Darrick Claiborne

Jam Session

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Darrick Claiborne was born in Virginia and began creating art at a very early age. Due to his father's job relocating the family to Charlotte, NC, Claiborne was given a rapid lesson of the differences of rural and city living."I loved every part of living in Northwest Charlotte. The many special people that flavored the streets with their character and friendliness, made our section of Beatties Ford Road a daily display of music, poetry and color."

Capturing the essence of his people of the city in his earlier paintings, Claiborne continued to develop his fascination with urban southern living and the experienced brotherhood as a member ofKappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

It is his Faith in God, sense of humor, and ability to expose the internal truth of his painted subjects that have lead to a successful career of museum and gallery exhibitions, illustrated book covers and an impressive client list of celebrity collectors.

GO to his web site. http://www.dclai.com/site2/home.html

Poetry Man

Panoramic Poetry and Panoramic Programs

The 2nd & 3rd Friday of every month Panoramic Poetry presents The October Lounge A seamless blend of art, rhythm, prose and music. Showcasing the area's artists, poets, vocalist and musicians. Spots are going quickly so please reply soon.

To get on the list to read at upcoming Panoramic Poetry email panoramicpoetry@octobergallery.com Panoramic Poetry events are conveniently located at Cheyney Univesity Center City Campus in Philadelphia (701 Market Street, 3rd Floor.) October Gallery has connected people in the community and beyond with contemporary African-American art for the past twenty-five years.

Poetry Man

PANORAMIC PROGRAMS

PANORAMIC PROGRAMS

Panoramic Programs serves as the non-profit arm [501(c)(3)] of October Gallery that has worked predominantly with African-American artists in the greater Philadelphia area, as well as national and international artists of color for the past twenty years. Since Panoramic Programs’ inception in May 1998, our mission is to provide a space where artists of color can build upon their existing talents via networking and share their craft with fellow community artists. Primarily, Panoramic Programs’ experiences have consisted of various writing and performance skills workshops as well as on-going poetry performance events (Panoramic Poetry) in which poets perform their work for members of the audience.

Panoramic Poetry and Panoramic Programs

The 2nd & 3rd Friday of every month Panoramic Poetry presents The October Lounge A seamless blend of art, rhythm, prose and music. Showcasing the area's artists, poets, vocalist and musicians. Spots are going quickly so please reply soon. To get on the list to read at upcoming Panoramic Poetry email panoramicpoetry@octobergallery.com

Panoramic Poetry events are conveniently located at Cheyney Univesity Center City Campus in Philadelphia (701 Market Street, 3rd Floor.) October Gallery has connected people in the community and beyond with contemporary African-American art for the past twenty-five years.

Premiering The 2nd & 3rd Friday of every month
7:30, $7
215.629.3939 panoramicpoetry@octobergallery.com

Panoramic Poetry will be held at
Cheyney University
701 Market Street
West Lobby 3rd Floor
Philadelphia, PA

Panoramic Poetry

The phrase Spoken Word refers to a form of poetry in which a speaker recites a poem or story aloud, either their own or someone else's. The Spoken Word artist can perform with or without background music. In addition to music, Spoken Word artists often enhance their performance with chorography and other stage-play, such as audience participation, but the main focus remains on the narration.

Spoken Word fans enjoy the increased powerfulness and entertainment of spoken word poetry or "Performance Poetry", as compared to written poetry. Unlike written poems, Spoken Word artists have more communication methods to use, such as body-language and voice-tone. One should note that not all Spoken Word falls completely under the classification of 'poetry'. For example, Spoken Word often features stories and political commentary. Whether solely poetic or not, many people find Spoken Word much more emotional and moving than written poetry.

PANORAMIC POETRY EVERY SECOND AND THIRD FRIDAY OF THE MONTH !

More Poetry Videos at Art TV Network

A Nappy Nation--Baltimore April 5 &6 2008

Baltimore ’s Natural Hair Care Expo was established in 2002 by Malaika Tamu Cooper and is fundamentally a network of African-influenced cultural/creative micro & small enterprises. They focus on the promotion of natural hair care and of traditional and contemporary functional wearable art with a strong focus on alternative medicine and holistic health.
The network is comprised of natural hair Braiders, Lock-ticians, clothes designers, jewelry makers and accessory makers and an expanding contingent of alternative/complementary practitioners.



For Baltimore’s Natural Hair Care Exposé signature event, ‘It Comes Naturally/ 400 years without a comb." It is Baltimore’s only major Conference on Locks, Natural Hair, Health, Beauty & Wearable Art. The conference has been a sellout event since 2003. The theme for 2008 is “A Nappy Nation”.

Baltimore Natural Hair Care Expo
April 5-6 2008
610 Reisterstown Rd
Baltimore, MD 21208-5112
http://www.baltimorenaturalhaircareexpo.com/2008Site/aboutTheExpo.html

Heritage Quilters

Gullah

Let's plant One Billion More Trees in 2008

             (Click the title link for more info on planting trees)     

Climate Change is great for those of us who live in the north or colder parts of the world.  Maybe the winter sports (sledding, skiiing, snowboarding and skating) folk are a bit sad.  But, the rest of us couldn't be happier to save on heating costs and get into our warm weather gear earlier each year.

     Of course, there are many who live at the equator or very near it.  For those people life is beginning to be intolerable.  Water sources are drying up, and the heat is unbearable, not to mention that many life forms have already become extinct, with more to follow. When the eco-system is out of balance, then aren't we all at risk?  

     Scientists say that we must do something to turn things around and each of us plays a part.  After all, as the old folks say,  'Don't spit in the soup, we all got to eat.'   With that in mind here is a practical list of what we can do to help:

1.  Economize On Present Energy Use.  And, choose sustainable (renewable) energy sources instead fossil fuels such as, solar, wind, wave, geothermal or tidal energy sources.

2.  Go Veggie.   With a vegetarian diet, no one in the world need starve.  Countries with plenty can easily afford to share with others who are starving and suffering.  If we can reduce our meat eating and increase our the veggie food choices we are helping Mother Earth, humankind and ultimately, ourselves.  

     Here Is Why.  For example, according to a NY Times article (January 27, 2008), beef requires 16 times more fossil fuel energy to raise than vegetables and rice.  Huge animal ranches and farms that supply meat require the use of too much water and land.  Besides, the large amounts of greenhouse gases produced by the ranches, the cows, chickens, pigs and their waste emit profuse amounts of methane gas that also destroys the ozone, warms the oceans and literally, spits in our soup.  

3.  Plant Trees--An Affordable Solution If Each One Of Us Plants At Least One Tree. According to UN studies, "Forests are natural and economically important 'sinks' sequestrating carbon from the atmosphere and locking it away in trunks and  branches."  Our forests help protect us. Shouldn't we help to protect them, too.

Thanks, It's Important!  

'REACH OUT AN TOUCH  SOMEBODY'S HAND.  MAKE THIS PLACE A BETTER PLACE IF YOU CAN.'

Individual Artists

Individual Artists

James Eugene Albert: 21st Century Art
Mark Askew: Legendary Heritage Heirlooms
Cathleen Richardson Bailey: Quilts
Romare Bearden Foundation
Romare Bearden: University of Pennsylvania.
Thomas Blackshear
Soudasworld.com: Souda Traore Boyd: West-African female artist based in Massachusetts
Michael Brathwaite
Malcolm Brown Gallery
Massaii Art Gallery Of Mixed Media: Albert Burnam
Ernest Butts, Jr.
Lita Cerqueira: Bahiana photographer
Paul Collins
Maya Freelon
Tyrone Geter: Hikima Creations
Mari Hall: African American Folk Art for the New Millenium
Ed Hamilton: Sculptor
Jacob Lawrence: Whitney Museum
Edmonia Lewis: Cleopatra Lost and Found: Smithsonian Institution
Eugene James Martin
Neville Murray
Hertz Nazaire
PLEASANT
William Pleasant
Faith Ringgold
Faith Ringgold: Art in Context
UrbanKore Artspace with the Art of Harold Smith
Henry O. Tanner: A Mystical Painter: Smithsonian Institution
Dane Tilghman
William Tolliver
S.C. Versillee
Voké

Galleries and Sellers

Galleries and Sellers

198 Gallery
African American Art On-Line Store
African Encounters: Online gallery featuring contemporary African paintings
AfricanArtworld.com: African and African-American Art Online
Art Find - African American Art: Features African American themed artwork from many artists
Art Gallery Emporium
ArtOrg Online Gallery
Avisca Discount African American Art Gallery
Avisca Fine Art
Black Art Depot
The Collection Shop: Thomas Blackshear's Ebony Visions and Flakeling Tales, Stacy Bayne's Maasai, Ernie Barnes, The All That Jazz collection, Lladro Black Legacy Collection
E&S Art Express
E&S Gallery
Encore Graphics and Fine Art
HMGallery
Myfineart.com: Modern Youth Masterpieces
Spence Art Gallery
Tashanda: Zimbabwean arts and crafts

African American Art on the Internet

African American Art on the Internet

African American Art Course: University of Massachusetts, Amherst
The African-American Artists Series: L&S Video
The African-American Mosaic: A Library of Congress Resource Guide
African American Museum: Dallas, TX
African American Museum in Philadelphia
African-Americans in the Visual Arts: A Historical Perspective
Artists Collective
ArtNoir Showcase
Association of African-American Museums
Avisca Fine Art
Black Film Center/Archive
Black Jesus Picture Collection
Chicago Cultural Center
Community Folk Art Center: Syracuse University
Dr. Maude Wahlman: Ethnic Studies, Art Department, University of Central Florida
Indigo Impressions: showcases both established and emerging Black and Multicultural fine artists
Museum of African-American History: Detroit, Michigan
National Center of Afro-American Artists
Negroartist.com: art, history, and more
Olu Oguibe Art History Class
Organization of Black Designers
Paul R. Jones Collection of African-American Art
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture: New York Public Library
Smithsonian Institution

African American Design Archive Member List in the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum
African American Heritage at the Smithsonian
African American Masters: Highlights from the Smithsonian American Art Museum
African Immigrant Folklife Study project
Breaking racial barriers: African-Americans in the Harmon Foundation Collection
African Voices: National Museum of Natural History
Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture
Ancestry and Innovation: African American Art: American Folk Art Museum
Edmonia Lewis: Cleopatra Lost and Found
Henry O. Tanner: A Mystical Painter
National Museum of African American History and Culture
National Museum of African Art
National Museum of African Art Library
Studio Museum in Harlem
University of Southern California Library Resources

NOTABLE AFRICAN- AMERICAN VISUAL ARTISTS

NOTABLE AFRICAN- AMERICAN VISUAL ARTISTS ( * indicates a link to the artist's official site )

Alston, Charles H. (1907-1977), Muralist, Sculptor, Painter
Bannister, Edward Mitchell (1828-1901), Artist, Painter
Barthe, Richmond (1901-1989), Sculptor
Basquiat, Jean-Michel (1960-1988), World Renowned Graffiti Artist
Bearden, Romare (1914-1988), Artist, Painter
Biggers, John T. (1924-2001), Muralist
Blackburn, Robert Hamilton (1920-2003), Master Printmaker, Painter, Teacher, Founder of the Printmaking Workshop of New York City
Blackshear, Thomas (1955- ), Artist and Illustrator and a prolific creator of works featuring paintings, prints, sculptures, figurines, jewelry, and collectable artifacts *
Bolden, Hawkins (1914- ), Folk Art Sculptor
Burke, Selma (1900-1995), Sculptor, Educator
Catlett, Elizabeth (1915- ), Sculptor, Artist, Printmaker
Chase-Riboud, Barbara (1939- ), Sculptor
Clark, Irene (1927-1984), Painter
Collins, Paul (1932- ), Painter, Portraitist *
Cortor, Eldzier (1916- ), Painter, Artist, Lithographer, Printmaker
Cole, Allen E. (1884-1970), Photographer
Colescott, Robert (1925- ), World renowned painter, teacher known for his expressions dealing with racial intolerance by utilizing parodies of famous art pieces and translating them into his own art work
Cousins, Harold (1916-1992), Sculptor in Metal
Ernest Crichlow (1914- ), Painter
Crite, Allan Rohan (1910- ), Painter, Illustrator
Avel C. deKnight (1923-1995), Painter *
Delaney, Beauford (1901-1979), Expressionistic Painter, Artist
Delaney, Joseph (1904-1991), Painter, Portraitist
Douglas, Aaron (1899-1979), Painter, Illustrator
Driskell, David C. (1931- ), Painter, Educator, Historian
Duncanson, Robert Scott (1823-1872), Painter, Portraitist
Edmondson, William (1882-1951), Stonemaster, Sculptor, Folk Artist
Evans, Minnie (1890-1987), Mixed Media Artist
Fax, Elton (1909- ), Artist, Illustrator
Feelings, Tom (1933- ), Artist, Illustrator
Fuller, Meta Vaux Warrick (1877-1968), Sculptor
Gorleigh, Rex (1902-1987), Painter
Green, Jonathan (1955- ), Painter, Lithographer
Harper, William (1873-1910), Impressionistic Painter
Hathaway, Isaac Scott (1874-1967), Sculptor, Ceramicist, Illustrator, Teacher
Hayden, Palmer C. (1890-1973), Painter
Hobbs, G. W. (c.1780-????), Portraitist, Artist
Hudson, Julien (c.1830-????), Portraitist
Hunt, Richard (1935- ), Sculptor of Metal
Hunter, Clementine (c.1886-1988), Painter of Life Experiences on a Southern Plantation
Johnson, Malvin Gray (1896-1934), Artist
Johnson, Sargent (1888-1967), Modernistic Artist and Sculptor
Johnson, William H. (1901-1970), Expressionistic Painter
Johnston, Joshua (c.1765-1830), Painter
Jones, Lois Mailou (1905-1998), Painter, Artist
Knox, Simmie (1935- ), Portraitist, Artist, Teacher, renowned for his "represenational paintings" and portraits of notable celebrities and government offcials. First African American artist commissioned to paint a U.S. president, unveiled at the White House, of former president, William J. Clinton, including the portrait of former first lady, Senator Hillary R. Clinton. *
Lark, Raymond (1939- ), Painter, Draftsman, Graphic Artist, Author, Art Historian, Art Scholar/Educator *
Lawrence, Jacob (1917-2000), Painter
Lee-Smith, Hughie (1915-1999), Metaphysical Painter
Lewis, Edmonia (1845-1879), Sculptor
Lewis, Norman (1909-1979), Expressionistic Painter
Locke, Dr. Alain L. (1886-1954), Writer, Historian, Intellectual
McGruder, Aaron (1974- ), Political Cartoonist, Satirist, Illustrator, Creator of the Comic Strip, "Boondocks" *
Motley, Archibald J. Jr. (1891-1980), Painter
Muirhead, Deborah (1949- ), Professor of Art, Painter, and Author; Expressive painter of historical images taken from the ancestral past of the African's experience in America, creating spiritual interpretations in her artistic works
Owens, Carl (1929- ), Artist, Illustrator
Otis, Jonny (1921- ), White Painter, Sculptor, Musician
Parks, Gordon (1912- ), Photographer, Author, Composer
Perkins, Marion (1908-1961), Stone Sculptor
Pinkney, Jerry (1939- ), Artist, Lecturer, Caldecott (2000) Honor Medalist, and three time winner of the Coretta Scott King Award
Pippin, Horace (1888-1946), Painter
Porter, Charles Ethan (1847-1923), Painter
Porter, James A. (1905-1970), Painter, Historian, Teacher
Prophet, Elizabeth (1890-1960), Sculptor
Puryear, Martin (1941- ), Sculptor
Reason, Patrick (1817-1850), Early Lithographer, Engraver, Portraitist
Reyneau, Betsy Graves (1888-1964), Painter
Ringgold, Faith (1930- ), Artist, Author, Educator *
Ruley, Ellis (1882-1959), Self-taught Artist
Sallée, Charles Jr. (1913- ), Painter
Savage, Augusta (1892-1962), Sculptor
Sebree, Charles (1914-1985), Mixed Media Artist
Simms, Carroll H. (1924- ), Sculptor
Simpson, William (1818-1872), Artist, Portraitist
Sleet, Moneta Jr. (1926-1996), Photographer
Smith, Bruce (1962- ), Animator; creator/executive producer of the Disney Channel's cartoon series, "The Proud Family"; co-founder of Jambalaya Studio, producer of animated projects for TV, movies, and the internet. *
Tanner, Henry Ossawa (1859-1937), Painter
Thomas, Alma Woodsey (1891-1978), Painter
Thompson, Robert (1936-1966), Painter of Imagined Themes and Symbols
Thrash, Dox (1893-1965), Printmaker
Tolliver, William (1951-2000), Self-Taught Painter of Portraits and Scenes of Life Dealing with Impressionistic Moods and Expressions of African Americans *
Traylor, Bill (1854-1947), Folk Artist
Van Der Zee, James (1886-1983), Photographer
Van Vechten, Carl (1880-1964), Silver Print Photographer
Waring, Laura Wheeler (1887-1948), Painter
Washington, James W. Jr. (1909- ), Sculptor
Wells, James Lesesne (1902-1993), Painter
White, Charles (1918-1979), Printmaker, Graphic Artist
Wilson, Ed (1925- ), Sculptor, Artist
Wilson, Ellis (1899-1977), Painter
Woodruff, Hale A. (1900-1980), Painter
Wright, Bernard (1938- ), Painter, Graphic Artist, Lithographer, Draftsman, Printmaker *

THE WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION

THE WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION

The GREAT DEPRESSION OF 1929 brought to the ARTS a slow demise of artistic backings such as the HARMON FOUNDATION. Even though the FOUNDATION ended its support in 1967, the important Annual Awards Competition ended earlier in 1933. Visual artists such as SELMA BURKE, AUGUSTA SAVAGE, JOSEPH DELANEY, ROMARE BEARDEN, BEAUFORD DELANEY, LOIS MAILOU JONES, HORACE PIPPIN, ALAN ROHAN CRITE, JACOB LAWRENCE, ELDZIER CORTOR, NORMAN LEWIS, and HUGIE LEE-SMITH blossomed in the heart of these hard times of the 1930's. Support and recognition for the visual artists was forthcoming and grew via the United States government under FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT and the NEW DEAL. He established, in December of 1933, the first federal PUBLIC WORKS OF ART PROJECT (PWAP) under the division of the U.S. TREASURY DEPARTMENT. This created Arts work project was ineffective, and only a few artists received commissions, mostly as MURALISTS for State and Federal buildings. After four and a half months, the PWAP ceased to function. It was later, in 1935, that President Roosevelt created the WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION (WPA).

The WPA provided a less restrictive environment for all American artists, but this helped the African-American visual artists to surge to newer heights. Art took on a new meaning. HUMAN and SOCIAL CONDITIONS could be expressed. POLITICS and ART fused, and historical and current social injustices were allowable manifestations in the creation of art pieces. PHILADELPHIA, BOSTON, WASHINGTON, D.C., and SAN FRANCISCO became meccas for a large number of African-American visual artists. The WPA of 1935 gave these artists the necessary time to develop their acclaimed skills. The first in a series of experienced African-American visual artists under the WPA went on to become the first university professors of ART. The WPA also helped in the creation of less restrictive art forms coming from African-American artists. MIXED MEDIA, ABSTRACT ART, CUBISM, and SOCIAL REALISM were now acceptable and desirable creative expressions.

When the artists of the WPA began to swell in numbers, they united and formed the HARLEM ARTISTS GUILD in 1935. This beginning helped to organize groups of artists into unions which allowed them to share in available places for exhibiting their works. Churches, storefront, and community-based fundraising efforts came on the scene, and finally it became in vogue to celebrate the creations of the African-American Visual Artists. The Harlem Artists Guild therefore became a catalyst and model for the support and development of other COMMUNITY ART CENTERS in larger cities across America. These centers now provided studio space plus free classes in a variety of expanded visual art forms. DRAWING, SCULPTING, PRINTMAKING, PAINTING, POTTERY, QUILTING, WEAVING, and PHOTOGRAPHY were some of the skills developed by promising visual artists. But, by 1938, the WPA was in trouble, and the HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS called it costly and that the art projects were "fraught and subversive." By the end of 1939, the entire WPA and arts projects division were terminated, and many African-American artists had to give up on the labor of producing creative pieces of art.

The 1940's and 1950's were not easy times for the African-American visual artists. Only the acceptable, critically acclaimed few were able to work and produce lucrative pieces of art. Patrons of the arts were still mostly white and wealthy. Good reviews and widespread exhibitions were the only avenues for survival for the African-American visual artists. The ART GALLERIES during this period were extremely selective as to WHO and WHAT were going to be shown in their galleries. In the beginning, only the selected acceptable works of JACOB LAWRENCE, ROMARE BEARDEN, and HORACE PIPPIN entered the exclusive world of THE GALLERY SCENE. Very few African-Americans before 1960 received the invitational embrace to show their works in well known galleries.

Define African American Art

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

African American art is a broad term describing the visual arts of the American black community. Influenced by various cultural traditions, including those of Africa, Europe and the Americas, traditional African American art forms include the range of plastic arts, from basketweaving, pottery and quilting to woodcarving and painting.

From its early origins in slave communities, through the end of the twentieth century, African-American art has made a vital contribution to the art of the United States.[1]

During the period between the 1600s and the early 1800s art took the form of small drums, quilts, wrought-iron figures and ceramic vessels in the southern United States these artifacts have similarities with comparable crafts in West and Central Africa. In contrast, black artisans like the New England–based engraver Scipio Moorhead and the Baltimore portrait painter Joshua Johnson created art that, was conceived in a thoroughly western European fashion.[2]

Many slaves arrived from Africa as skilled artisans, having worked in these or similar media in Africa. Others learned their trades or crafts as apprentices to African or white skilled workers. It was often the practice for slaveowners to hire out skilled artisans. With the consent of their masters, some slave artisans also were able to keep wages earned in their free time and thereby save enough money to purchase their, and their families', freedom.[3]

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Roosevelt Bassett Woodworker

Roosevelt Bassett, woodworker

Audio slide show by Daily News photographer Alejandro A. Alvarez of Roosevelt Bassett, folk artist and woodworker.

Take a look at this video.

The Art of Collecting African-American Art

The Art Of Collecting African-American Art

American Visions, Feb, 1996 by Nancy E. Ancrum
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Thinking about art collecting should be like fact-finding between courtship and engagement. If the ensuing marriage is going to work, then you have to know what you're getting into long beforehand.

That is why experienced collectors, curators, gallery owners and art dealers--no matter their length of years in the business or the range of their artistic interest--concur on this one basic tenet of collecting art: Keep your wallet closed until you've opened a book, then another and then another. In addition, throw in some art magazines and gallery catalogs. Attend exhibits and cultivate learning relationships with contemporary artists, curators and collectors. Plan a vacation around an exhibit in another city. Whose work speaks to you? Whose leaves you cold?

Then, and only then, should you take the plunge. Like any lasting marriage, the effort put in before making a commitment will lead to a satisfying, enduring union--with artists whose work touches your heart.

Aspiring collectors looking to plow into the rich and fertile fields of work by African-American artists may have to search a little more diligently for the history books and the exhibits that will give them the information they need to make a start, especially if they do not live in a major urban center. But the historical texts do exist, and aspiring collectors will find the history of black artists in this country alternately maddening and inspiring.

A growing, committed and amiable network of collectors and reputable art dealers stands ready and eager to cultivate new peers and clients, and its members are as close as the telephone. Among them are the following people who, through their expertise and experience, have much to share.

Thurlow Tibbs is a dealer in and a historian of African-American art. "Dealer" becomes a rather skimpy description when Tibbs' other talents come into play. In addition to guiding private collectors as they assemble a body of work, he helps museums fill the gaps in their collections with African-American art, researches out-of-print publications for libraries, and conducts art appraisals. His gallery in Washington, D.C., houses a 19,000-item library that is open for academic research.

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Salvador Bahia - Diga Brazil

About Diga Brazil
About Salvador

Welcome to Diga Brazil! Thank you for your interest in traveling to Salvador, Bahia Brazil. We are excited to introduce you to the unique vacation experience that Salvador provides through its culture, people, food and festivities.We provide amenities and services that create an authentic Brazilian atmosphere during your stay with us. You will stay in Bed and Breakfast style accommodations in spacious houses or apartments and your cook will prepare traditional meals at breakfast and lunch each day. Daily housekeeping is also provided as well as transportation and entrance to scheduled Diga Brazil events. We invite you to experience Salvador through the eyes of the locals, thus we provide bi-lingual hosts to help you throughout your stay.Come join us during one of our three vacation months and you will go home with more than just a tan!Diga Brazil delivers a fun, safe, authentic Brazilian vacation using Bed and Breakfast style accommodations.

Vacation Includes:
Airport transfers in Salvador
Bed and Breakfast style accommodations in spacious apartment or house
Bi-lingual host for daily activities
Cook to prepare traditional Bahian meals
Daily housekeeping service
Transportation and entrance into special Diga Brazil activity of the month (i.e. Carnaval, Mercado Cultural (arts expo), Boa Morte (spiritual festival))

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Louisville Artists in book

Louisville artists, gallery owners get national attention in book

By Larry Muhammadlmuhammad@courier-journal.com

The Courier-Journal

For 20 years, it's been a leading African-American art gallery and sponsor of the Philadelphia International Art Expo, which attracts 150 artists and 50,000 patrons and collectors from across the country in a weekend.

Now the Philadelphia-based October Gallery has published "Connecting People With Art," a 500-page coffee-table book that showcases scores of artists and industry professionals -- including Louisville gallery owners Cathy and Walter Shannon and artists C.J. Fletcher and Eugene Thomas.

"The book is amazing," said Walter Shannon, who owns The Famous E&S Gallery, 108 S. 10th St., with his wife, Cathy. "I think it does a great job of researching black art into the 21st century, and helps expose a lot of newer artists, and a lot of dealers who have made these artists successful. It gets into Alonzo Adams and William Tolliver and Paul Goodnight but also has Joshua Johnson, Romare Bearden and Jacob Lawrence."

The Shannons are pictured in the book in formal dress, about to leave their home for a Kentucky Derby event. Also included in the book are paintings by Fletcher ("Real Men Pray," of a man kneeling in a bed of flowers) and her husband, Thomas ("Against the Wind #2," of a woman clutching a bundled baby), in addition to photographs of each artist.

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Elizabeth Catlett

Elizabeth Catlett

Elizabeth Catlett would not separate her art from the people. She felt she had to express her talents via the reality and struggle of her people. She therefore brings to the art world a social consciousness in the reflections of her art pieces. Elizabeth Catlett was born in Washington D.C. She passed a competitive exam for entry to the Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1932, but was refused into its school of art due to her race. She therefore entered Howard University and studied for one year under LOIS MAILOU JONES to become a textile designer.

She changed her major to PAINTING when she discovered what concepts and messages could be conveyed in this form of art. The concepts which were conveyed in the Mexican Muralists were the turning point in her dedication to Socialist expressive art. Upon graduation with honors from Howard University in 1937, Elizabeth Catlett went on to the State University of Iowa. At IOWA, she studied under GRANT WOOD (artist of AMERICAN GOTHIC and DAUGHTERS OF REVOLUTION). Wood encouraged her "to paint what we knew most intimately." Catlett was the first student to receive a M.F.A. degree from the State University of Iowa in 1940.

Her master's thesis, MOTHER AND CHILD, won the AMERICAN NEGRO EXHIBITION in Chicago in 1940. In her career and travels, Elizabeth Catlett was able to spread her knowledge and increase her fame. Her work was exhibited around the world in Mexico City, Paris, Prague, Tokyo, Beijing, Berlin, and Havana. Her outdoor sculptures were being set up in Jackson, Mississippi, New Orleans, Louisiana, Washington D.C., and New York City. She served as chairman of the Art Department at DILLARD UNIVERSITY in New Orleans. At the same time, she married the respected African-American artist, CHARLES WHITE. She and Charles White later taught art at HAMPTON INSTITUTE in Virginia in the early 1940's. Out of the Hampton experience came JOHN BIGGERS, one of America's top African-American artists.

The sharing of ideas concerning the direction of African-American artists and art was often communicated with artist and professor, HALE WOODRUFF of SPELMAN COLLEGE in Atlanta, Georgia. Elizabeth Catlett's expressive art pieces won her eight major prizes for her exhibited works. The AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT of the 1960's eventually convinced Catlett to settle permanently in Cuernavaca, Mexico. After her divorce from Charles White, she married Mexican artist, FRANCISCO MORA. Today she is considered one of Mexico's top artists.

Some of her notable works include:
SHARECROPPER, woodcut, 1970
PENSIVE, bronze, 1946
NEGRO ES BELLO, lithograph, 1968
MALCOLM SPEAKS TO US, linocut, 1969
SINGING HEAD, marble, 1970
HOMAGE TO MY YOUNG BLACK SISTERS, cedar wood, 1968

African American Cultural Arts Festival

Held the last Saturday of every July in Booker T. Washington Park (rain or shine- under tents). This family-oriented festival opens with a grand entrance by the Spiritwalker, dancers, drums and many other exciting performers.

A wide variety of crafts, foods, community organizations and artisans will be found throughout the park. Visitors can listen to the traditional African storyteller, watch musical and dance performances and discover more about local and national African American history and the contributions of African Americans to our community.

910 Rockcreek RoadCharlottesville, Virginia Phone: (434) 979-0582Email: cville-aframerfest@email.com

Atlanta Arts Festival

embrace:

the fine arts fair of the national black arts festival is a unique gathering of the nation’s top art galleries, displaying and selling museum quality fine art to serious collectors looking to build their collections at reasonable prices. embrace offers access to work by legendary artists like Robert S. Duncanson and Hale Woodruff, modern masters Benny Andrews and Romare Bearden, and contemporaries such as Carrie Mae Weems and Amalia Amaki.

SHOW DATES & EXHIBITION HOURS
Thursday, July 17, 2008 Preview Party 7-10pmFriday, July 18, 2008 Open to the Public 12pm-9pmSaturday, July 19. 2008 Open to the Public 12pm-9pmSunday, July 20, 2008 Open to the Public 12pm-6pm

TICKETS
Preview Party Pass $50.00 (includes 3 day pass)Day Pass $10.00
children free, day passes include admission to lecture series


Location:Mason Murer Fine Art 199 Armour Drive Atlanta, GA 30324 Get Directions from mapquest

Price:75 Reception & 3-Day Pass, $10 Day Pass

http://www.nbaf.org/events/index.cfm?Fuseaction=eventdetail&eventid=486

"Art of Romance" John Holyfield

"The Art of Romance"

by John HolyfieldNEW limited edition collage of some of Holyfield's most captivating romantic images.

Each piece is hand-assembled on canvas, signed and numbered and features a hand-drawn sketch by the artist.

Image Size: 48" x 36"Edition of 100

http://www.holyfieldstudio.com/

New Image by Bibbs

"Southern Girl "

Here is a new release by artist Charles Bibbs.

What do you think of the image?

Give us some feed back.

Giclee Prints

What is a Giclee Print?

The Giclée (pronounced "jeeclay") method of printmaking, sometimes referred to as the "Iris" (after the original machine that produced the print), is the most recent technological advancement in the Fine Art Printing world. Giclee reproductions were originally developed in 1989 as a digital method of fine art printing. The word Giclee is French for "to spray on" or "to spray ink". Images are scanned and digitally stored in a computer and sent directly to a super high resolution, inkjet printer.

Just as other methods of printmaking (lithographs, serigraphs, off-set prints) the Giclee starts with a highly sophisticated photograph of the original painting. The photograph is then scanned, digitized and entered into a data retrieval system. The image is then sent electronically to the printer after the artist and technician feel they have the most faithful representation of the original painting, Tiny ink jets, smaller than the human hair, spray inks onto canvas or paper, one line at a time, until the image is created. This process can take up to a half hour.

The Giclée produces a print that is completely true to the artist's original intent, yet in and of itself has the look and feel of an original painting on paper. After the image is "fixed" with a UV protective coating, not unlike that which is used on water color paintings, the print becomes as archival and as long- lasting as any other work of art on paper. From the standpoint of the art collecting public, the Giclée Fine Art Print offers the collector the same physical properties of an original painting and the advantages of a Fine Art Print: a fine work of art at a fraction of the price of an original.

The most important fact to remember is that all color fades. As far as Giclee prints are concerned, some original watercolors will fade faster than a well-made Giclee. Unlike lithographs and serigraphs, Giclees have undergone extensive, third-party fade-testing. While the predicted display life depends on many variables, under typical home or office lighting , and depending on the substrates used, giclees made with pigment-based inks are estimated to last over 100 years without noticeable fade.

It is recommended that you treat your Giclee prints the same as any original watercolor. It should be protected from water and should not be place in direct sunlight. Giclees printed on paper should be frame mounted behind glass. Giclees printed on canvas can be treated with an acrylic varnish to aid in their protection, however careful treatment is still desirable. Giclee prints are produced on watercolor papers and canvas, much like the original painting. This gives each piece a similar look and feel to an original work of art. This allows the artist to command a higher per unit selling price for the prints.

Collecting African American Art

Collecting African American Art

Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell, former Executive Director of the Studio Museum in Harlem, has stated "...to give an object a home." (-) "At the most private and personal level, that is the goal of the serious collector. Exercising taste, judgement, an intense love of a culture and its traditions, motivated by a caring not only for the visual forms of an artifact... but also a caring for the - creative willfullness - of a culture or an individual, the real collector feels a deep and abiding kinship with the objects he collects."

The life enhancement that a piece of art generates for a collector is the most valid reason for selecting any art work. Collector motivation should be not solely whether a work of art will appreciate financially, but should be based on a link, a kinship, a connection with the essence and life force of the work. 'The thing about art is that you only hold it in trust. There's a living spirit in a great work of art. If you see it only in terms of its monetary value, the circle of communication is incomplete," states Corrine Jennings of the Kenkeleba-Gallery, New York. An astute art collector will see the value of an artist's work long before the investment oriented art collector takes note. A connoisseur with a sensitive eye uses esthetics rather than economic considerations in acquiring art work. Only esthetics is intrinsic to the art work. Economic or investment appreciation may be considered for the long run after the collector has found some valid esthetic reason to purchase a piece of art.

African Americans are purchasing Black Art because some have available more disposable funds and now have the means to collect art and support Black artists. In addition, African Americans now desire to make a cultural statement concerning their identity that the silk dress, expensive vacation or BMW can't make. Non-African Americans purchase Black art because it offers a means to diversify an already established collection, i.e. art from the perspective of the African American artists hanging next to art rendered from the perspective of an Oriental or European artist and so on. Moreover, African American art is a "bargain" in terms of prices paid for other art. These new patrons have also helped to make the market stronger for Black art and to make African American art more and more of an investment.

Nonetheless, the link, the kinship, the connection, the life enhancement, the circle of communication, the esthetic value should be a collector's primary motivation for acquiring art work. Should a piece of art appreciate over time, then that's a plus.

Barnes Original

Barnes Original