Under the artistic direction of Consulting Curator Ludlow E. Bailey, “Roots of the Spirit: Soulful Expressions of the African Diaspora” is a multimedia exhibition and performance series exploring African customs and aesthetics – from ancient traditions to works produced exclusively for this show. The VIP reception includes: an open wine bar and vegan cuisine catered by Inika Foods; an exclusive performance of African dance, spirituals and opera; and tours of ArtServe’s creative laboratory, where artists experiment with concepts tied to social impact.
Guests will experience the work of some 25 visual and performing artists from Nigeria, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica and the U.S. – bold artists exploring themes such as ancestral memory, colonization and climate gentrification. The group includes ArtServe artist-in-residence George Gadson, fine artist and illustrator Zipporah Michel, interdisciplinary artist and dancer Hattie Mae Williams, opera singer Kunya Rowley, installation artist Asser Saint-Val, photographer Zeek Mathias, multidisciplinary artist and educator Morel Doucet, and artist, author and University of Texas Professor Moyo Okediji. A collaboration with the Miramar Cultural Trust further supplements the exhibition with “Imagine Puppets,” a national collection of handmade figures representing the post-slavery era of puppetry, created by contemporary African-American artists.
Attendees can also participate in conversations about the latest cultural trends with three influencers that ArtServe is recognizing through its Broward County Arts & Culture Visionary Awards: Melissa Hunter Davis, founder and editor of Sugarcane Magazine, an online journal about art of Africa and the African Diaspora; Darius Daughtry, author of “And the Walls Came Tumbling: Unapologetically Speaking Truth to Power” and executive director of Art Prevails Project; and Miguel Pilgram, CEO of Pilgram Group, a development company revitalizing the Sistrunk area through jazz and art.
Can’t make it to the VIP reception? “Roots of the Spirit” will be on display in the ArtServe gallery from January 15 through February 27, coinciding with Black History Month.
Additional information available HERE.