All tagged Black Artists

‘Neither on Our Knees nor Hanging From Trees’ - Alison Saar and Toni Morrison Foster the “Cycle of Creativity” of Black Women

‘Neither on Our Knees nor Hanging From Trees’ - Alison Saar and Toni Morrison Foster the “Cycle of Creativity” of Black Women

Ilene Dube
Article, Visual Arts, BIPOC Voices

The exhibition, “Cycle of Creativity: Alison Saar and the Toni Morrison Papers,” on view at the Princeton University Art Museum’s Art@Bainbridge galleries through July 9, brings together the writings of Morrison, whose papers from her career as novelist, essayist, playwright, professor and editor, are held in the Princeton University Library, and the sculpture, prints and textiles of Saar, to create a conversation they might have had if they were in the same room. 

No, Morrison (1931-2019) and Saar never met, but the exhibition shows how both women share a dedication to giving voices to the African American experience, particularly the lives of Black women. And both spoke about the importance of using their work to foster the creativity of future generations of Black artists.

Finding the Rhythm: An Interview with Performing Artist, Educator Yahaya Kamate

Finding the Rhythm: An Interview with Performing Artist, Educator Yahaya Kamate

Rachel Fawn Alban
Article, Dance

To Yahaya Kamate, the work of a performer and an educator is inseparable. Every class he teaches is a dynamic performance, and public performances usually offer opportunities for audience participation, if not a full-length dance lesson. Born and raised in the West African country of Côte d’Ivoire and a former member of the National Ballet of the Ivory Coast, Kamate came to the United States in 1994, and immediately found work as a lead dancer, choreographer and teacher of modern dance, ballet, African dance and music. Kamate has been living in New Jersey since 1999, working at respected local arts organizations including NJPAC, City Lore, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Bronx Art Ensemble, and the Institute of Music for Children. We recently had the opportunity to spend time with this engaging artist at The Center for Modern Dance Education, (CMDE) where he has been offering classes and public performances for over 20 years.

Black Women’s Mural Raises Awareness About Black Suffragists, Celebrates Black Voices, and Sparks Community Pride

Black Women’s Mural Raises Awareness About Black Suffragists, Celebrates Black Voices, and Sparks Community Pride

Carolyn M. Brown
Article, Visual Arts, BIPOC Voices

Ida B. Wells-Barnett was a prominent journalist and activist who fought tirelessly for women’s right to vote even though she is often left out of historical conversations about the women’s suffrage movement. Today her image graces a mural located in the heart of downtown Englewood, New Jersey, on the east-facing wall of the Women's Rights Information Center building at 108 W. Palisades Avenue.

“The Black Women’s Mural: Celebrating Black Suffragists and Black Women in Englewood” is meant to celebrate the achievements of Black women who paved the way for civil and women’s rights as well as serve as a beacon of pride and hope for young girls, Black women and the community-at-large in Englewood. 

The mural, painted by Black-Iranian visual artist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, also features Dr. Josie Carter, an original member of the Women's Rights Information Center's board of directors; a group of Black women activists protesting segregation at the city's Lincoln Elementary School; Hali Cooper, a Black Lives Matter protester; and Kia S. Thornton Miller along with her daughter Toni Michelle Miller, a ninth grade student at Bergen County Technical Schools. 

“For the Culture, By the Culture” Exhibit Spotlights 19 Local and National Black Artists of Influence

“For the Culture, By the Culture” Exhibit Spotlights 19 Local and National Black Artists of Influence

Carolyn M. Brown
Visual Arts, Article, BIPOC Voices

In celebration of Art in the Atrium’s 30th anniversary, the Morris Museum and Art in the Atrium (ATA) present the exhibition, For the Culture, By the Culture: 30 Years of Black Art, Activism, and Achievement. This exhibition brings together prior ATA-featured artists in a group retrospective that spans 30 years and spotlights local and national Black artists who are masters of their craft and who have contributed to Black culture by creating impactful works.