Janelle Monáe And Martell Honor The Black Art Of Loïs Mailou Jones With Little Paris Group Revival in BK

Martell's Little Paris Group

Source: Michael Simon / Michael Simon

All month long we’ve been honoring the groundbreaking work by women from all aspects of our culture in honor of Women’s History Month. So, it would only be right to close out the annual occasion by featuring a special new art exhibit in NYC that pays homage to an iconic Black woman and is curated with help from one of your favorite Black women.

RELATED: Janelle Monáe Is Captivating On The March Cover Of ‘Ebony’ Magazine

Award-winning entertainer Janelle Monaé has partnered with prestigious cognac house Martell in an effort to breathe new life into the work of Loïs Mailou Jones (1905 – 1998). Together they launched a new gallery (seen above) that honors Jones’ as an artist, Black history maker and trailblazing female icon all at once.

Educate yourself with a brief cultural history lesson on who Loïs Mailou Jones was below, via Martell:

“Loïs Mailou Jones was the longest-surviving artist of the Harlem Renaissance who attained fame while living in Paris during the 1930s and 1940s. Influenced by the movement, Jones’ established a Parisian-style salon upon her stateside return, dubbed ‘The Little Paris Group’, where local Black artists and students could thrive creatively, hone their skills and exchange critiques. Often surrounded by influential identities such as presidents, world leaders and prominent figures like Langston Hughes, Josephine Baker and Carter G. Woodson, Jones was a multi-hyphenate talent who championed African American art and the Black Diaspora throughout her decades-long career as a pioneer painter and educator.”

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The revamped Little Paris Group made its debut in Brooklyn last week (March 22) at Black-owned creative space The Bishop Gallery. Contemporary female artists Emonee Larussa and Sophia Victor, alongside their male counterpart Blue the Great, each helped usher in the new era of Little Paris Group by speaking during the launch event and hosting art workshops afterwards inspired by the Loïs Mailou Jones exhibit hanging from the walls, courtesy of The Loïs Mailou Jones Pierre-Noel Trust.

Take a better look inside Janelle Monáe & Martell’s revived Little Paris Group at The Bishop Gallery in Brooklyn below, including personal insights from the artists themselves on what it means to honor Loïs Mailou Jones during Women’s History Month:

“What connected me to this entire event is simply taking place in a gallery that represents me. Little Paris Group was a place where different creatives met on a weekly basis and shared different work they were creating — often it was works in progress. By being consistent in making art, they could each develop at least seven pieces of exhibition-worthy artwork. I’ve been making art for 20 years and never quite had a collective like that, so to have that support, community and accountability will work wonders.”
— Sophia Victor, @iamwetpaint

“The whole purpose of this is to highlight the amazing Loïs Mailou Jones’ legacy and how it’s impacted the traditional art world, particularly Black and brown artists today. Seeing how she’s been such a trailblazer while also being an educator as a female Black artist in this space makes me so passionate to educate the younger generation. There’s a purpose behind representation, and I want artists to feel valid when they come to these spaces. If a woman signs her name on an art piece in the traditional art world, it devalues. Sadly we’re starting to see the same issues occur in the new generation of digital art where I create. Having this space, especially during Women’s History Month, is so empowering.”
— Emonee Larussa, @em0n33y

“Little Paris Group, to me, is like a rebel organization put together by a Black woman that represents the same ideas that I preach: Black art out more and in the front of things! I don’t like to seperate art in any aspect, but Black woman artists are doing some amazing things in the space and it needs to continue being brought to the forefront.”
Bryan “Blue The Great” Blue, @bluethegreat

1. Martell’s Little Paris Group

Martell's Little Paris Group Source:Michael Simon

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Martell's Little Paris Group Source:Michael Simon

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Martell's Little Paris Group Source:Michael Simon

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Martell's Little Paris Group Source:Michael Simon

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Martell's Little Paris Group Source:Michael Simon

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Martell's Little Paris Group Source:Michael Simon

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RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment

Family of “Let’s Get It On” songwriter sues Ed Sheeran

NEW YORK — Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran is being sued.

The family of the late writer behind the hit Marvin Gaye song “Let’s Get It On” claims the pop star copied the song in his hit “Thinking Out Loud.”

The two songs were released decades apart, but some say they sound seamless when paired together.

Those songs are now at the center of a legal battle between Sheeran and the estate of Ed Townsend, who wrote “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye.

“It is about today and standing up not only for my father’s work but all artists,” said Townsend’s daughter Kathryn Griffin-Townsend.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump and his team say this is an ongoing issue in the music industry — intellectual property being stolen from Black artists leading to the loss of generational wealth for their families.

“Mr. Sheeran blatantly took a Black artist’s music who he doesn’t view as worthy as compensation,” Crump said.

Music and entertainment lawyer Charlie Sanders has been seeing lawsuits like this pop up more often, saying artists feel they’re making less of a profit as music is being streamed more frequently.

“Until we see a business model in the music industry that’s going to allow songwriters and composers to earn a living from what they do, we’re going to continue to see litigation as an attempted income stream,” he said.

This isn’t the first time Sheeran has faced a lawsuit like this. Last March, he won in a copyright suit over his song “Shape of You.” In his response last year on Instagram, he said lawsuits like this are damaging to an artist’s reputation.

“Coincidence is bound to happen if 60,000 songs are being released every day on Spotify. That’s 22 million songs a year, and there’s only 12 notes that are available,” he said.

READ MORE: Ed Sheeran wins copyright lawsuit over 2017 hit “Shape of You”

The plaintiffs report that emails went out within Sheeran’s team acknowledging that the two songs sounded alike. They ask to be compensated based on the percentage of the song the court decides was copied.

Sanders says even if the chord progression was taken coincidentally, “Subconscious plagiarism is still copyright infringement.”

This is expected to go to trial in federal court in New York on April 24.

We’ve reached out to Sheeran’s attorney but have not yet heard back.

RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment

Cindy Peralta, Yohanna Florentino & More to Star in VÁMONOS World Premiere at INTAR Theatre

Cindy Peralta, Yohanna Florentino & More to Star in VÁMONOS World Premiere at INTAR Theatre

INTAR THEATRE and the RADIO DRAMA NETWORK announced complete casting for their Main Stage production of Julissa Contreras‘ play Vámonos which will begin performances on April 22nd and run through May 21st. Opening night is set for May 1st.

Under the direction of Tatyana-Marie Carlo, the cast will feature Cindy Peralta, Yohanna Florentino, Angela Reynoso, Kiara Lauren, Cesar J. Rosado, Denzel Rodriguez and Ansi Rodriguez. Scenic design is by Rodrigo Escalante, costume design by Jennifer Colón, lighting design by Alberto Ruiz, sound design by Germán Martinez and video/projections by Stefania Bulbarella. Laura Elena Padilla serves as Assistant Director.

The Torres family of the Bronx are gathering at Juana’s apartment to celebrate the christening of her grandson, Christopher. It’s November 2002 and a year after 9/11, this hilarious, fun, close-knit Dominican family is navigating a new reality that challenges their sense of security – is America waging a war in Iraq? When it’s time to party, the Torres’ still deliver – there’s definitely too much food, adults harangue their kids a little, cousins gossip and argue – and yet the comforts of home fall short. Something is up. This world premiere features bilingual dialogue meticulously woven to show the beauty, humor, and uncertainty of a life in this time, place and comunidad.

Performances for both shows take place at INTAR Theatre, 500 West 52nd Street (4th Floor). Schedule is Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 pm with matinees on Saturdays and Sundays at 3:00 pm. Ticket prices are $15.00 for matinee performances; $25.00 for preview performances and $35.00 for regular tickets. For information and tickets go to www.intartheatre.org

INTAR gratefully acknowledges 2023 season underwriting support from the Radio Drama Network, Melina Brown, President.

INTAR (International Arts Relations, Inc.) is one of the United States’ longest running Latiné theatre producing in English. It is an organization committed to the development of “theatre arts without borders”. Over the past five decades, INTAR has produced classics, Latiné adaptations of classics, cabarets and major world premieres of plays written by Lantiné-Americans, including 2005 Oscar nominee Jose Rivera and Pulitzer Prize recipient Nilo Cruz.

INTAR works to nurture the professional development of Latiné theatre artists; produce bold, innovative, and artistically significant plays that reflect diverse perspectives; and make accessible the diversity inherent in America’s cultural heritage.

To date, the theatre has commissioned, developed, and produced works by more than 175 Latiné writers, composers, and choreographers. It has assisted hundreds of playwrights, directors, and actors in obtaining the first professional theatre credits, union memberships and reviews in English-language media.

INTAR is a proud member of the Alliance of Teatros Latinos NYH, the Latinx Arts Consortium NY, and ART NY.

RADIO DRAMA NETWORK (Melina Brown, President) was founded by legendary audio drama director and producer, Hiram Brown, to support art forms that use the spoken word to enrich our culture. For more information visit www.radiodramanetwork.org/about

BIOGRAPHIES:

(Author) is a storyteller, writer, poet, actor, podcaster, community builder, educator and more. With a focus on storytelling as a framework for the preservation of our nuanced yet meaningful histories, Julissa leans into her perspective of the world as a Dominicana from the Bronx as well as those of the communities that have socialized her experience. She is the creator and host of the “Ladies who Bronche” podcast and creator of the YouTube hit “Shit Spanish Girls Say”. Julissa was a member of the MCC Youth Theater Company from 2007-2010 and a founding member of Middle Voice Theater Company. Her work has been commissioned and nurtured at Kabayitos Theater for Latinx Playwrights Circle’s Mentorship Program, INTAR’s MicroTEATRO Festival, One-Minute Play Festival at INTAR, Maria Irene Fornes Festival and Middle Voice Theater among others.

(Anna) Yohanna is a Black artist born in the Dominican Republic who intends to represent the broadness and brilliance of Black people to help unite, heal and inspire. It gives Yohanna joy and purpose to be a part of VÁMONOS, which is making theatre her/history by telling an authentic story that is as specifically Dominican as it is collectively human. She is honored to portray, for the first time, a Dominican woman. Select acting credits: The Old Settler (Morningside Players Theater, AUDELCO Award), Fractured (New Circle Theatre Company), The Cooking Project (New York Theatre Workshop), 48 Hours in…El Bronx (Harlem9), Luciérnagas (The Parsnip Ship Podcast), Pegao (HartBeat Ensemble), Zooman and the Sign (Frederick Loewe Theatre), Dark Seed (Deep Water Productions, Peacock) and FBI: MOST WANTED (CBS). Yohanna is a member of AEA, trained in Capoeira and is an aspiring writer. This June you can see Yohanna in MECCA IS BURNING at LaMaMa produced by the Negro Ensemble Company.

KIARA LAUREN

(Julie) Kiara (she/they) is an Afro-Latina New York City based actor, director, and artistic producer. Selected Theatre Credits: bb brecht (The Public), Cadillac Crew (WAM), Black Mexican (Wayward Voices), Every 28 Hours Plays (Long Wharf Theatre). Education: Spelman College (BA). Connect: IG- @thekiaralauren

CINDY PERALTA

(Juana) Cindy is born and raised in NYC. An afro-Latina actor descended from the Dominican Republic has been acting since the age of 13. With multiple lead roles under her belt, she was nominated as Best Actress in a Play 2019 (Broadway New Jersey) for playing two distinguishing roles simultaneously. Her background is mostly in theatre and multiple comedic web series.

ANGELA REYNOSO

(Yoira) Angela is an actress, playwright, director and multimedia DominiYorker artist born and raised in The Bronx. Stage: Tinkerbell and the Lost Girl (Wendy, Cosmic Cherry), The Love Hate Club (Mia, BBTF), One Act of Kindness (Amila, Chain Theater), Radial Gradient (Lime Arts) and Calling Puerto Rico (Debra, 24 Hour Plays). She stars as (Aleia) in the web-series #30s and in the 2020 NYC Quarantine Film Festival award-winning Best Bronx Film, Alone With My Demons.

ANSI RODRIGUEZ

(Junior) Ansi is a graduate from the City college of New York with a B.A in Theatre! Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, Ansi has performed in productions such as The 25th…Spelling bee (Mitch Mahoney), The Black That I Am, Urinetown (Hot Blades Harry), Significant Other (Jordan) and many others! Since graduating, Ansi has signed onto Core Talent Agency. He is eternally grateful for the experiences he’s had throughout his journey.

DENZEL RODRIGUEZ

(Edward/Alex) My name is Denzel “Zel” Rodriguez I’m from West Harlem. I’m Honduran and I’m proud of it. I love to act, I’ve been doing it since high school. My acting career started at Open Hydrant theater Co and I wanna shout out my folks over there for believing and pushing me to be my best. Besides my love for acting I also love to rap, Music is therapeutic for the kid. I’m excited to take on this role, to play with my cast mates, and to tell this story.

(Pablo) – Broadway: Plaza Suite directed by John Benjamin Hickey (Hudson Theatre). Off Broadway: A Streetcar Named Desire directed by Robert O’Hara (Williamstown Theatre Festival/Audible), Plano directed by Taylor Reynolds (Clubbed Thumb), The Things That Were There directed by Lee Sunday Evans (Bushwick Starr), Dolphins and Sharks (LABrynth Theater), Seven Spots on the Sun (Rattlestick). Regional: Under A Baseball Sky directed by James Vásquez (The Old Globe). Film/Television: “Wu-Tang: An American Saga,” “Manifest,” “Law & Order: SVU.”

RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment

Some fans have turned on Lana Del Rey. Here’s a complete timeline of how the singer soured her own reputation.

  • Lana Del Rey has faced consistent backlash since early 2020.
  • It all started when Del Rey posted an unprompted public statement, defending her own reputation.
  • After repeatedly doubling down, she’s since been described as “the epitome of white woman feminism.”

At the dawn of a new decade, Lana Del Rey seemed poised at the summit of the indie-pop mountain.

The songstress, now 37, was still riding the high of “Norman Fucking Rockwell!” — her career-topping sixth album, which was named the best release of 2019 by Pitchfork and nominated for album of the year at the Grammy Awards.

As 2019 neared its end, Del Rey’s first two albums, “Born to Die” and “Ultraviolence,” both landed on several decade-end lists. She was named one of the decade’s defining artists by Insider.

But shortly after, Del Rey’s behavior began to make more headlines than her music.

Her reputation suffered a rapid downturn, thanks to a string of controversial public statements, questionable mask choices, and her tendency to double down.

Many fans even say they’ve “lost respect” for the singer, and she’s increasingly described online as a “problematic white woman.” Below, we broke down all the backlash Del Rey has recently received.

Note: This article has been updated since its original publish date.

May 2020: Del Rey posted an unprompted public statement about her own reputation

It all began on May 21, four months after she attended the 2020 Grammys, when Del Rey shared a lengthy open letter on Instagram. 

Posed as a “question for the culture,” Del Rey praised her own legacy and broadly described her critics as “pathetic.”

“Now that Doja Cat, Ariana, Camila, Cardi B, Kehlani and Nicki Minaj and Beyoncé have had number ones with songs about being sexy, wearing no clothes, fucking, cheating etc,” she wrote, “can I please go back to singing about being embodied, feeling beautiful by being in love even if the relationship is not perfect, or dancing for money, or whatever I want, without being crucified or saying that I’m glamorizing abuse?”

“I’m fed up with female writers and alt singers saying that I glamorize abuse,” she continued, “when in reality I’m just a glamorous person singing about the realities of what we are all now seeing are very prevalent emotionally abusive relationships all over the world.”

She defended writing songs about being “submissive” in relationships, despite “a long 10 years of bullshit reviews.”

“I also feel it really paved the way for other women to stop ‘putting on a happy face’ and to just be able to say whatever the hell they wanted to in their music,” she wrote, “unlike my experience where if I even expressed a note of sadness in my first two records I was deemed literally hysterical as though it was literally the 1920s.”

Del Rey concluded her statement by plugging her forthcoming poetry books, mentioning that she donates to “Native American foundations,” and announcing a new album.

It remains unclear what triggered Del Rey’s statement, or why she felt compelled to defend her music after months of glowing reviews.

Early in her career, Del Rey was seen as a controversial figure — but largely because of accusations of inauthenticity and artifice. Her tragic-glam image was scrutinized far more frequently than her lyrics.

Del Rey may have been reacting to a 2019 article from The Independent, in which writer Helen Brown “examines how easy it is to misread her lyrics as ‘antifeminist'” — though Brown actually defends Del Rey’s “sharp” songwriting and roundly praises her newest album.

Whatever Del Rey’s motivations may have been, her statement was poorly received

While some agreed she’s been unfairly judged as “antifeminist” in the past, many were angry that she name-dropped other artists to make her point.

Additionally, six out of the seven people she mentioned were women of color, which sparked accusations of racism.

As Tulane University’s Christine Capetola wrote, in addition to her reductive descriptions of their music, Del Rey “failed to recognize Black female artists’ decades-long — and ongoing — struggle to express their sexualities on their own terms within the realm of pop music.” 

Del Rey also implied that she’s more “delicate” than her peers, and claimed that feminism is intolerant of “women who look and act like me.”

“The optics of Lana, a white woman, complaining about feminism lacking space for her while critiquing the acclaim allotted to several Black pop artists is mortifying,” Ashley Reese wrote for Jezebel.

YouTuber D’Angelo Wallace said Del Rey’s album announcement was amplified by media coverage of the controversy. 

“Was Lana Del Rey profiting off Black outrage to sell her album? Yes,” he said in a video titled, “Lana Del Rey has Lana Del LOST IT.”

“I don’t think she did it on purpose,” he said. “But once she realized who she was making mad, and that it was getting her even more attention than she initially was looking for, she made four follow-up comments. And they were all about the outrage.”

He added: “I’m just gonna be honest. This is where my respect for her started to dip.”

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Shortly after, Del Rey doubled down and insisted she’s not racist

Del Rey’s response to the backlash focused on her reasoning for naming specific artists.

“To be clear because I knowwww you love to twist things. I fucking love these singers and know them. #that is why I mentioned them,” she wrote. “I would like to have some of the same freedom of expression without judgment of hysteria.”

“I haven’t had the same opportunity to express what I wanted to express without being completely decimated,” she continued in a second comment. “And if you want to say that has something to do with race that’s your opinion but that’s not what I was saying.”

“This is the problem with society today,” she said in a third comment. “It’s exactly the point of my post — there are certain women that culture doesn’t want to have a voice it may not have to do with race I don’t know what it has to do with.”

“I don’t care anymore but don’t ever ever ever ever bro- call me racist because that is bullshit.”

“And my last and final note on everything,” Del Rey wrote in a fourth comment, “when I said people who look like me — I meant the people who don’t look strong or necessarily smart, or like they’re in control etc. it’s about advocating for a more delicate personality, not for white women — thanks for the Karen comments tho. V helpful.”

Del Rey’s comments struck many people as overly defensive and unproductive, rather than illuminating. 

“‘Don’t ever call me racist’ is hands-down the single-most disappointing reaction to accusations of racism,” Wallace said in his video. 

Black writers like Nichole Perkins and Roxane Gay, as well as their followers, pointed out Del Rey’s use of “coded” language and self-victimization.

Del Rey posted an additional statement on Instagram, accusing her critics of wanting a ‘race war’

One day after her original post, Del Rey continued to insist that it “wasn’t controversial at all,” despite national news coverage and widespread backlash.

In her additional statement, she implied that Ariana Grande and Doja Cat reached out to express discomfort in her message.

But “despite the feedback,” Del Rey doubled down once again.

“I want to say that I remain firm in my clarity and stance in that what i was writing about was the importance of self-advocacy for the more delicate and often dismissed, softer female personality, and that there does have to be room for that type in what will inevitably become a new wave/3rd wave of feminism that is rapidly approaching,” she wrote, even though the third wave of feminism began more than 20 years ago.

“I’m sorry that the folks who I can only assume are super Trump/Pence supporters or hyper liberals or flip-flopping headline grabbing critics can’t read and want to make it a race war,” she continued.

She also accused her female critics of being “disassociated from their own fragility and sexuality” and wanting “drama.”

“My aim and my message are clear. That I have control of my own story,” she concluded. “If the women I mention don’t wanna be associated with me that’s absolutely fine by me.”

Again, fans criticized Del Rey for dismissing feedback rather than engaging with it.

Many noted that Del Rey’s repeated self-characterization as a “delicate” woman plays into racist stereotypes, which historically paint white women as more feminine or fragile — allowing them to escape accountability more easily.

It also highlights the idea that Del Rey is “playing the victim.”

“Lana really wants to act like she’s the most original artist playing the victim and honestly she’s full of shit,” one person wrote on Twitter. 

She was also mocked for not-so-casually plugging her poetry book in the midst of her non-apology.

Del Rey made a further attempt to defend her open letter 3 days later — and compared herself to another woman of color

“In that post — my one and only personal declaration I’ve ever made, thanks for being so warm and welcoming — was about the need for fragility in the feminist movement,” Del Rey said on May 25 in a six-minute video on Instagram.

“When I mentioned women who ‘look like me,’ I didn’t mean white like me, I mean the kind of women who, you know, other people might not believe,” Del Rey said in the video. “The difference is, when I get on the pole, people call me a whore, but when twigs gets on the pole, it’s art.”

She added: “The culture is super sick right now. And the fact that they wanna turn my post, my advocacy for fragility, into a race war — it’s really bad. It’s actually really bad.”

She also expressed frustration that her letter received backlash, though she didn’t address any of the specific criticism she received from artists and fans of color.

“It really, again, makes you reach into the depth of your own heart and say, ‘Am I good-intentioned?’ And of course, for me, the answer is always yes,” she said. “I barely ever share a thing, and this is why.”

In the midst of her video, Del Rey revealed the title of her forthcoming album, “Chemtrails Over the Country Club,” causing people to speculate that it’s all for publicity (“it’s only been four days and lana’s album rollout has felt like a decade,” one person wrote).

Del Rey wrapped up by insisting that she’s “not racist,” plugging her poetry books, and refusing to apologize for her original statement: “Fuck off if you don’t like the post.”

Once again, Del Rey was accused of being resentful towards successful women of color, ignorant of her own privilege, and determined to play the victim.

People were especially infuriated by Del Rey’s mention of FKA twigs, a mixed-race singer, songwriter, and dancer.

Twigs has trained as a pole dancer and incorporated acrobatics into her art, as in her Grammy-nominated music video for “Cellophane.” She has also incorporated the skill into live performances of “Magdalene,” an album that explores the demonization of women throughout history, as well as her own resilience.

Twigs has also said that pole dancing helped her feel like her “strong self again,” after she had six fibroid tumors removed from her uterus in 2018.

For her part, Del Rey portrayed a stripper in her 2013 short film for “Tropico,” which was criticized for “appropriating Latino gangster culture.”

“The fact that she said race war and doesn’t see twigs as a fragile, delicate woman is… You’re really making it worse,” one person wrote

Another added: “You can hear FKA twigs’ pain on ‘Magdalene’ period. I need Lana to stop bringing black women into her argument for creating a brand she cannot escape from.”

Most fans (and former fans at this point) agreed that Del Rey’s video “only made things worse.”

“I didn’t think she was this kind of person,” Wallace said. “Now I have the knowledge that Lana Del Rey is kind of ruthless in her pursuit of getting people to talk about her, and she doesn’t seem to care who gets angry in the process, or even if what she’s saying is right. So, that’s a lot.”

June 2020: She was called out by Black artists for sharing videos of protesters

During the wave of Black Lives Matter protests that were sparked by the death of George Floyd, Del Rey shared two videos on Instagram.

According to Billboard, the first video showed a man holding a sign that read “no justice no peace,” while the second showed people breaking into storefronts and running away with merchandise. She disabled comments on the post.

On Twitter, Kehlani implored Del Rey to remove the videos because they showed uncensored faces and identifying features, which could lead to “dangerous” consequences for the protesters.

“.@LanaDelRey please remove your instagram post it’s dangerous as fuck and a very poor choice of moments to post,” Kehlani tweeted. “by all means protest, but DO NOT endanger people with your very massive platform. oh and turn your fuckin comments on man.”

Kehlani added: “it’s about furthering endangering the lives of black people. it’s about responsibility.”

Tinashe echoed Kehlani’s comments in a tweet of her own.

“@LanaDelRey why the fuck are you posting people looting stores on your page literally WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM,” she wrote.

After Del Rey removed the video from Instagram, Kehlani and Tinashe both deleted their tweets.

October 2020: Del Rey came under fire after apparently wearing a mesh face mask

Aside from postponing her album, which was originally slated to be released in September, Del Rey remained fairly quiet in the wake of her controversial video — except to promote her aforementioned poetry book, “Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass.”

In October, Del Rey hosted a book signing at a Barnes & Noble in Los Angeles during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In videos and photos from the event, she appeared to wear a mesh-style face mask, which would not provide an effective barrier for respiratory droplets, according to recommendations from the CDC.

Fans left comments on her Instagram posts, which she has since deleted, begging her to wear a “real mask.”

“I love you sis but please wear a real mask, it gives a bad message,” one user commented on Del Rey’s Instagram video.

“i love lana sm but what the frick is she doing ? the covid situation in the united states is worsening and she refuses to wear a proper mask, that really infuriates me,” another fan wrote on Twitter. “so many ppl have died there.”

Others called Del Rey “selfish” and said they were growing tired of defending her.

The image of COVID-19 slipping through the holes in her mask also became a meme on Twitter.

Del Rey later said that her mask had a plastic lining, in response to a critical article from Michigan Daily.

“The mask had plastic on the inside,” Del Rey wrote. “They’re commonly sewn in by stylists these days. I don’t generally respond to articles because I don’t care. But there ya go. Same goes for everyone’s masks in my video. I’m lucky enough to have a team of people who can do that.”

She also seemed to poke fun at the controversy in her music video for “Chemtrails Over the Country Club,” in which she dons a nearly identical mask.

lana del rey chemtrails over the country club music video

Lana Del Rey in “Chemtrails Over the Country Club.”
Lana Del Rey/YouTube

January 10, 2021: Del Rey unveiled the cover art for her new album — and preemptively defended it with a ‘problematic’ comment

The black-and-white cover for “Chemtrails Over the Country Club” shows Del Rey grinning and surrounded by friends, all huddled around a table.

Shortly after she shared the image, Del Rey commented on her own Instagram post with preemptive self-defense.

“No this was not intended-these are my best friends, since you are asking today,” she wrote — although it was written as a standalone comment, not a reply to anyone in particular.

“As it happens when it comes to my amazing friends and this cover, yes, there are people of color on this record’s picture and that’s all I’ll say about that,” she wrote. “We are all a beautiful mix of everything – some more than others, which is visible and celebrated in everything I do.”

“In 11 years working I have always been extremely inclusive without trying to,” she continued. “My best friends are rappers, my boyfriends have been rappers. My dearest friends have been from all over the place, so before you make comments again about a WOC/POC issue, I’m not the one storming the capital, I’m literally changing the world by putting my life and thoughts and love out there on the table 24 seven. Respect it.”

The comment has since been deleted.

The following day, during an interview with BBC’s Annie Mac, Del Rey claimed that “actually half the people in this photo are people of color.”

“I just feel like if that’s really what people are gonna say, I have an answer for them, which is that if you look closer, you will see people of color,” she added. “It’s a black-and-white image, so zoom in, you know. It’s just weird, you know?”

Naturally, some people did make jokes about the cover’s perceived lack of diversity, and others called the choice “tone deaf.”

But the real backlash came in response to Del Rey’s comment, which was described as “textbook white fragility problematic white woman.”

Del Rey’s note about befriending and dating “rappers” was particularly controversial. 

Del Rey was also mocked for claiming that she’s “literally changing the world” with her writing.

“We love her and understand her intentions but we cannot keep defending this shit,” one fan commented on Del Rey’s Instagram post. “That comment is so problematic in so many ways.”

“I literally have her lyrics tattooed on my body but I’m also a political activist and I cannot defend this shit at all. I wish we could be excited about the album and only that but shit like this makes it hard to be,” the fan continued. “Nothing about her statement is okay.”

“If she’s going to breathe life into aesthetics of a time where racism was at one of its peaks and not use her platform in the same breath to advocate today’s issues properly, accurately, and tactfully. that’s an issue.”

January 11, 2021: Del Rey was criticized for saying Trump ‘doesn’t know that he’s inciting a riot’

During an interview with BBC’s Annie Mac, Del Rey compared President Donald Trump to “people who didn’t know they hurt other people.”

“You know, he doesn’t know that he’s inciting a riot and I believe that,” she said, adding that Trump has “delusions of grandeur.”

Del Rey was referring to the violent riot at the US Capitol on January 6, when pro-Trump supporters stormed the building after attending a nearby Trump rally.

Five people died, and the outgoing president has since been impeached for “incitement of insurrection.”

“The madness of Trump… As bad as it was, it really needed to happen. We really needed a reflection of our world’s greatest problem, which is not climate change but sociopathy and narcissism,” she said, as reported by Complex. “Especially in America. It’s going to kill the world. It’s not capitalism, it’s narcissism.”

One person replied on Twitter: “Lana stans gonna be doing some mental gymnastics to explain this one.”

Del Rey then lashed out at ‘larger magazines’ for ‘taking my well-intentioned and believe it or not liberal comments out of context’

The day after her interview with Mac, Del Rey responded to Complex’s coverage of her comments.

“OK complex not that our 10 year relationship matters I guess,” she tweeted. “Thanks for the cool soundbite taken out of context, I said that the bigger problem is Sociopathy-so whether he meant to incite a riot is less important than the larger issue in America at hand -the problem of sociopathy.”

“It’s fucked up,” she continued. “You know I’m real. You know I voted for Biden. I’m super steady in everything I’ve ever said. You probably listened to my entire interview. So whoever wrote this is a genuine piece of shit. I am the one helping bringing the problem with narcissism to light.”

Hardly one to stifle momentum, Del Rey also responded to the Australian blog Tone Deaf, which had published an article criticizing the defense of her album cover.

“I’m actually not tone deaf, I don’t think there’s anything tone deaf about responding to questions about why there are only white women on a album cover when that’s just not the case,” she tweeted. “I’m not gonna let people say that some thing is what it isn’t. You’re jealous I get it.”

In an additional tweet, Del Rey added that her new music is “great” and described herself as “one of the only artists who is genuine.”

Del Rey continued tweeting about her BBC interview, clarifying that she meant to criticize Trump’s “significant lack of empathy” and “the issue of sociopathy and narcissism in America.”

“I’ll say it again I don’t appreciate the larger magazines taking my well-intentioned and believe it or not liberal comments out of context,” she wrote. “It’s actually what I sing about quite often. It’s what I’ve been condemned for saying.”

She also expressed disdain for negative publicity, citing her “long term relationship” with magazines like Complex and Rolling Stone, calling the former “pathetic.”

Uproxx’s Steven Hyden described the now-deleted tweet as “a hilarious and illuminating snapshot of pop-star brain.”

Indeed, Del Rey has lashed out at journalists and music critics in the past.

Back in September 2019, she tweeted her displeasure with Ann Powers’ review of “Norman Fucking Rockwell!” for NPR — even though Powers described the album as “instantly compelling, a pro asserting her future spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”

True to form, Del Rey doubled down with a video, in which she defended her comments about Trump and called out Complex again.

“I just wanna talk about a couple of things, some of the articles that are coming out today, about me thinking that Trump didn’t mean to incite the riots,” she began. “I think it’s cute that that’s the little takeaway that Complex gets from that — especially with our relationship over the last 10 years, obviously completely disregarded.”

“I get it. I have something to say, and I don’t just show up giggling and talking about my hair and my makeup,” she continued. “I was asked directly political questions for over 40 minutes by the BBC Radio 1, and I answered them.”

Many people saw Del Rey’s tweets as another attempt to play the victim, or another example of her “white woman feminism.”

 Others simply made jokes or said they’d lost patience with her antics.

September 12, 2021: Del Rey deactivated her social media accounts

In a black-and-white video posted on Instagram, the musician thanked fans for their support and announced her decision to remove her online presence.

“I just wanted to let you know that tomorrow we are going to be deactivating my social media accounts, and that is simply because I have so many other interests and other jobs I’m doing that require privacy and transparency,” Del Rey said.

“I’m still very present and love what I do. I’m absolutely here for the music. I’m also just going on some different endeavors and I want to say thank you so much for all the support and I do hope that you like the record,” she added, referencing her eighth album “Blue Banisters,” which was released later that same month.

March 24, 2023: She included a megachurch pastor’s sermon on her new album, dividing fans

On Del Rey’s ninth studio album, “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd,” track five is titled “Judah Smith Interlude.”

The four-minute track gives an uninterrupted platform to Judah Smith, a preacher at the Christian megachurch Churchome. Smith, Del Rey, and producer Jack Antonoff are all listed as cowriters. 

Del Rey also thanked Smith in a Facebook post a few months prior, “for giving me good guidance” and “for letting me record a part of his sermon for this record.”

In the song, Smith denounces “a life dominated with lust” and praises God as “the fascinating artist who fashioned it all.”

“The Spirit of God says, ‘I’ll infuse you with desirеs for what you have and what’s in front of you,'” Smith preaches.

As Them previously reported, many fans — especially those who identify as queer — were divided in their reactions to “Judah Smith Interlude.” One Twitter user called it “creepy,” while another said, “it’s giving conversion therapy cult leader.” 

Indeed, Smith has reportedly made homophobic comments in the past. According to Marie Claire, he called homosexuality a sin comparable to “murder, rape, or living with your girlfriend” during a 2005 interview. (The interview in question isn’t available online.)

Churchome is also associated with Hillsong, an Australian megachurch best known for attracting famous followers like Chris Pratt. In fact, Justin Bieber once led worship at Churchome, and Smith was featured on Bieber’s 2021 EP “Freedom.”

Hillsong has long been associated with anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ views. A report from NPR described it as “an ultra-conservative church with a dark past,” including connections to pedophilia.

“I was uncomfortable. I’m not religious and thought it was weird to include. Considering who he is, it’s very weird,” one person wrote on Reddit. Another agreed, reasoning that Del Rey could have invented “a weird fake religious monologue” instead of “publicizing a real pastor that sucks.”

However, some fans of Del Rey have defended “Judah Smith Interlude” as satirical or “ironic.” As Coleman Spilde wrote for the Daily Beast, “Del Rey is exactly the type of person who would attend a celebrity-studded mega-church, both for a cleansing of the soul and to lambaste its intrinsic flamboyance with her friends.”

“As a gay atheist that grew up in the Catholic Church, y’all are really bent out of shape over this,” another fan commented in a Reddit thread. “I love how provocative this whole thing is and it’s exactly why I love Lana.”

A representative for Del Rey has not responded to Insider’s request for comment.

RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment

The World Keeps Turning: Imeh’s art confronts history

People react to visual images in ways as unique as their DNA or fingerprints. But if you view the work of Black artist Dr. Imo NseImeh at Greenfield Community College’s South Gallery (through April 7), or his website (imoimeh.com/), I can guarantee that you will react.

In January 2022, I wrote enthusiastically about one of his powerful exhibits, and I am just as enthusiastic today. He continues using visual art to illustrate timeless social justice issues, hoping it will be a catalyst for further discussions and personal and societal growth. In my interpretation of his paintings, and written and spoken words, he sees his work as a beginning rather than a static accomplishment.

In ten 4’ x 5’ panels (charcoal and India ink on white canvas), he touches on social issues that most of us would like to avoid or minimize in pursuit of a life of blissful ignorance, or in search of a delicate balance for a fragile mind. But where to start in addressing his commentary on such a broad range of issues?

On his website, and a talk at GCC, he begins with a provocative title using the N-word, now “eradicated” from acceptable discourse, but crossed out to spark thought about whether the stereotypes and behaviors associated with it have been eradicated as well.

He details his inspiration (outrage?) at the backstory, beginning with the title of a popular, illustrated 1907 children’s book and counting poem of the same name. It presents grotesque caricatures of 10 little Black girls, 9 of whom disappear, often from horrific events (burned up, eaten by a bear, kidnapped by a large bird) until “there is one” who manages to return home.

That book (and others) presented a narrative for white children (and adults) about the ugliness, stupidity, and worthlessness of Blacks. The gruesome photo postcards of Blacks lynched and burned during the early 1900s are a natural extension of that view, something Imeh calls “purchasable trauma.” His series turns the images from grotesque to realistic and beautiful, but updates the dangers for our modern world.

Instead of a bear, cooking fire, or bird killing or capturing them, the girls are threatened by today’s influences and events, symbolized by dark, abstract splotches of India ink. The imagery and notes involve (among other issues) suicide, drug use and addiction, sexual abuse, child abuse and neglect, and the seductive and voracious power of internet images that can destroy a reputation and a sense of self-worth.

It is a dark and dangerous world for many girls (and boys), especially Black ones, because they are the most vulnerable among us. Compounding this problem is their “invisibility,” “terrifying” for Imeh because when you’re invisible, “anything can happen to you.” This is highlighted by the “Forgotten Girl” and “Gone Girl” panels and can be backed up by statistics: Blacks make up 12% of the American population, but 36% of all people who are missing, and 33% of missing children. 

In this bleak, violent landscape, Imeh’s work reminds me of a phrase used by author Jeff Sharlet about a different, dark subject: our country’s deep political divisions. In interviewing and writing about extremists willing to destroy our democracy to advance their beliefs, he defines it as a problem you “can’t go over or under … You have to go through it,” facing it with engagement and investigation.

In the 1907 book and Imeh’s series, one girl survives and escapes. Imeh’s “Dream Girl” “persists in spite of the darkness” and he suggests that a future series may “challenge the idea of imminent death and despair for our Black youth, and instead celebrates their lives.”

He notes that, overall, his work in acknowledging and confronting social injustices is “exhausting.” But in person, he exudes a deep passion and appreciation for life in all its complexities and heartbreaks. This attitude illuminated a gallery at Westfield State University where he is a professor. Imeh helped select eight artists of color to exhibit work, and the silent, stationary walls are so colorful and vibrant that they seem, to me, to be almost in motion, like an exotic bird preparing for flight, or pulsing like a heartbeat. This is the flip side, the world that can be and should be. Dr. Imeh’s work as an artist and teacher forces us to face issues we’d like to ignore and helps us begin to “go through” them so we can celebrate the precious young lives that persist.

Allen Woods is a freelance writer, author of the Revolutionary-era historical fiction novel “The Sword and Scabbard,” and Greenfield resident. His column appears regularly on a Saturday. Comments are welcome here or at awoods2846@gmail.com. 

RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment

The Inspiration Behind Rye Lane‘s Colorful South London Love Story

About half a decade ago, a fresh idea for a romantic comedy was born in a WhatsApp conversation between two screenwriters, Nathan Bryon and Tom Melia.

“Following on from what we were talking about,” one of them texted, “how about a modern day When Harry Met Sally, but set today in London?”

“You read my mind,” the other replied. “Cute dates in chicken shops.”

Rye Lane, the vibrant, slice-of-life rom-com that emerged from the conversation—and which arrives on Hulu on Friday—has its fair share of chicken shops.

In the movie—which evokes the 1995 film Before Sunrise, following its lead characters as they simply stroll and chat, growing closer as they bond over bad breakups—Dom (David Jonsson) recalls renting out Morley’s, a beloved South London fried chicken joint, as an anniversary date grand gesture for his ex-girlfriend, Gia (Karene Peter). As a cute nod to their first date, when the two ended up at Morley’s late at night, he set the table with candles, roses, goblets of wine—and Gia wasn’t impressed. But Yas (Vivian Oparah), to whom Dom is recounting this story, loves the idea.

“That is literally my dream date,” Yas tells Dom in the present day. “In fact, if I had a restaurant, I’d call it Nuggets by Candlelight.” Later, she puts her number into his phone as “Yas (nuggets by candlelight).”

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Read More: The 49 Most Anticipated Movies of 2023

While Bryon and Melia came up with the genre and setting, it was director Raine Allen-Miller who brought Morley’s to the table. That is, it was her idea to make Rye Lane a love letter to South London—and the neighborhoods of Brixton and Peckham, specifically (the film was initially going to be set in North London). When Allen-Miller was 12, she moved to South London from Manchester. She grew up on a council estate in Brixton, and one of the first things she did was go to Brixton Market, a bustling street market featured in the film, with her grandmother. Although much of Brixton is historically Afro Caribbean, the area has begun to gentrify in recent years.

“Being able to go to a shop and buy a very specific Afro comb, and go and buy a Jamaican patty, and get plantain, and also go and get a flat white with oat milk is just an unusual, interesting thing,” Allen-Miller tells TIME, speaking from the mountains of Jamaica, where she’s visiting family. “Like sourdough bread and then hard dough bread.” (Hard dough bread is a dense, slightly sweet Jamaican staple.)

Inside Rye Lane Market, Dom (David Jonsson) votes on a pair of shoes Yas (Vivian Oparah) tries on. (Chris Harris—20th Century Studios)

Inside Rye Lane Market, Dom (David Jonsson) votes on a pair of shoes Yas (Vivian Oparah) tries on.

Chris Harris—20th Century Studios

The cultural scramble of London is a compelling basis for a film, but it’s not necessarily a positive thing, Allen-Miller says. “Gentrification is a tough conversation.” Both Allen-Miller and the writers cite Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing as inspiration: It’s a snapshot of a specific place—Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn—at a specific moment in time—1989, as the neighborhood is on the cusp of change.

“The key was to capture it now,” Allen-Miller says. “It was about going, ‘I’m going to represent a place that I know really well and a place that deserves to be represented correctly.’ Not just in a gritty way where it’s all about crime and sadness, but in a way that feels real and positive. It’s a Black British experience.”

Rye Lane captures its titular street on a good day. The director knows that South London, like any place, isn’t perfect. But—with splashes of color, wide lenses, and her trademark “accidentally art directed” style—she makes the setting messy but beautiful. Small details add texture: In Rye Lane Market, a cowboy in a sequined blue getup moonwalks across Yas and Dom’s path. In Brixton Market, rom-com royalty Colin Firth makes a cameo, serving spicy pork burritos at the cheekily named Love Guac’tually. Outside a house party, a woman in a Bridget Jones bunny costume smokes a cigarette.

Allen-Miller didn’t set out to make a rom-com—she actually never saw herself directing a film she hadn’t written—but fell for the script’s humor and simplicity. “It’s almost the opposite of the classic formula,” she says: It takes a funny, happy story, infuses it with a strong sense of place, and happens to make it romantic.

“We were really interested in knowing what a rom-com would look like in a London that we actually recognized,” says Melia, who also used to live in Brixton. “As much as we love those big, glossy, dream fulfillment rom-coms, they might as well be sci-fi as far as we’re concerned.”

The London that the writers know and love is populated by people who sound like their friends. That means slang, and lots of it.

In Rye Lane Market, Dom tells Yas that he’s an accountant. “So is that what you’ve always wanted to do,” Yas asks, “or have you got yourself some thwarted ambition burning away in your gut?” “You know, you’re very—” Dom replies. “Peng?” Yas interrupts. Other London vernacular includes: “safe” (good, cool), “prang out” (worry, panic), and “bare peas” (lots of money).

Yas (Vivian Oparah) and Dom (David Jonsson) stroll through the lively streets of Peckham. (Chris Harris—Century Studios)

Yas (Vivian Oparah) and Dom (David Jonsson) stroll through the lively streets of Peckham.

Chris Harris—Century Studios

The movie prominently features two local cinemas: Brixton’s Ritzy—where Allen-Miller went with her dad growing up, and which Melia lived five minutes away from in his early 20s—and Peckhamplex, on Rye Lane itself. The production held community screenings at both theaters.

“Seeing it in Peckhamplex, there was an extra magical sprinkle,” says Bryon. “Because we saw the people who really understood that slang and were like, ‘Wait what?!’ There were little moments where it’s almost like someone’s talking your code. Someone knows.”

These writers know firsthand how much such lines matter: Melia is surrounded by actors in his family, and Bryon is an actor himself. “I understood the importance of creating really nuanced, interesting, diverse Black characters,” he says. Because when we started writing this movie, I definitely didn’t see those roles coming through to myself.”

The film opens and closes on art shows: Yas and Dom’s mutual friend Nathan (Simon Manyonda) is a photographer—in fact, his exhibition is why they’re in the same place at the same time at all. And Yas’ ex, Jules (Malcolm Atobrah), while arguably the worst, is also an admittedly talented sculptor. That was intentional: the creators wanted to portray working Black artists on screen.

Rye Lane is, as Allen-Miller puts it, “silly, wandering, tangible joy.” It feels like the way you would tell a story to a friend: elevated, colorful, but rooted in reality. And at its core, it celebrates the quirks and colors and magic of a place.

“I want all the wonderful American viewers to—when they come to London—yeah, do your Big Ben, do your Tower Bridge and all that, but go down to Rye Lane,” Bryon says. “Don’t do afternoon tea. Scrap that. Go to Morley’s on Rye Lane, get six wings and chips. Get a double chicken burger and thank us later.”

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Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey revives a coveted concert, renews its goal to diversify dance

On a dreary morning last week, a fleet of yellow school buses lined the streets around the Kauffman Center for Performing Arts. Around 1,000 students from K-12 schools in Kansas and Missouri, herded by teachers into organized lines, flooded into the theater.

Some were dressed to the nines — spring dresses and suits — for the occasion. They were about to be the first Kansas City audience in six years to watch the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

The ensemble was founded in 1958 by legendary dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey, in an effort to preserve African American dance and cultural experience. The world-renowned troupe used to make regular trips to Kansas City.

“Having the young people able to see reflections of themselves on the stage is so critical to the mission of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater,” says Artistic Director Robert Battle.

Decades ago, Battle, only the third person to lead the company, was one of the kids in a similar audience. He saw the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater perform in Miami, Florida, when he was 11 years old.

“That’s why it’s important that we do those performances,” he says.

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School buses line up outside the Kauffman Center for Performing Arts in Kansas City, Missouri, where students attended a concert by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater on March 24.

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has a long history with Kansas City. Though he grew up in Texas and worked in New York City, Ailey made connections and established roots in the region.

In 1984, those roots were cemented when the Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey, a nonprofit dance school now based in the 18th and Vine district, was established.

Since then, KCFAA has worked to expand access to the arts and diversify dance. During the pandemic, when the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater wasn’t making the trip, Ailey II, a smaller troupe of early-career dancers, performed in Kansas City. Ailey II performed for a smaller, masked audience last year. In 2020 and 2021, the performances were digital.

This year’s revived performance with the larger dance team was presented by KCFAA and the Harriman-Jewell Series.

CEO Melanie Miller says the pandemic was really hard on KCFAA. They had to pivot in a lot of ways, she says, and they learned how to run a dance school remotely.

“What we found is that people still love to see dance and be involved in it — and even if it’s on a small screen,” Miller says. “We do believe people love to see it in person more so.”

“Even virtually, we were able to appreciate the arts and encourage people to keep moving and dancing,” she says.

Though Miller hopes virtual dance classes are a thing of the past, the effects of the pandemic are not. Chief Artistic Officer Tyrone Aiken says, during COVID, outreach numbers went from 20,000 people to 5,000 people.

He says they are getting closer to pre-pandemic numbers, but they aren’t there yet.

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Girls at the Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey dance school warm-up for a modern dance class.

“It’s been very hard and things have changed, which means people look at the time that they have, and what they choose to do with that, differently than before,” says Aiken.

Getting people out to shows like the one at the Kauffman Center is not the hard part, he says – around 4,500 people attended those shows. But getting parents and kids to commit to regular classes is another story.

“When you’re talking about classes, when you’re talking about a camp … we’re finding that we have to work harder to strengthen our ties to families so that they understand how this can impact them and their children,” Aiken says.

To make up for that lack of exposure to the arts, KCFAA spends time in local schools, performing for and educating kids. They offer dance workshops and summer dance programs to local students.

Aiken says art forms like dance often provide a vehicle to talk about difficult topics like Jim Crow laws or slavery. Also, he says it lets kids know that Black history belongs in schools.

“For us, it’s important that we are talking about … race and we’re talking about American history and American dance history,” says Aiken. “But through a lens that is both engaging and entertaining, so that students can start making some of the connections about the importance of African American history.”

“Those are all important things because, at the end of the day, it’s American history, and we are all the better when we’re informed about American history,” he says.

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Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey CEO Melanie Miller and Chief Artistic Officer Tyrone Aiken at the nonprofit dance school in the 18th and Vine district. The school is the second home of world-renowned troupe Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, based in New York City.

KCFAA also hosts AileyCamp, a six-week intensive summer dance course that teaches jazz, modern and tap dance. The camp also teaches students how to communicate and express themselves through things like creative writing and art.

The camp was created by Ailey himself in 1989, the same year he died of complications related to AIDS.

“Even knowing his own demise was near, he wanted to make sure that we addressed the young people who didn’t otherwise have the opportunity to be exposed to this,” says Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Robert Battle.

“That (camp) started in Kansas City, so I think that says it all about that deep relationship,” he says. “And so we’re happy to be back.”

At the Kauffman Center last week, students got to see Black history, music and dance come together in excerpts from two acts. The first was choreographed by acclaimed African American dancer Kyle Abraham, whose dance company aims to create work that is galvanized by Black culture and history. “Are You in Your Feelings?” sucked kids in with modern music by popular Black artists like Kendrick Lamar and Drake.

Battle says the full act blends old and new music from artists like Erykah Badu and The Flamingos.

“It’s cross-generational. That’s what’s wonderful that it’s past, present, and future,” he says. “No matter what age or what your background is, you find something to revel in when you see the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.”

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The modern sights and sounds work pretty well while students are captive in the Kauffman Center. But Melanie Miller says she wants KCFAA to become synonymous with Black excellence in the region.

“I’d really love for Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey to be on the tips of everyone’s tongue,” she says.

RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment

Nature meets art in new Bruce Museum

The Bruce Museum’s new wing, by EskewDumezRipple, lets the outside in, in this case garden design by landscape architect Reed Hilderbrand that overlooks the lobby.

“The Bruce is back,” Daniel Ksepka, Ph.D., curator of science, proclaimed with raised fists at the March 28 preview for the newly renovated and expanded Bruce Museum in Greenwich. 

And how.  

The museum — which opened to the public Palm Sunday, April 2, with a day of free admission, thanks to lead partner Bank of America — has created a modern new three-story wing that hugs the traditional existing building — more than doubling the Bruce’s footprint to 74,500 gross square feet. The new 44,000-square-foot wing includes a new entrance, lobby, event spaces, auditorium and café, which features breakfast offerings, soups, salads, sandwiches and beverages from Aux Délices. (The café is across the lobby from the elegant new museum store, always a highlight of any Bruce visit but now with more storage space to replenish all those plush penguins, Frida Kahlo plates, René Magritte and Vincent van Gogh dolls, jeweled insect and flower pins and artistic jackets.) 

In its 10-year, $67-million renovation and expansion, the Bruce makes a “CASE” for itself, said Robert Wolterstorff — the museum’s Susan E. Lynch executive director and CEO — referring to an acronym for community, art, science and education.  

“The Bruce is a museum of the arts and sciences,” he added. “It’s our superpower….But it’s not our whole mission. We’re also an educational institution. It’s in our DNA.” 

Prior to the pandemic, the Bruce saw 25,000 to 26,000 schoolchildren in a year. Wolterstorff said he expected that number to double in the new Steven & Alexandra Cohen Education Wing. But he also spoke about how museums not only belong to and reflect their communities but create them as well with their amenities, public spaces and programming — all of which encourage social gatherings as well as cultural communing. 

The jewel-like display of minerals in one of seven new Permanent Science Galleries at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich.

No doubt the triumphant design will have much to do with this. Steve Dumez — a principal and director of design with EskewDumezRipple, with offices in New Orleans and Washington, D.C. — has created a space that lets the outside in, including gardens by Cambridge, Massachusetts, landscape architect Reed Hilderbrand, rock outcroppings and views of the neighboring Greenwich Harbor and Long Island Sound. At the same time, Dumez has designed a museum extension that is Connecticut to its bones. The gleaming striated façade of precast concrete and glass is inspired by the surfaces of the Nutmeg State’s stone quarries, he said. Light, airy white oak figures in the floors, galleries and auditorium. Gray Phoenix stone makes up the floor of the white Sculpture Gallery, which bridges the art and science galleries and crystallizes the fusion of inside and outdoors that is the motif of the architectural achievement. Visitors look past Elie Nadelman’s small female nudes on pedestals to a window that frames nature’s art — a large, spreading tree whose still-naked limbs are about to be clothed by spring; sloping rocks, eternal in their constancy; the bisque-colored, Mediterranean-style Delamar Greenwich Harbor hotel (Page 11); and, in the distance, the Sound itself. 

The Nadelman sculptures are a reminder that with more space comes the opportunity to display more artworks and scientific artifacts. The 13,000-square-foot William L. Richter Art Wing includes a 4,500-foot gallery for changing exhibits and five new galleries for the burgeoning permanent collection. A year ago, the Bruce announced it had received a promised gift of 70 works from an anonymous donor, the largest bequest of art in the museum’s 112-year history. Selections from that collection — which include works by Mary Cassatt, Alberto Giacometti, Childe Hassam, Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper, Wassily Kandinsky, Joan Miró, Henry Moore, Camille Pissarro, John Singer Sargent and Andrew Wyeth — along with two works on paper by Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, a bequest of William L. Richter, the wing’s namesake, bring to the museum, often for the first time, great names in the canon of art.   

Their displays are joined by “Lois Dodd:  Natural Order” (through May 28), landscapes and cityscapes that evoke the work of Hopper and Georgia O’Keeffe in their blend of abstraction and realism; “James Castle: Thresholds” (May 28), in which the self-taught deaf artist, who never learned to speak, read or write, invites us into the world of his rural Idaho home; and “Then is Now: Contemporary Black Art in America” (through July 9), a thought-provoking consideration of the Black experience. Organized by Margarita Karasoulas, curator of art, the shows are threaded by the jewel-like palette — marigold, eggplant and crimson — of longtime director of exhibitions, Anne von Stuelpnagel. 

The jewel-like quality continues as you move from the art wing into the older building and the seven Permanent Science Galleries, a suite of spaces on natural history, and the new Science Changing Exhibit Gallery, which features “Penguins! Past and Present” (through Aug. 6), 60 million years of these remarkably adaptable birds.  

In one of the Permanent Science Galleries, minerals shine like gemstones on black velvet. A standing, butterfly-shaped display of amethyst — a precious stone in ancient Egypt, science curator Ksepka said, but now classified as semiprecious — provides visitors with a photo op designed to let them feel as if they’re soaring on angel wings. 

It is a metaphor perhaps for what the Bruce hopes will be a transformative experience for visitors. 

For more, visit brucemuseum.org.

RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment

Louisiana Museum Foundation Founders Ball IV

They could have danced all night at the Louisiana Museum Foundation Founders Ball IV. The scene at The Cabildo on Nov. 18 definitely recalled a Regency period ball — women came in Empire-style dresses and stylized wigs, men in period frocks or black-tie (a nod to the present day) — but one thing was for certain: all came to celebrate the opening of  “Creole New Orleans, Honey! The Art of Andrew LaMar Hopkins,” which the foundation sponsored.

Hopkins is a self-taught artist whose detailed and colorful paintings of 19th-century Creole culture in New Orleans have met with rave reviews — and are part of this exhibit, which is on view through Sept. 30, 2023. This exhibit also features artifacts from the Louisiana State Museum archives directly depicted in Hopkins works.

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The Max Moran Trio kicked off the entertainment at the patron party, segueing into the Virtuosa Quartet, which played popular music in classical style, accompanied by period costumed dancers to create a Bridgerton ballroom-themed atmosphere.  

Traditional Creole cuisine from foundation board members Ralph Brennan and Dickie Brennan, along with other New Orleans dishes were served, and were paired with French and Spanish wines.

Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser presented honorees Nathalie Beras, Consul General of France in Louisiana; Maria Isabel Page, Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Spain; and Jacqueline Simon, cultural representative of Haitian history and culture, with proclamations for their contributions to the state.

As the annual fundraiser for the Louisiana Museum Foundation, the funds raised from this year’s event supported the creation and opening of the exhibition and will fund related educational programming.

Event co-chairs were Renee F. Carrere, Mary L. Cavanaugh and Jeremy C. Corkern.

Fun Facts

This gala was a notable night of firsts! “Creole New Orleans, Honey! The Art of Andrew LaMar Hopkins” is the first solo museum show for Hopkins and the first exhibit in the Cablido of a living Black artist. 

Louisiana Museum Foundation Founders Ball IV

Louisiana Museum Foundation Founders Ball IV

Andrew LaMar Hopkins, Kristin C. Shannon, Sweet Dupuy, Benjamin A. Dupuy 

Louisiana Museum Foundation Founders Ball IV

Louisiana Museum Foundation Founders Ball IV

Mary L. Cavanaugh, Jeremy C. Corkern, Renee F. Carrere  

Louisiana Museum Foundation Founders Ball IV

Louisiana Museum Foundation Founders Ball IV

Permele Doyle Robinson, Garner Robinson  

Louisiana Museum Foundation Founders Ball IV

Louisiana Museum Foundation Founders Ball IV

Susan Maclay, Don Maclay

Louisiana Museum Foundation Founders Ball IV

Louisiana Museum Foundation Founders Ball IV

CJ Lotz, Mariah Bencik 

Louisiana Museum Foundation Founders Ball IV

Louisiana Museum Foundation Founders Ball IV

Nathan Drewes, Chad Graci, Collin Magee

RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment

A Cleveland arts nonprofit provides arts-centric lifeline to the city’s underserved youth

Antwoine Washington did not have much stability as a boy growing up in Pontiac, Michigan. He bounced from house to house, living with aunts and cousins while relying on his grandmother for support.

Washington used drawing to get through life’s darker periods. Reproducing his favorite cartoon characters — from Tiny Toons to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles — soon flourished into a desire to perfect his craft.

Art’s power to heal and enlighten also inspired Washington to co-launch the Museum of Creative Human Art (MOCHA), a Cleveland nonprofit giving marginalized youth a safe space to create, learn and even start a career in the industry.

Washington founded MOCHA with friend and fellow Detroit native Michael Russell. The pair hung out as boys, working out together and playing basketball at the local community center. After reconnecting in Cleveland, they integrated Russell’s background in advising Black youth with Washington’s arts expertise to build a home for underserved students and young adults.

MOCHA Michael and Antwoine - Photo credit Lynn Rodemann.jpeg

Lynn Rodemann

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Michael Russell, left, and Antwoine Washington launched MOCHA to connected Cleveland’s underserved youth to the arts.

“We wanted a way to tie those things together and expose young people to art,” said Washington.

Although MOCHA did not become a nonprofit with 501c3 tax status until 2019, the organization has been providing its services since 2015, said Washington. Early days found the Richmond Heights resident teaching graphic design and fine arts fundamentals at the Stella Walsh Recreation Center in Slavic Village.

Today, MOCHA is still sharing the principles of visual art and graphic design, a curriculum covering art history, color theory basics and the simple rendering of the human form. Most of MOCHA’s charges are Cleveland-area children or young adults, though the duo has brought on eager students in their 70s as well. They have also traveled to Sandusky and other local communities to spread good will and arts education.

MOCHA makes classes as hands-on as possible, as its founders are not believers in “school after school,” Washington said. In practice, that means giving students time to put paint or pencil to canvas.

“That becomes therapeutic, because (participants) can share things that bother them or make them happy through their artwork,” said Washington. “So I start with those things and build from there and find out if art is something they want to do.”

Sharing the love

While Michael Russell enjoys art, his formative years were mostly focused on basketball. But the son of former Cleveland Cavaliers’ forward, and current Cavaliers broadcaster, Campy Russell does not want other young people to give up on their gift, an attitude that informs the “character development” side of MOCHA, he said.

Russell coached basketball at Collinwood High School for five years, a role centered on leadership skills as much as on-court aptitude. Years of mentoring, coaching and advising Black youth has translated at MOCHA to teaching the so-called “soft skills” — communication, teamwork and more — coveted by businesses of all sizes.

“The kids we work with may be graphic designers, or love to curate,” said Russell, who now lives in Solon. “We show them different opportunities in the arts ecosystem, or at least point them in that direction.”

Magnifying Cleveland’s diversity of artists is another centerpiece of the MOCHA mission. Part of an annual $50,000 budget — derived from local groups, including The Gund Foundation and Equity in the Arts — is given to artists to compensate them for their time, along with any exhibition expenses. Additional dollars are paid to arts instructors for coming in to teach a class.

Developing the next generation of minority artists means providing resources that may not be readily available, Washington noted.

“Foundations tend to give out small pots of money or put smaller and Black organizations in competition with each other (for funding),” said Washington. “When you do that, people who don’t get the money feel left out, and it breeds a scarcity mentality and starts to divide the community.”

Helping artists find their voice

Aaron Williams - Photo credit Chris Petry.jpg

Chris Petry

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Cleveland artist Aaron Williams compares MOCHA’s vital mentorship to having a cousin or big brother on his side.

Cleveland artist Aaron Williams arrived at MOCHA as a paid intern, mostly working exhibitions and assisting the organization with tours. Williams also had a MOCHA-curated solo show where he brought metaphorical sports imagery to life with alcohol marker and colored pencil.

Williams’ work explores mental health issues that stem from his own experience with panic attacks and loss of loved ones. Trauma in Williams’ art may be indicated in individual dark pencil strokes, a healing outlet that has allowed the burgeoning creator to assert himself, he said.

“Prior to my first solo show, mental health wasn’t something I’d given much attention to,” said Williams, who works by day at the Zygote Press fine print studio. “I started to come under a direct relationship to it as my career was developing. Now it’s a way for me to continue the conversation, and destigmatize the fact that mental health is a thing.”

Aaron Williams Check - Courtesy of Aaron Williams.jpg

Aaron Williams

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Check!, alcohol marker and colored pencil on Bristol paper. Artwork by and courtesy of Aaron Williams.

At MOCHA, Williams not only sharpened his fundamentals, he met a variety of artists and nonprofit officials who deepened his connection to the industry.

“I have people that really put the work in and are on the path I’ve envisioned for myself,” Williams said. “It’s reassuring, like having a big brother or cousin who explored an uncharted path. As a Black artist, it means everything, because a lot of the time we don’t have the resources to navigate (this world). We have to figure this stuff out on our own, because there are pieces that get left out. MOCHA has been great in providing those missing pieces.”

Williams’ success story is one that Washington would like to replicate a hundredfold in the years ahead. A permanent classroom and gallery area — compared to bouncing from space to space as is the nonprofit’s current situation —would take MOCHA further along that path. For now, Washington just wants to reach as many new dream-makers as possible.

“My goal for everyone is to help them find their voice in the world,” said Washington. “We want to remain a resource for them and continue to help them through this journey.”

RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment