Friday’s activities will include panel discussions, a gallery tour and live performances, while Saturday will include a social hour, exhibition awards and more live music highlighted by a performance from the Urban Art Orchestra, coming in from Detroit.
“We’re meeting a need in a lot of areas with events dedicated toward Black expression and creativity, giving people what they want to see and celebrating Black history and culture,” said Dorian Hunter, Art Noire organizer.
Art Noire drew 75 attendees the first year, which complemented the SMoA’s then current “Black Life as Subject Matter II” exhibition, and attracted around 350 people in 2023. Hunter is hoping for 1,000 attendees this year.
One of the highlights and a new addition is a gallery of works by 33 Black artists from Ohio and beyond, including one from West Africa’s Ivory Coast. It will be curated by Jamaal Durr, a Dayton-based artist, and it will remain on display in the SMoA for two to three weeks after Art Noire for those who can’t attend.
“It’s a great honor to be the part of this development in the museum’s history,” Hunter said.
He’s also pleased Art Noire has gained a strong reputation beyond the Springfield area, building relationships into southwestern Ohio and gaining contributions from more than 40 businesses and community members who believed in the concept.
While this expansion to two days is a big step, Hunter said the future looks bright in its partnerships with the SMoA and others. He hopes everybody will be a part of it.
“We have a vibe I believe anybody of any race, culture or background will appreciate, especially young professionals. Art is a component that brings people together through both performing and visual arts,” he said.
HOW TO GO
What: Art Noire: Love Black
Where: Springfield Museum of Art, 107 Cliff Park Rd., Springfield
When: noon to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2 and 5:45-9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3
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A year after she was appointed to the Norfolk Public School Board her colleagues voted to elect Tiffany Moore-Buffaloe as chair and Dr. Noelle Gabriel as its vice chair.
She was elected the first African-American female chair of the board during its January 17, meeting, for a term ending December 31, 2024.
Moore-Buffaloe, who represents Ward 4, served as vice chair of the School Board for the past year after being appointed to the School Board in January 2023.
“I’m excited and I know this School Board is going to do great work this year, and I look forward to seeing what Norfolk Public Schools can be, and will be,” Moore-Buffaloe said. “We will be having many important conversations and really tackling the work. I am just thankful that I have the opportunity to lead this group.”
Vice Chair Gabriel, who was first appointed to the School Board in 2012 and elected to the Board in 2016, represents Superward 6.
“I am honored to resume my role as vice chair for Norfolk Public Schools,” Gabriel said. “These marks my 12th year of dedicated service as a school board member. Whether in the capacity of past chair, vice chair, or board member, my commitment remains steadfast in serving our students, staff, and families.”
A native of Chicago, Illinois, Moore-Buffaloe has been a resident of Norfolk, Virginia for over 30 years.
A graduate of Norview High School, she has spent the last 25 years working and serving in the public school system and her community. She began her career as a long-term substitute teacher and parent volunteer. She is currently serving as the executive assistant to the superintendent of Newport News Public Schools and the Clerk of the School Board. Moore-Buffaloe completed her Bachelor’s Degree from Norfolk State University (NSU) and her Master’s Degree from Strayer University.
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As a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Gethsemane Community Fellowship Church, and the Beacon Light Civic League, she provides service to the community by getting involved in initiatives that help people.
Moore-Buffaloe is married and has two adult children who are both graduates of Norfolk Public Schools.
The Savannah Cultural Arts Center’s Black Art Expo kicks off Savannah’s Black Heritage Month celebration for the second year in a row.
The event, featuring more than 30 Black creatives, performers and food trucks will take place Feb. 3 from noon to 4 p.m., according to a press release from the City of Savannah. The event is free and open to the public.
One exhibit, Boundless, is currently showing in the Savannah Cultural Arts Gallery and will be part of the Expo. The curator for Boundless is Antonia B. Larkin, who has done other exhibits in Savannah such as Revival: A Call for Radical Care and But Some of Us Are Brave.
“With this exhibition, we aim to continue our mission of amplifying the voices of artists who belong to historically excluded groups, showcasing the limitless potential and talent they possess,” Larkin said in the press release. Boundless runs in the Cultural Arts Gallery until Feb. 10.
There will also be a W.W. Law Exhibit, showcased by representatives from the African Arts Museum and Savannah’s municipal Archives Director Luciana Spracher.
Saturday’s event was organized by the City of Savannah Cultural Resources department. Cultural Resources Assistant Tasheca Hutchinson said the event celebrates the diversity of Black artistry.
“With the Black Art Expo we get to dive into this amazing world of creativity, showcasing the unique stories and talents that these artists and performers bring,” Hutchinson said. “Savannah’s culture is so rich, and this event shines a spotlight on the depth of Black artistic expression in our community.”
If You Go >>
What: 2024 Black Art Expo
When: Noon to 4 p.m., Feb. 3
Where: Ben Tucker Theatre, Savannah Cultural Arts Center, 201 Montgomery St.
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BMAC and Monét are behind a new grant, which awards a Black emerging artist $5,000 to “aid in economic empowerment,” plus opportunities and direct career advice from the 10-times Grammy nominated performer.
The BMAC x Victoria Monét Music Maker Grant is part of BMAC’s commitment to facilitate access, equity and opportunity for the next generation of Black artists and industry professionals, and will be officially announced Wednesday (Jan. 31) at BMAC’s Grammy Week Music Maker Dinner in Los Angeles.
“We are honored to partner with Victoria Monét to uplift a young and deserving Black artist and help further their dreams within the music industry,” comments BMAC co-founder, president and CEO, Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, in a statement. Her story, Stiggers continues, “is one of resilience and perseverance and it is in that spirit we will continue to pay it forward.”
Monét enjoyed a hot streak in 2023, as the singer-songwriter nabbed her first No. 1 single on a Billboard chart, with “On My Mama” (via Lovett/RCA Records) leading the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay tally, then swiftly led another as the single reigned over topped the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay list.
There’s potentially more glory on the way for the Texas-based artist. She’s nominated for seven Grammy Awards for the 2024 ceremony, set for Feb. 4, including record of the year, best R&B song, and best new artist.
With six nominations, she leads the way at the 2024 NAACP Image Awards, set for to air March 16.
BMAC’s growing portfolio of grants and empowerment programs for Black emerging artists and industry professionals including The Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Music Maker Grant, BMAC Ernie Paniccioli Music Photojournalism Grant & Celebration Event, BMAC x Audiomack Paid Music Internship for HBCU Students, BMAC x Kobalt Music Maker Grant Making Program and more.
According to the organization, the recipient of the BMAC x Victoria Monét Music Maker Grant will be selected through a nationwide search hosted by BMAC, details on which will be announced in the weeks ahead.
Visit the official Black Music Action Coalition site for more information.
RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment
It’s Black History Month and the Woods Hole Diversity Initiative is back for a month full of talks, performances and celebration throughout the village.
This year’s theme, selected by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, is “African Americans and the Arts,” one that Amy Galvam, current co-chair of the Woods Hole Diversity Initiative’s 2024 Black History Month planning committee, was particularly excited to execute due to the Cape’s rich arts and culture scene.
“We intentionally tried to come up with things that represented all different kinds of art so that people would be attracted to … events from lots of different ways,” she said.
Throughout February, talks, a dance performance and an art reception will take place across Woods Hole at different times throughout the day — a schedule Galvam, co-chair Amanda Poston of the Woodwell Climate Research Center, and a subcommittee of volunteers created to accommodate the diverse demographics and schedules of the community.
“This is a Woods Hole group,” Galvam said. “I’m hoping that people, the scientists, can go and be part of these if we made it part of their workday as opposed to trying to draw a crowd for an evening event. We hosted something at Falmouth Academy intentionally so that we could draw from a different population.”
Galvam hopes this year’s celebration serves as a reminder of the contributions Black people have made to the United States and the importance of uplifting and celebrating their work.
“I’m hoping people will take that away and maybe break down some barriers, have some fellowship, remind each other that we are all part of a much bigger community,” she said. “I think since COVID, people don’t come out to things very much and I think we can get very siloed and closed off into our own small worlds. Opportunities like this are so important to help you see who your neighbors are and that you’re part of something bigger.”
2024 Black History Month celebration events hosted by the Woods Hole Diversity Advisory Committee
2024 Black History Month Art Competition
Following the theme of this year’s Black History Month, the Woods Hole Diversity Advisory Committee is hosting an art competition open to all Cape Cod high schoolers. Participants must submit works focusing on an influential figure or important moment in African American history or in the style of a prominent African American artist with whom they share a personal connection.
“Whatever takes their creativity and motivates them to want to do something is what we’re encouraging them to do,” Galvam said.
Three winners, selected by judges Alice Kociemba of the Falmouth Cultural Council, Robin Joyce Miller of Cotuit Center for the Arts, Edith Copenhaver of Highfield Hall and Claudia Smith-Jacobs of the Falmouth Art Center, will be awarded cash prizes, donated by the Woods Hole Diversity Initiative, at the Harambee Community Celebration on Feb. 29.
“We intentionally limited the scope to Cape kids and kids who were in high school so that we would give them one more thing to showcase for kids who are thinking about going to college,” Galvam said.
For Black History Month in part with the Woods Hole Diversity Initiative, Eight Cousins Books in Falmouth has created a 2024 Black History Month Reading List featuring titles about African Americans and the Arts.
‘Black Art and Activism: What America Means to Me’ reception for artist Robin Joyce Miller
Local artist Robin Joyce Miller will talk with CAI’s Mindy Todd begins at 6 p.m. Feb.1 at Falmouth Academy (7 Highfield Dr.) and is free to attend. A live stream of the talk will be available on the academy’s Facebook. To register, visit www.falmouthacademy.org/community/.
‘Women in Jazz and Gender Justice’ Terri Lyne Carrington
Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer and composer Terri Lyne Carrington is the next interviewee for CAI’s Mindy Todd during “Women in Jazz and Gender Justice,” a lunchtime lecture on Feb. 9.
At the talk, Carrington will discuss her music along with her work as the founder and the artistic director for the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice.
“She realizes how many doors are closed, especially for women in jazz music,” Galvam said.
The event is free to attend and will take place at noon on Feb. 9 at the Redfield Auditorium. To register for the livestream of this event, visit www.woodsholediversity.org/bhm2024/.
‘Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project’ movie screening and poetry reading
In collaboration with the Woods Hole Film Festival, a special screening of “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project” will be held on Feb. 10.
In this Grammy-nominated, feature documentary, filmmakers Michele Stephenson and Joe Brewster explore the life and legacy of acclaimed poet Nikki Giovanni and the pivotal moments in American history connected to her work through her own words.
Prior to the screening, local poets Jarita Davis and Tamora Israel will read a selection of their works.
The screening will take place at 7 p.m. on Feb. 10 at the Redfield Auditorium. Tickets are $16 for nonmembers, $12 for members and $10 for students and military. A limited number of tickets are subsidized by the Woods Hole Diversity Initiative through the Woods Hole Diversity Advisory Committee, use code WHDAC2024 at checkout. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.woodsholefilmfestival.org/.
‘MA Arts Impact: An Executive Director’s Perspective’
As the highest-ranking cultural official in the commonwealth’s government, Mass Cultural Council Executive Director Michael J. Bobbitt knows a thing or two about arts and culture.
His insight on Massachusetts’ arts and culture scene as well as a look into his leadership and legacy will be shared during a presentation at noon on Feb. 16 at the Redfield Auditorium. To register for the livestream of this event, visit www.woodsholediversity.org/bhm2024/.
‘The Middle: Celebrating the Many Forms of Blackness,’ a dance by Miranda and Krista Lawson
Sharing their story of growing up biracial, sisters Miranda and Krista Lawson bring their contemporary dance performance “The Middle” to Falmouth High School at 10 a.m. on Feb. 29.
Harambee Community Celebration
Closing the Black History Month celebrations is the annual Woods Hole Harambee Community Celebration starting at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 29.
Festivities will commence over food, music — with performances from folk singer Naomi Westwater, Gabriella Simpkins and Stephanie McKay — and art. Works submitted to the 2024 Black History Month Art Competition will be exhibited at Harambee and winners of the three cash prizes will be announced.
‘Before Brooklyn: The Unsung Heroes Who Helped Break Baseball’s Color Barrier,’
The University of Chicago’s Marine Biological Laboratory Falmouth Forum is hosting an additional Black History Month event on Feb. 23 “Before Brooklyn: The Unsung Heroes Who Helped Break Baseball’s Color Barrier.”
Journalist and author Ted Reinstein goes back to 60 years before Jackie Robinson, telling the story of those who helped pave the way for him to break baseball’s color barrier.
The event will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 23 at the Clapp Auditorium inside the Lillie Building on MBL Falmouth’s campus.
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RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment
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