History of Sojourner Truth Multicultural Art Museum

The Sojourner TruthMulticultural ArtsMuseum has been actively involved with youth and young adults in the South Sacramento area since 1996 when it developed numerous creative arts programs under the National Academic Youth Corps.  Its purpose was to enable youth from culturally diverse backgrounds to stretch their minds and imaginations and to provide a safe environment that stimulates creativity, promotes healthy lifestyles, and develops social skills.  After obtaining a 501C non-profit status in 2002, Sojourner Truth Center has offered scores of no- or low-cost programs, workshops, and activities on site and out in the community to thousands of youth.  The Center’s programs have positively affected the lives of its participants and the cultural environment of the community. 

The Art Museum was founded as collaboration between Sojourner Truth Multicultural Art Museum and the Florin Business Arts Complex where the Museum is housed.  It offers a diverse spectrum of theme-oriented murals, art installations, exhibitions, events and programs representing African American, Mexican, Latino, Asian, Alaskan, Pacific Islander, Eastern, and Native Cultures.

Sojourner Truth Multicultural Arts Museum (also known as SOJO Museum) was awarded official Sacramento Museum status in 2008, and in February 2009, participated very successfully in the highly attended Sacramento Free Museum Day. 

History of Sojourner Truth

The Multicultural Arts Museum and Development Center, representing diversity and progress, is named for Sojourner Truth who, although born a slave, worked tirelessly for abolition, women’s rights, non-violence, and civil and economic advancement of oppressed people. 

Born Isabella Baumfree circa 1797, she escaped from slavery as a young woman and by the 1840s had become a powerful speaker against slavery.  Uneducated but deeply spiritual, she explained her choice of the name Sojourner Truth, “I felt God called me to travel the land ... being a sign unto them.”  Throughout her life, Sojourner was passionate about advancing suffrage for all people.  During the Civil War, she gathered supplies for black volunteer regiments and, in tribute to her efforts, was received at the White House by President Lincoln in 1864.  She was appointed that same year to the National Freedman's Relief Association where she worked diligently to better conditions for African-Americans.  Recognized and acclaimed by numerous important figures in history such as Harriet Beecher Stowe and Frederick Douglas, she met with two presidents—Lincoln and Grant—in the White House, and had U. S. senators sign her Book of Life in senate chambers.  She continued to travel and speak out for human and civil rights well into her senior years until her death in 1883.

The Sojourner Truth Multicultural Art Museum is aptly named for this outstanding woman whose life inspires us to celebrate and develop the spirit and diversity of all people through programs and services designed to strengthen and stimulate creativity.  It is our desire to offer the widest scope of programming to our community, and we continue to seek resources and encourage the involvement of those who share our vision. 

We invite you to join us in spreading our wings with Sojourner Truth.

"Art is Business"

Practice Affirmations: Positive affirmations Featured Artist Renee Baker

Re-posted by  Alpha Bruton, from Renee Baker

Good morning- to each of you that are truly friends I share this tidbit of information..When you ain’t about nothing, nothing bothers you much...When you are about the mission given to you by the

Creator, watch out!!! I thank each of you for your support all the way round..

WE HAVE TO FOCUS FORWARD....

that’s all. Karma, God, the Creator, etc will take care of the nasty ones...you know them well. I also want each of you to not be affected by any negativity from me..

I’M AN OPTIMIST ALWAYS AND WON’T WEIGH MYSELF OR YOU DOWN WITH THE NONSENSE ANYMORE..

We can all get caught up in the swirl and that’s what they want..to be able to separate, confuse, divide and conquer..It’s a big lovely world out there and we each have to claim our piece in it..

This country is full of the bitter ones..let them eat each other

.....I’M MOVING FORWARD/WHATEVER THAT MEANS/I’VE GOT A LIFE THAT IS DESTINED TO CREATE PEACE HARMONY AND LOVE...

About keeping strong...Scripture first,(whatever your Holy book is) then all these hints can be helpful..

Negative self talk and negative energy can affect you in many ways and cause you additional stress. Because of this, developing more positive self talk is an important way to reduce stress in your life. You can help yourself maintain a positive frame of mind—which will help with positive self-talk—by surrounding yourself with positive energy in your life. You can get that by adding the following elements to your life:

Uplifting Music: Listening to music   that not only has a soothing melody, but an uplifting message, can be great   for developing positive self-talk. Have you ever had a song ‘stuck in your   head’ for a few hours or days, the lyrics repeating themselves in your mind?   If those lyrics were positive and inspirational, that would be a good thing.   It’s a much better mental soundtrack to have than a running stream of   complaints, criticisms or self-limiting thoughts, or even songs that had more   depressing or sad lyrics. (When times get tough, I often think of Wilson   Phillips’ classic, “Hold On”, but there are dozens of good ones out   there.)

Inspirational Books: Books on   strength, personal power, enlightenment, or self help can be good resources to   help you change your outlook and the things you say to yourself. Rather than   triggering habitual self-defeating thoughts, you can find yourself thinking of   new can-do concepts when times get tough. (For shifting your paradigm, I love   Gary Zukav’s “The Heart of the Soul”, or Sarah Ban   Breathnach’s classic “Simple Abundance”.)

Positive People: One of the most   important ways you can get (and keep) positive energy in your life is with the   company you keep. Do your friends uplift you, or bring you down? Are they   critical, or complementary? Ideal friendships provide support when you’re   down, fun when you’re up, wisdom when you’re lost, and positive regard. Good   friends can inspire you to reach greater heights, and see your strengths even   when you don’t always. Pay attention to how your friends make you feel, and if   they’re less than supportive, start putting your energy and time toward people   who are better suited to be your friend. (For more on social support and   friendships, see the Relationship Section.)

Practice Affirmations: Positive   affirmations can subtly but pervasively change your self talk from negative to   positive. See this article for some creative ways to begin working positive affirmations into your life.

LOVE Y’ALL- Renee’

Documenting and Archiving Your Creative Practice

Re-Posted by Alpha Bruton, for Chicago Artists Resource Creatives at Work Forum:

Creatives at Work Forum: 

 

Harold Washington Library Center

 

Archiving one’s work is a critical aspect of a career in the arts, but with all the sketchbooks, notes, letters, pamphlets and flyers stacking up what do you decide to keep? How do you organize it? And where does it all go? This panel will be addressing these very questions, providing insight on how to organize your creative legacy.

Leslie Patterson is a reference librarian in the Art Information Center of the Chicago Public Library and has curated the Chicago Artists' Archive since 2006. The Archive began in the 1930's and continues to document Chicago artists to the present day, with over 10,000 artists now included.

Queen Meccasia E. Zabriskie is a Doctoral Candidate in the Department of Sociology at Northwestern University. The title of her dissertation is Dancing Diaspora: Understanding Embodied Knowledge in the West African Dance and Drum World in Chicago, IL. She is a collaborator on an oral history project titled Black Theater is Black Life: Theatre and Dance in Chicago.

Tempestt Hazel is a curator, writer, overall art supporter and co-founder of Sixty Inches From Center. She received her BA in Art History and Visual Arts Management from Columbia College Chicago.

Nicolette Michelle Caldwell is co-founder and co-executive director of Sixty Inches From Center: Chicago Arts Archive and Collective Project. In addition to her work with Sixty Inches From Center, she is also an independent curator, arts writer and journalist.

Barbara Ciurejis a Chicago-based photographer and graphic designer. She is a former president of , Artemisia Gallery a women's cooperative that closed after 30 years of operation in 2003. She is heading up an initiative to archive the gallery's history, both the work at the gallery and that of its members.