Select News Announcements, Upcoming Programs and Activities

Alexandria, Virginia

Alexandria Black History Museum presents genealogist Char McCargo Bah discussing In Search of Parker and Gray: Two African American Education Icons, an illustrated lecture on how she researched two noted Alexandria educators. "Ms. Bah will share her research into John F. Parker and Sarah A. Gray, early African American educators in Alexandria for whom the Parker-Gray School was named during segregation. Despite recognition of their names today, little was known about Parker or Gray. Through genealogical research, Char has uncovered previously unknown history about both of them and she will reveal her successful research techniques. Participants will learn the importance of collateral lines, how to distinguish among people with the same name, and other tips that will help them document their family’s history."

The program is schedule for Saturday, February 19, 2011 from 11 am - 1 pm at the Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe Street. For more information or to register, call 703/ 746-4356 or visit http://www.alexblackhistory.org/.

Atlanta, Georgia

Spelman College Summer Art Colony, founded in 1997 by Dr. Arturo Lindsay, A Panamanian born artist and Professor of Art and Art History at Spelman College "to provide students from colleges and universities throughout the United States with an opportunity to live, work and study in an idyllic Caribbean setting." The Art Colony is housed at Taller Portobelo, an artist cooperative, in the village of Portobelo on the Caribbean coast of the Republic of Panama. The experience provides participants an opportunity to spend three weeks of uninterrupted communion with their muse.

Dates: May 15 - June 5, 2011. For further information or to apply, see: Art Colony or contact Dr. Arturo Lindsay at 404-270-5452; email: arturo.lindsay@gmail.com. 

Gaithersburg, Maryland

The National Black Memorabilia, Art, Doll and Collectible Show, celebrating it 27th year, will be held Saturday and Sunday, April 16 - 17, 2011 at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Plans have been well underway and are led by Lindsey B. Johnson of L. Johnson Promotions, Ltd. Johnson indicates "the show is now 2 days and in addition to black memorabilia, we are highlighting black fine art and African American dolls."

Read previous post for more details: National Black Memorabilia...Show.

Los Angeles

February 15, 2011 is the deadline for receiving entries for the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art (LACDA) 2011 International Juried Competition. All styles of artwork and photography where digital processes of any kind were integral to the creation of the images are acceptable. Los Angeles Center For Digital Art is dedicated "to the propagation of all forms of digital art, supporting local, international, emerging and established artists." They have  an ongoing schedule of exhibits and competitions, and produce editions of wide format archival prints.

Winners announced: February 21, 2011; Exhibit dates: March 10 - April 2, 2011

Direct link to more details and registration: LACDA.

New York, New York

BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center located on the campus of the Borough of Manhattan Community College will serve as host for Dialogues in the Visual Arts, a panel discussion focusing on the Hatch-Billops Archives: A Celebration of 30 Years of Documentation. The program curator is Susan Fleminger. James V. Hatch will be the moderator and the following individuals will serve as panelists: Camille Billops, Robin Holder, and Dorothy Thigpen.

The Hatch-Billops Collection "began in 1975 while Camille Billops, an artist and filmmaker, and James Hatch, a theater historian, were teaching art and literature at the City College of New York. They realized that very little had been published about Black American art, drama, literature and music and began collecting materials for their students." For further discovery and exploration about the Hatch-Billops Collection, view this previous BAP blog post.

Dialogues in the Visual Arts panel discussion will be held on Wednesday, February 9, 2011, 7 pm at 199 Chambers Street, #S110c, New York, New York. The admission to this program is $5.00 and a reception follows. For those interested in attending the Dialogues in the Visual Arts panel discussion, see: Tribeca Performing Arts Center.


College Art Association (CAA) has announced the recipients of the 2011 Awards for Distinction, which honor the outstanding achievements and accomplishments of individual artists, art historians, authors, conservators, curators, and critics whose efforts transcend their individual disciplines and contribute to the profession as a whole and to the world at large. The recipients will be formally recognized at a special ceremony to be held during the 99th Annual Conference in New York, February 10, 2011 (Thursday) from 6:00–7:30 pm at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Faith Rinngold will be honored as the recipients of the CAA 2011 Distinguished Feminist Award. Other categories and winners may be viewed at CAA Awards.


 SWANN Auction Galleries presents African-American Fine Art auction with a special section in honor of Romare Bearden's centennial on Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 2:30 pm. The illustrated catalogue for this African-American Fine Art, Sale #2237 is available for $35.00 at order catalogue. View the online catalogue. Swann Galleries is located at 104 East 25th Street, New York, New York 10010 (telephone: 212/ 254-4710).

Savannah, Georgia

Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Museum of Art 27 million dollar expansion will provide a permanent home for the Walter O. Evans Center for African American Studies. "The Evans Center will provide a permanent home for the Evans Collection as well as an interdisciplinary facility devoted to the study of African-American art, literature and culture that will include classrooms, exhibition space, event space and a theater. The center  will also create the opportunity for SCAD to develop more educational programs and relationships with public and private schools in Savannah and the Southeast."

For more information, read SCAD expansion.

Tougaloo, Mississippi

Tougaloo Art Colony celebrates its 15th year as a retreat for nationally acclaimed artists, emerging artists, art educators, art students, and interested adult learners "to engage in dialogue and to create works that help extend the multicultural dimensions of America's visual arts culture." Past instructors include David Driskell, David R. MacDonald, John McDaniel, Akemi Nakana Cohn, Moe Booker, Jamaal Sheats, Jerre Allen, Kevin Cole, Gail Shaw-Clemons, and Hyun Chong Kim.

The 15th Annual Retreat is scheduled for July 17 - 22, 2011. For additional information and contacts, visit Tougaloo Art Colony.

Washington, D C

Center for Advance Study in the Visual Arts (CASVA), National Gallery of Art, presents a program celebrating the publication: Romare Bearden, American Modernist on March 14, 2011 (Monday) at 4:30 pm in the East Building Auditorium. See announcement for complete program.

Creative Voices D C, a panel discussion, represents a collaboration between Millennium Arts Salon and The Phillips Collection, and is sponsored by the   D C Commission on the Arts and Humanities. The panelist will explore the topic of Washington artists, with a special focus on African American artists and their contributions to the creative milieu of DC. The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Richard Long (cultural historian), panelists include Judy Greenberg (director, the Kreeger Museum), Claudia Rousseau (art historian and critic), Adrienne Child (art historian), Lisa Gold (director, Washington Project of the Arts), and Billy Colbert (artist). Reservations are required (by donation): The Phillips Collection. Creative Voices D C will be held on February 7, 2011 (Monday) from 6 - 8:30 pm at The Phillips Collection.