms with origins in the African diaspora.   Rock Steady 2015!  To learn more, go to: http://www.colbaf.org

Laverne Cox’s Madame Tussauds Wax Figure Will Be the 1st Transgender Figure in the Museum’s History

By goodblacknews on June 8, 2015
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 20: Actress Laverne Cox attends Netflix's "Orange Is The New Black" For Your Consideration screening and Q&A at Directors Guild Of America on May 20, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)
Actress Laverne Cox (Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)

Madame Tussauds San Francisco announced Monday that it will debut a wax figure of Laverne Cox, star of Orange Is the New Black and a transgender rights activist, on June 26 during Pride Weekend festivities in the Bay Area. It is the first-ever transgender figure in the museum’s history.

June 2015 is already shaping up to be a banner Pride Month for the transgender community since a Vanity Fair cover introduced Caitlyn Jenner (formerly known as Bruce Jenner) on June 1.
article by Olivia B. Waxman via time.com

HISTORY: Smithsonian Museum to Display Artifacts from Sunken Slave Ship

By goodblacknews on June 1, 2015
Slave ship plans
Engraving of the stowage plans of the Liverpool slave ship Brooks. (Photograph: PoodlesRock/Corbis)

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture will display objects from a slave ship that sank off the coast of Cape Town in 1794, it announced today.

The artifacts were retrieved this year from the wreck site of a Portuguese slave ship that sank on its way to Brazil while carrying more than 400 enslaved Africans from Mozambique. Objects recovered from the ship, called the São José-Paquete de Africa, include iron ballasts used to weigh the ship down and copper fastenings that held the structure of the ship together.
height.630.no_border.width.1200Lonnie G. Bunch III, the director of the African American history museum, said in a statement that the ship “represents one of the earliest attempts to bring East Africans into the trans-Atlantic slave trade”.
“This discovery is significant because there has never been archaeological documentation of a vessel that foundered and was lost while carrying a cargo of enslaved persons,” he said.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture is currently under construction in Washington and scheduled to be completed in the fall.
The objects from the slave ship are to be on a long-term loan to the Smithsonian from the Iziko Museums of South Africa. Officials have known the site of the wreck for a number of years and suspected the ship was a slave ship, but research only recently confirmed it.
About half of the people on board the ship died when it sank. Others made it to shore but were sold back into slavery, according to the Smithsonian.
article via theguardian.com

University of California, Riverside Honors the Tuskegee Airmen

By goodblacknews on May 4, 2015

“Aim High/Rise Above: The Legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen” at UC Riverside (Photo:
“Aim High/Rise Above: The Legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen” at UC Riverside (Photo: ucrtoday.ucr.edu)

The Tomas Rivera Library on the campus of the University of California, Riverside has recently debuted a new exhibit entitled “Aim High/Rise Above: The Legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen.” The library has been collecting historical materials about the Tuskegee Airmen since 2005 with a focus on the personal archives of three Tuskegee Airmen from California: Arthur C. Harmon, Paul Lehman, and William R. Melton.
Archivist Bergis Jules (Photo: LinkedIn)
Archivist Bergis Jules (Photo: LinkedIn)

Bergis Jules, the university and political papers archivist and curator of African American collections at the library, said that “our goal with the exhibit is to highlight how our collection of Tuskegee materials is significant for supporting research activity locally, regionally, and nationally. We are proud to have been entrusted with these materials and excited to continue to grow the collection to document even more of this important history.”
Jules is a graduate of Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana. He holds a master’s degree in African American and African diaspora studies and a master of library and information science degree from Indiana University.
article via jbhe.com

"Inspiring Beauty: 50 Years of Ebony Fashion Fair" Exhibit at Milwaukee Art Museum through May 3rd

By goodblacknews on April 17, 2015

background-image-1
For those who haven’t had a chance to catch this traveling show honoring 50 Years of the Ebony Fashion Fair, there is still time for anyone in or travelling to Milwaukee, WI between now and May 3 to do so at the Milwaukee Art Museum.  Originally displayed at the Chicago History Museum, “Inspiring Beauty” has been hosted by the Museum of Design in Atlanta as well.
According to Wikipedia, The Ebony Fashion Fair was founded in 1958 by Eunice Johnson and featured male and female models of mostly African-American descent modeling fashions from top European designers such as: Yves St Laurent, Oscar de la Renta, Pierre Cardin, Paco Rabanne, Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier, Valentino and Emanuel Ungaro. The show raised $55 million for African-American charities. The show ended after the 2009 fair due to the death of Eunice Johnson in January 2010.
To learn more about the show or buy tickets online, click here.
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (follow @lakinhutcherson)
 

"Basquiat: The Unknown Notebooks" Exhibit Showing at Brooklyn Museum Until August

By goodblacknews on April 6, 2015
Jean-Michel Basquiat’s notebooks are on display at the Brooklyn Museum. (Credit: Tseng Kwong Chi/Muna Tseng Dance Projects)

As a child, Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) was a junior member of the Brooklyn Museum, which he used to visit with his mother and where he got a globalist view of art history that would provide fuel for his own later painting. He’s back at the museum now, part of that global history, in “Basquiat: The Unknown Notebooks.”

At the start of his career in the late 1970s, Mr. Basquiat was better known for words than for images: short, enigmatic, rap-rhythm phrases that he wrote on New York City walls and signed with a “SAMO©” tag. The phrases, like his Expressionist-style paintings, may have looked spontaneous, but the 160 unbound notebook pages in the exhibition show they were far from that. We see words tried out and scratched out, listed and rejected, sometimes accompanied by drawings. Some of the images are as avid and original as you would expect from this artist, but it’s the words that stand out. He was a poet who happened to find art first, and this is a poet’s show. (Through Aug. 23, 200 Eastern Parkway, at Prospect Park, NY, brooklynmuseum.org.)

article by Holland Cotter via nytimes.com

Mississippi State Hosts “African American Treasures” From the Kinsey Collection Starting this March

By goodblacknews on February 23, 2015

msu art
Bernard and Shirley Kinsey have one of the largest private collections of African-American art, artifacts, and documents, spanning the seventeenth through twenty-first centuries. From March 21 to June 20, items from the collection will be on display at the Mitchell Memorial Library on the campus of Mississippi State University in Starkville. The exhibit, “African American Treasures from the Kinsey Collection” is free and will be open to the general public.
Among the items that will be on display are an early copy of the Emancipation Proclamation and a signed copy of the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision. The collection does not focus on the struggles faced by African Americans over their history but rather their achievements.

article via jbhe.com

"Staying Power": Photographs of Black British Experience on Exhibit in England Through May

By goodblacknews on February 9, 2015

Untitled, circa 1960s, from the portfolio Black Beauty Pageants
Untitled, circa 1960s, from the portfolio Black Beauty Pageants (Photograph: Raphael Albert/Victoria and Albert Museum)

“Staying Power: Photographs of Black British Experience 1950s-1990s” is the culmination of a seven-year collaboration between the Victoria & Albert Museum and Brixton’s Black Cultural Archive to increase the number of black British photographers and images of black Britain in the V&A collection. It aims to raise awareness of the contribution of black Britons to British culture and society, as well as to the art of photography.
Over the last seven years the V&A has been working with Black Cultural Archives to acquire photographs either by black photographers or which document the lives of black people in Britain. Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), the Museum has been able to collect 118 works by 17 artists. To complement the photographs, Black Cultural Archives have collected oral histories from a range of subjects including the photographers themselves, their relatives, and the people depicted in the images.
Staying Power: Photographs of Black British Experience 1950s-1990s is at the Black Cultural Archive (bcaheritage.org.uk) until June 30th and at the Victoria & Albert Museum from February 16th to May 24th (vam.ac.uk).  Some of the images on display follow below:
HD-1469 (Pineapple), 1969
HD-1469 (Pineapple), 1969 (Photograph: The Estate of J. D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere/Victoria and Albert Museum)

Miss Black & Beautiful, circa 1970s
Miss Black & Beautiful, circa 1970s (Photograph: Raphael Albert/Victoria and Albert Museum)

She Rockers (London Rap/Dance Crew), Shepherd’s Bush Green, London, 1988
She Rockers (London Rap/Dance Crew), Shepherd’s Bush Green, London, 1988 (Photograph: Normski/Victoria and Albert Museum)

4 Aces Club, Count Shelley Sound System, Hackney, London, 1974
4 Aces Club, Count Shelley Sound System, Hackney, London, 1974 (Photograph: Dennis Morris/Victoria and Albert Museum)

article via guardian.com; additions by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (follow@lakinhutcherson)
 

Ball State Students Work to Transform City Bus into Traveling Civil Rights Museum

By goodblacknews on January 19, 2015

Screen Shot 2015-01-18 at 9.32.19 AM
MUNCIE, Indiana — A team of Ball State University students is advancing the dreams of local leaders to turn a retired Muncie city bus into a mobile museum exploring the history of civil rights in east central Indiana. When completed in early 2016, the Freedom Bus will be ready to roll out for local Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations.
The bus has been an educational project 10 years in the making. “So much of the work and fundraising so far has focused on getting the bus back out on the road,” said Beth Messner, an associate professor of Communications at Ball State and member of Muncie’s non-profit Martin Luther King Dream Team.

Vivian Conley
Vivian Conley

This fall, Messner and 14 students participating in an immersive learning course turned their attention to the inside of the bus, creating prototypes for exhibits showcasing the histories of central Indiana residents active in the civil rights movement. For example, visitors will learn about Muncie resident Vivian Conley, involved with the 1950s campaign to desegregate the city’s public pool, and Anderson sports legend Johnny Wilson, who played a key role in breaking down the color barrier in college basketball.
Jumpin' Johnny Wilson
Jumpin’ Johnny Wilson

This year, work continues on the bus as Ball State students test out a curriculum for its exhibits and Messner seeks grant funding for professional fabrication of the prototypes inside.
Asked what she hopes grade-school students who someday tour it will take away from the bus, junior history major Meghan Waddle said, “I hope it helps them make a more personal connection to history.” Adds junior telecommunications major Casey Marrero, “I want them to learn from it, get to know their community better, and leave feeling inspired.”
Sponsors for The Freedom Bus project include Ball State, Muncie’s Martin Luther King Dream Team, the Muncie Human Rights Commission, Muncie Indiana Transit System (MITS), the city of Muncie, and the university’s Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution.
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (follow @lakinhutcherson)

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum to Host FREE Admission Day with Special Events in Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

By goodblacknews on January 18, 2015

Screen Shot 2015-01-18 at 10.11.56 AM
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, OH is hosting its 14th annual FREE admission day in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, January 19, 2015 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The Museum will offer a day filled with live performances, education programs and family activities that will highlight how people use music to find their voice and create a sense of community.
Visitors are invited to experience the Rock Hall’s many exhibits that showcase how Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and other artists have used popular music to communicate ideas to a wide audience and bring about social change.  The day of events is sponsored by KeyBank.
In addition to free admission, visitors will be able to enter for a chance to win a Museum membership, as five Family Roller memberships will be raffled off during the day.  For a list of current exhibits and for more information about this and other Rock Hall events, visit http://www.rockhall.com.
Klipsch Audio stage entertainment lineup:
Jason Walker of Sounds of Entertainment will emcee the events.
The Antioch Spiritual Arts Choir, an acclaimed co-ed choir from Antioch Baptist Church who focus on spirituals, folk and gospel music.
West Side Community House’s Summer of Sisterhood program began in 2010 under the leadership of Ali McClain, youth services director.  The program teaches girls ages 10-18 how the power of creative expression can positively change their community and even the world.  The girls work intensively for eight week with professional teaching artists to create original songs, music videos, and live performances of their work.
The Distinguished Gentlemen of Spoken Word, a powerful performance arts and spoken word group comprised of adolescent males (age 12-19) from various inner city Cleveland communities.
Inspire *1* One, a band comprised of former students from Cleveland School of the Arts.
Lake Erie Ink, a writing space for youth is a non-profit that provides creative expression opportunities and academic support to youth in the greater Cleveland community.  LEI works with youth from different socio-economic, cultural and academic backgrounds, using creative writing to increase literacy and social engagement. The organization offers creative expression workshops onsite and off, to youth of all ages, including an after school program, weekly evening workshops for teens, and monthly weekend workshops and open mics.
Foster Theater Programming:
Programming will be taught by the Rock Hall’s award-winning education staff.  Seating is limited. Attendance will be on a first-come first-served basis.
Special Presentation:  “Rock and Roll and the Civil Rights Movement”
This program will explore how a range of artists, from Mahalia Jackson and Sam Cooke to Berry Gordy at Motown and rock and roll pioneer Fats Domino created a popular music that empowered African Americans to take their rightful place in American society. Young people of all races flocked to their performances and embraced their music, which helped to break down the walls and barriers that the Civil Rights movement was fighting against.
Album Spotlight: Marvin Gaye’s What’s Goin’ On
This special presentation will focus on the making and impact of Marvin Gaye’s landmark 1971 album, which still resonates for listeners today. The full album will be played, with no interruption, with discussion to follow.