Masquerade Ball Chairperson, Ms Cicely Tyson poses with artist Eric Pryor and his mask which she successfully bid for. Mask is worn by Monique Moore Pryor, the artist’s wife. MoCADA founder and Executive Director, Laurie Cumbo and Co- Chair, veteran drummer Max Roach.    MoCADA, The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporian Arts held its 2nd Annual Masquerade Ball and it was, as its subtitled claimed, “A Cause for Celebration”. Founded by Laurie Cumbo, just two years ago, MoCADA has shown phenomenal progress. Prior to this event, they have raised more than 5.4 million dollars to build Brooklyn’s first museum dedicated to contemporary art by people of African descent. The success of this ball, dinner and auction, should add to their coffers. The ball was chaired by actress Cicely Tyson, one of the most respected and honored talents in American theatre and film, and co-chaired by actor Omar Epps and musician extraordinaire, Max Roach, who was also one of the awardees for the evening. Laurie, who serves as Executive Director, joined master of ceremonies Fred Thomas in making the presentations to the honorees for outstanding achievements in the arts. Besides Mr. Roach, those honored were Monica Foster, Entrepreneur, F&R Installers Corp.; Halima Taha, author of Collecting African American Art; and Shelia Evans Tranumn, Associate Commissioner - New York State Education Department.          Laurie has become one of those rare individuals who are fortunate enough to witness their dreams come true. The beginnings of the idea came to her while she was an undergraduate student at Atlanta’s Spelman College, to which Bill & Camille Cosby donated 20 million dollars for an educational complex that included a research center, laboratory and fine arts museum.

MASQUERADE BALL MoCADA’s Masquerade Ball drew a bevy of elegantly clad, masked lovers of the arts and supporters of the fast evolving museum project. Currently, MoCADA’s headquarters and gallery is located at 281 Stuyvesant Avenue in a space donated by the Bridge Street AME Church. They mount five world-class exhibitions and thirty public art and cultural programs each year. Laurie states, “MoCADA’s vision of a larger facility, which will allow the organization an opportunity to encompass more people and a wider exhibition scope, is fast becoming a reality. Brooklyn Borough President Howard Golden has allocated $4.4 million to MoCADA in order to establish the first museum in Brooklyn primarily exhibiting artists of African descent. In addition, Councilman Kenneth Fisher has allocated an additional $1 million towards the construction of the new facility. This is certainly cause for celebration.” Laurie’s dream is bigger than a downtown Brooklyn’ space. “My vision, ultimately, is to have a museum that is spread throughout Brooklyn. I can envision a children’s gallery in Bedford-Stuyvesant, an exhibition space in Fort Greene, a film center in Brownsville and studio space for artists in East Flatbush. I don’t want a central space, but several scattered ones, like the Guggenheim.” As Otto Neals, veteran NCA artist, sculptor and a major supporter of Ms Cumbo’s effort put it, “A lot of people in the arts community are very surprised - and pleased. I don’t think anyone thought this project would get so far so fast. All Laurie needs now is the backing of the business community.” MoCADA’s current exhibition - “Fusion - The Art of Contemporary Africa” opened December 1- and will run thru March 3, 2002, It features, Elizabeth Atnafu (Ethiopia), Talle Bamazi (Togo), Zion Kyakulaga and Grace Talitwala (Uganda), Doughba Hamilton Caranda-Martin (Liberia), Mamadou Dieng (Senegal), Wangechi Mutu (Kenya), Kuumba Set (Senegal) Tafa (Ghana), MODOU (Senegal), and Grace Talitwala (Uganda). There will be an artist’s talk, Sat., Dec. 15th - 2 PM and a Children’s Art Workshop on Sat. Jan.12th as well as other programs in February and March.

MoCADA’s Masquerade Ball drew a bevy of elegantly clad, masked lovers of the arts and supporters of the fast evolving museum project.     MoCADA   718.602-4041 / 718.602-4042 fax

 

P. Oliver, Deborah Singletary and D. Lammie-Hanson Gywned Simpson recites - Looking on are NCA’s Sonia Sadler, Charlotte Ka and Nadia Fattah at Love Letters FP#5 Nov. offering. NCAs Deborah Singletary (see article in this issue) has been very busy lately with several shows this fall. She recently participated with P. Oliver and D. Lammie-Hanson in Clay·Paper·Lace, (curated by Kahleen Hayek and Michelle Kerr) at Brooklyn’s Parlor Gallery, 305 Vanderbilt Ave. This gallery is in the SONYA area, (South of the Navy Yard) on view thru December 9th. FIRE PATROL No. 5 Art’s next show is "A Cry For Peace" - Diane Davis, Jean-Pierre Sergent, Rene Hinds, Sal Monetti, Brigitte Montmorency, Toyo, Anne Guermont, Rodney Dickson, Dread Scott, Jide Odo, Amir Bey, Rodney Zaguri, Bokov, Teun Voeten, Hugo Proano, Gulsen Calik, Fa-Q, Pauline Lim, Krystof Zarebski and Carol Blank. They will also feature Rodney Zagury’s animated video; Poetess OISZE; and Dutch photojournalist and cultural anthropologist Teun Voeten’s tales of his journeys in Afghanistan. Reception Sat. Dec.15th 7-9pm. Ends Jan 25th. Wed.-Sat.-or appointment. 307 W. 121st St. Harlem. NCAs Deborah Singletary (see article in this issue) has been very busy lately with several shows this fall. She recently participated with P. Oliver and D. Lammie-Hanson in Clay·Paper·Lace, (curated by Kahleen Hayek and Michelle Kerr) at Brooklyn’s Parlor Gallery, 305 Vanderbilt Ave. This gallery is in the SONYA area, (South of the Navy Yard) on view thru December 9th. Curator, author and artist at the Studio Museum in Harlem gave an excellent talk on the current photographic show that she curated, featuring some of America’s best Black photographers REFLECTIONS IN BLACK Smithsonian African American Photography The First One Hundred Years, 1842-1942 and Art and Activism is on view thru Dec. 16. This two-part show, drawn from the photographic archives of the Smithsonian Institute, .is the latest in a number of such shows with accompanying books by Ms Willis. Reflections explores how African Americans used photography to establish a collective identity from early portraiture, through the creation of the New Negro ideal, to its use in journalism. More than 25 photographers are represented in this installment, including James Presley Ball, Augustus Washington, James VanDerZee, P.H. Polk, Addison Scurlock, Morgan and Marvin Smith and Gordon Parks. The second installment, Art and Activism, focuses on the late 1950s through the 1990s and includes works by Moneta Sleet, Jr., Charles Stewart, Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe and Chester Higgins, Jr. The Anacostia Museum and the Center for African American History and Culture at the Smithsonian organized this traveling exhibit. Very busy Debbie has a soon to be released book, The Black Female Body - A Photographic History (co-written with writer / photographer Carla Williams -Temple University Press). Debbie, formerly with the Smithsonian, is now Professor of Photography and Imaging, New York University, Tisch School of the Arts. KB Scenes from The Dedicators 6th Celebration of  Black Artists Scholarship Fund Luncheon This group was born in 1953, when Anesta Samuel invited nine of her friends to exhibit their artistic talents to raise money for a scholarship fund for Panamanians having financial difficulties while studying here in the U.S. Since incorporating as The Dedicators, they have distributed over $400,000 in scholarships to 800 plus students during their 48- year history. Their efforts brought immediate results: the first scholarship was to a young immigrant, Roberto Reid, who went on to become Chief Urologist at Albert Einstein Hospital in the Bronx. The Dedicators returned to the Brooklyn Marriott Hotel, for this year’s awards program, with over 40 artists participating in the exhibition and awards program honoring Faith Ringgold and Vincent D. Smith for their achievements during their illustrious careers. The arts component has been carried out under the leadership and unstinting efforts of Grace Ingleton, whose devotion is shared and supported by Valerie Bell-Bey and Otto Neals. It is a shining example of kujichagulia and kuumba (self determination and creativity). Grace Ingleton and Faith Ringgold ·Honorees Ringgold and Smith Eli Kince and Marilyn Hawthorne NCA’s MLJ Johnson, Nelson Stevens and Ben Jones   Elizabeth Catlett & husband Francisco Mora Ernest Crichlow and friend Nelson Stevens, Louis Delsarte and Otto Neals Now Playing By Joan Banks The Jacob Lawrence subway mosaic mural was officially unveiled on November 7. Part of the MTA’s Arts in Transit program, “New York in Transit”, a 6x36 - foot frieze of Murano glass, is one of four commissioned works in the 8 - year redesign and renovation project of the Times Square station, installed near the shuttle line. The Whitney Museum of American Art opened a major retrospective of his work the following day. “Over the Line: The art and Life of Jacob Lawrence” can be seen thru Feb. 3. There was a review of the exhibition in the N.Y. Times on Friday, the 9th. His prodigious output is documented in The Complete Jacob Lawrence (University of Washington Press), a 2 - volume set for $150, showing more than 900 of his paintings, drawings and murals, with essays analyzing his life and evolution. Queens residents can study another famous phase of Lawrence’s work in a complete set of silk-screen prints of “The John Brown Series”. Thru Jan. 27 @ The Queens Museum of Art. 718.592-9700. David Driskell was on hand at the June Kelly Gallery to sign copies of his celebrated book on Black art. Dr. Driskell has been constantly on tour visiting 4-5 cities per week. In New York, he recently joined Frank Wimberley during the run of his exhibition at Kelly’s gallery. (right) Dr. David C. Driskell signs copies of his newest book “The Other side of Color: African- American Art in the Collection of Camille O. and Wm. H. Cosby, Jr.” at the June Kelly Gallery in SoHo. Paula Coleman and sculptor Ousmane Gueye at the opening of Gueye's current exhibition at the PCOG Gallery co-owned by them in Harlem. The gallery, one of Harlem's best, is located on Adam Clayton Powell jr. Blvd., between 115th and 116th Streets. Ousmane, who hails from Senegal, is one of Africa's leading and most successful world-class sculptors. He works in alabaster, marble, limestone stone and wood. The show has been extended thru Jan.26. Hours: Wed - Sat, 1-8; Sun 11-6pm. 212.932-9669. Frank Wimberley poses in  front of one of his impressionistic paintings at the June Kelly Gallery. His "Compositions for Matter" recently closed after a month's stay at The June Kelly Gallery in SoHo. This magnificent painter studied at Howard University with James Porter, Lois Mailou Jones and James Wells. Frank is a NCA member and we are proud of that fact. The crowd was as beautiful as the work at the opening reception at PCOG. Art lovers came from far and wide - brothers and sisters from the Harlem community as well as Africans living here in the States. This is the kind of blend that is typical of the area, 116th Street, otherwise known as "Little Senegal." Gallery owner June Kelly, artists Frank Wimberley and David Driskell and Sharon Patten, Director of the Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College. Couple views work by one of our finest living sculptors, Senegal's Ousman Gueye. Photos by Kwame Brathwaite

Detour (on your way to Manhattan’s offerings) Staten Island is certainly off the beaten path of the gallery circuit and seems an unlikely venue for the works of Romare Bearden. However, it can be refreshing to go a little farther afield in our aesthetic pursuits and this exhibition is much more accessible than it first sounds. It is actually a pleasant excursion, with the bonus of a free ferry ride. The S.I. Institute of Arts & Sciences (SIIAS) is just a short walk from the ferry -2 blocks to your right and make a left at Wall St. It is up the hill, on the corner of Stuyvesant Pl., looking much like a suburban library. “Recollections of Mecklenberg County”, the locus of Bearden’s birthplace in Charlotte, N.C., brings together the expressions of his memories of that place where he spent his first 3 years, and later visited regularly until his grandmother’s death in 1925. The 25 pieces encompass a period from about 1973 to 1987. They are on loan from several sources, including the Essie Green Gallery and the Studio Museum in Harlem; the Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College (N.H.) and the Romare Bearden Foundation. This quiet, intimate setting is an ideal place to study his fascinating creations up close. You have until Feb. 28, 2002 to make the jaunt. Nominally free, they only ask for a small donation. Open M-F, 8- 5; Sat. 9-5 and Sun 1-5 718. 727-1135. Anyone considering a trip to Philadelphia in the near future should include a visit to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to re-acquaint him/herself with another artist less often on display. Thru Feb. 24 there is a featured retrospective of some 100 works by Dox Thrash: (1893-1965) “An African-American Master Printmaker Rediscovered”. Besides the drawings and watercolors documenting “Black America’s evolving identity in the 1930’s and 40’s”, he is credited with developing an innovative printmaking technique during his participation in the Graphic Arts Workshop of the Depression-era W.P.A. Another “border crossing” beckons: The Iandor Fine Arts Gallery in Newark (within walking distance of the PATH/ Penn Station) offered another occasion to absorb some of the art wisdom of Dr. David Driskell. As a prelude to the opening reception for their new show “Splendid Impressions/ Works in Print”, he gave a talk with signing of, his recent book “The Other side of Color: African- American Art in the Collection of Camille O. and Wm. H. Cosby, Jr.” on Sunday Dec. 2.  The exhibition includes all the names you can think of, and more, in the printmaking category; on view to Jan. 5, 2002. This is an unusual and appealing gallery setting, run by Tarin Fuller, daughter of Norman Lewis. It is located at 93 Lafayette St, Newark, tel. 973.824-5802. Directions by PATH: From Penn Station in Newark, exit the front doors and left to Market St., turn right & go one block to McCarter Highway (Rt. 21), turn left onto McCarter Hwy (stay on right side of street) - go 3 blocks to Lafayette St., make right and walk 2 blocks to corner of Columbia and Lafayette. There will be steps leading down to gallery. STILL ON THE MOVE venturing to upstate New York returning to Simone’s Gallery in Pelham, which features a holiday celebration, “Spirit and Movement” - Burnett Curtis Grayson, III and Toni L. Taylor it opened Dec. 1 with a reception, runs thru Dec. 31st. Grayson, a native of Montclair, N.J., is known for his “Revelations Series” dedicated to the late, great dancer/choreographer, Alvin Ailey. His “Dance of August” collection was seen in the Terri McMillan/HBO feature Disappearing Acts, with Sanaa Lathan and Wesley Snipes. Taylor, from Mt. Vernon, suffered health problems as a child, so time spent alone never bothered her. Crayon, pastels and paint were her companions. Later, her health improved along with her artistic expression. Self-taught, she recognizes her talent as a gift from God. Clients include Miller Brewing Co., Heavy Metal Magazine and Polygram Records. Simone’s Gallery: 140 Fifth Av. Pelham, N.Y. 914.712-0888. BACK IN THE CITY  (The People’s Republic of Brooklyn) Earlier this year Marilyn Hawthorne (Satta Gallery) had promised us a big exhibition in a more public setting. That has come to fruition with the fine array of diverse art now on view, thru Dec. 14, at the Salena Gallery of Long Island University’s Brooklyn campus. “Old Masters, New Masters” was conceived as an “exploration of the evolution and transformation of art through 3 generations of artists --- each with an individual interpretation of their culture.” The list of “Old Masters” is headed by those venerable octogenarians Ernie Crichlow and Onnie Millar. Onnie has been a longtime presence in so many aspects of the Brooklyn art scene, with her unique creations and sharing her humanistic/ artistic visions with both children and seniors, encouraging them to experience hands-on art-making. The catalogue produced for the Crichlow retrospective at Skylight Gallery last year was made available for this show. The other veterans ere Eric Girault, Otto Neals, Vernal Reuben, James Sepyo, Ann Tanksley and Emmett Wigglesworth. Representing the New Masters are Lawrence Finney (UFA Gallery in Chelsea), June Gaddy (wearble art), Karl McIntosh, Donovan Nelson, Lloyd Stevens, Debbie Strothers and Tafa - a group offering a wide range of contrasting techniques. It makes for an ideal opportunity for young art students to acquaint themselves with the impressive pool of accomplished artists in our community. DeKalb & Flatbush. Hrs. M-F, 9-6 and Sat/ Sun 11-5. SHO‘NUFF SHONA Too many people have been unaware of the annual show/sale of the distinctive Shona sculptures from Zimbabwe. The name of that South African country literally means “house of Stone”. Their work has been displayed in various venues over the last few years by CAMBA (Church Avenue Merchants Block Association), but this year they were able to present it in their own new facility at 19 Winthrop St. (off Flatbush Ave.) The spring show had many very affordable pieces and the November showings were even more so! You have another chance, however, on Dec. 11 & 12 (Tues. & Wed.) 3-7 pm, and Sat. Dec. 15, noon- 5 pm, you can find a great gift for someone - or yourself! They also are showing videos of the artists at work, explaining the processes. Red Clay - “Descent Of The Abiku” an artist exhibition featuring the work of Jules Arthur, Gary Grier, Feijao. “Abiku" represents the living expression of the immortal spirit. It is a gathering of images that essentially catalogue their evolution, beyond any specific frame of time. With every new incarnation, the Abiku add to the universal consciousness, finding the beauty of the natural world and exposing the mysteries of human potential. Using the gifts of immortality, they remind us of who we are; they take us to the places we've been; they reveal all of which we are capable. In telling our stories, they are continually inventing our myth, feeding the eternal process of expanding the creative legacy. Where: Red Clay Arts Gallery 334 Grand Avenue (enter via Corridor Gallery) between Greene and Gates Avenues, Brooklyn C or G to Clinton-Washington. Exhibition closes on December 9th Gallery Hours are Mon-Wed 1 to 7pm, Sat & Sun 12 to 5pm. Check their website @ www.redclayarts.com. “SO WHAT ELSE IS NEW?” As the sun went down on Sunday, November 18, the faithful (art lovers & collectors) made their way to 97 Fenimore St. in Bklyn to bask in the moonglow cast by Moon Child Fine Arts (aka Valerie Bell-Bey). Her one-day showing, “Who’s Who of Who’s New”, was motivated by her desire to expose us to those who were “either new to the art world or new to you. Some have been creating art for many years but have not been widely shown in the circles we travel in”, Val explained in her 2nd edition of Moon Child News, the 4 -page newsletter produced for her clientele. It demonstrates how seriously committed she is to her recently formalized art enterprise. Val offered practical advice about collecting and alerted us to her future plans, which include delving into Folk Art, an area seldom dealt with by our art community. Ken Wright contributed some pointers on the proper framing and conservation of ones precious acquisitions. The exhibitors were: Aisha Cousins, Robert Daniels, Pamela Isaac, Yolene Legrand, Vernon Macauley, Donovan Nelson, Sonia Sadler and Ken Wright and fashion designer Suhaylah Emily Gittens-Owusu, who is exploring a different use of fabric, with her entry of a quilted wall hanging, pieced in an abstract design. It is a special treat to meet these unfamiliar artists in such a convivial atmosphere. The good, hearty food made it a real party. Valerie also advised us to mark our calendars for Dorsey’s annual Christmas sale & auction on Sat. Dec. 15, starting about 6 pm. We know what a grand time that always is! (553 Rogers Ave., corner of Fenimore. 719.771-3803. Special mention must be made of Donovan Nelson: In rapid succession, there have been three occasions to observe the arresting skills of this young man. At The Dedicator’s affair in October, he was “Donny-on-the-spot” when he created the surprise award to honorees Faith Ringgold and Vincent D. Smith. Using Polaroid photos of them, he sat unobtrusively in a corner and made excellent pencil portraits, which were then framed and presented at the conclusion of the program. They attracted serious interest from several guests. At the Salena Gallery, Donovan showed several small portraits, but in the Moon Child exhibition he displayed the broad scope of his abilities. His “piece de resistance” was a large, beautifully rendered portrait of the curator/hostess Valerie Bell-Bey. This artist has filled a neglected niche in our art scene.  New Heritage Theatre Group with Executive Director NCA’s Voza Rivers, Artistic Director Jamal Joseph, and Associate Producer Bahati G. Kamunanwire will present “Blessing the Boats” a new one-man show by Sekou Sundiata - Sunday, December 9th @ 3PM as part of Aaron Davis Hall’s Sundayworks Series. Admission is FREE. Convent Ave. @ 135th St. ANSWERING THE CALL  Deborah Singletary Sometimes the right path isn’t the easiest one. About 15 years ago a desire to make my life and living as an artist came over me like a light. But I tried to resist my desire because it seemed difficult - if not impossible. I reasoned with myself that I was too old, couldn’t draw, and there were already legions of artists competing for the same slim slice of pie. But having asserted itself to a level of awareness, the desire to be an artist would not quiet down. I have come to identify insistent desire and dreaming as a call. The choices were to turn a deaf ear or to answer the call. The call was not resounding like a dinner bell or a telephone ring -like the call to the ministry. The call to be an artist was heard in the inner ear. Although compelling, it was more an inner sense, an inner knowing that others might not hear, understand, validate, or encourage. The strongest deterrent to answering the call was the possibility of failing, and to me failing would have been proof of folly. It would have meant I was wrong to want something so frivolous. It would have meant that my dream was an aberration and a useless, possibly dangerous, appendage. What finally broke me out of my stalemate was the extreme example of the many enslaved African in America who ran away. Some of them were caught and captured. They were flogged or killed in their failure to make it to freedom. They might have failed, but they were not ever wrong. Each of their failed attempts contributed to the freedom I enjoy today. This realization released me from the fear of being wrong and the need to be right. This freed me to take the first step toward acting upon my heart’s desire. This was critical to my well being, because buried dreams cause a stagnation in the flow of life. Fifteen years ago, I answered the call by simply starting. I remembered the way children painted - with spontaneity and with their full being - and thus, I entered into a creative process which has informed, enriched, and energized my entire life. Once I faced and answered the call, my whole life expanded. Actually, the most difficult part of becoming an artist was my inner struggle to go against my instinct toward a more predictable, secure path. I am now living my dream and being an artist is like living a love story.

NCA 4th International Conference

Renewing Our Spiritual Connections

Ghana 2002

July 18 - July 26, (9 days) $ 1,975  (double occupancy) - $2,325 (single occupancy)

July 18 - August 1, (14 days) - $2,230 (double) - $2,575 (Single)

Reserve your space now for best prices!
  Write: NCA Ghana 2002, P.O. Box 881, New York, N.Y. 10035
Or e-Mail: ncanewyork@aol.com
(212) 410-7892

The National Conference of Artists invites you to join us for our 4th International Conference and Educational Tour to Accra, Cape Coast, and Kumasi, Ghana. Unite with top Black artists, scholars, and cultural luminaries from the U.S. the Caribbean and Africa for a truly culturally enlightening and inspirational experience. Attend the 3 day NCA 43rd Annual Conference, co-hosted by The Kwame Nkrumah University of Technology & Science in Kumasi. Visit Cape Coast and Accra. Renew your spiritual connection as you participate in a Pan-African Tribute to our ancestors at the dungeons and enslavement forts at Elmina and Cape Coast. Visit artist’s studios, workshops, art galleries and artisans villages where you can see Kente cloth woven, Adinkra cloth produced, drums and brass made and sculpture carved in traditional style. Network with Master Artists and students from the U.S., the Caribbean and Africa who will exhibit, lecture and lead workshops at the famed Kwame Nkrumah University of Technology and Science. You can also visit the Asantehene’s (King’s) Palace and participate in an authentic Asante Durbar. Your package will also include a performance at The National Theatre, a Ghana Welcome Banquet, the NCA International Awards Banquet, two spiritual connection dinners, invitations two NCA International Invitational Master’s Exhibitions, NCA International Exhibition and respective receptions, 3-day conference registration and continental breakfast daily. City tours and ground transportation are included in your package.

Join Participating Artists, Scholars, and Educators
List in formation
Dr. Margaret Burroughs, NCA Founder
Willis Bing Davis, NCA Board Chairman
Dr. Floyd Coleman, NCA Bd., Justine DeVan, NCA Bd., Dr. David C. Driskell, NCA Bd.,
Jon Lockard NCA Bd., Edmund Barry Gaither, NCA Bd., Kwame Brathwaite, Pres.,
Dr. Achamyeleh Debela, Dr. Kodwo Edusei, Dr. Benjamin Offei-Nyako, Dr. Carolyn Maitland, Prof. Charlie T. Johnson,  Betty Blayton, Tom Feelings, Jewel Golden, Paul Goodnight, Dr. Freida High, Ben Jones, Dr. Rosalind Jeffries, Charlotte Ka,
Richard Mayhew, Valerie Maynard, Omari, Otto Neals, Ademola Olugebefola, Dr. Lorenzo Pace, Surya Peterson, Dr. George Preston, Eric Pryor, Eric Robertson, Danny Simmons,
Ann Tanksley, Rosalind Walker, Emmett Wigglesworth and other distinguished individuals.