Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum- Big Day of Giving is Everyday

"Art is Business"

Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum- Big Day of Giving is 365 days.

Shonna McDaniel's the Founder and Director of the Sojourner Truth Art Museum (founded in 1996). McDaniels is a professional artist/teacher/muralist, and community activist. She has an extensive background in art instruction and mural designs. She has studied under some of the finest professors in the Los Rios Community College network and master artists in the San Francisco Bay Area. While residing in Germany, McDaniels instructed art classes for two years on Military Bases and organized art exhibitions and programs. 

Before 1996, Shonna McDaniels was one of the co-founders and artists of the Visual Arts Development Project (founded in 1988); McDaniels taught art classes, conducted workshops, and organized art exhibits throughout the Oak Park and Del Paso communities.   She has donated art to various organizations and helped raise money for charitable causes throughout the Sacramento Region. She has over 25 years of community involvement with multiple organizations that support the arts through exhibitions, artist residencies, community activism, community murals, and organizing community-based festivals in South Sacramento.

Ms. McDaniels has contributed over 150 murals to the landscape of Sacramento, Stockton, and San Francisco:

These collections can be found: in Sacramento Unified School District, Sacramento Arts Commissions,

County of Sacramento, Florin Business Arts Complex/Sojourner Truth Murals Project 

And her artistic legacy within the community is renowned to grassroots, professional artists, politicians, and the business community. Her contributions have been recognized by Council members: Lauren Hammond, Bonnie Pannell, Larry Carr, Mayor Kevin Johnson, Congress Doris Matsui, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Entertainer Russell Simmons.  Mrs. McDaniels is a committed “social artist-activist.” Her work is dedicated to creativity and social change within the context of an evolving, healthy community.

Personal Statement: My purpose as an artist is to leave a legacy for future artists. I want young black girls and boys to see my art and experience something of worth, pride, and value. For this reason, I strive to have the essence of my work reflect dignity, strength, and the beauty of each subject I present. For me, youth education is critical, and I have spent a large part of my career as an artist educating youth. I feel today, more than ever, that art is needed by young people as a forum for safe expression, communication, exploration, imagination, and cultural and historical understanding. Art is an essential, encompassing life element that can produce an environment with a productive cultural exchange of ideas. In addition, art promotes acquiring intellectual skills in literature, science, and math. Indeed, art should be a priority in human development. Art can inspire youth to be creative, think outside the box, and use their skills to beautify their environment.

Bronzeville Artist Lofts Present ON-DEMAND DANCE

"Art is Business"

Bronzeville Artist Lofts   Open Studio featured resident dancer- Imania Fatima Detry, “On Demand!”  Come dance with Imani!!!.. In class, you will go on a journey through the beginning of the traditional West African movement and how it relates to the contemporary music played now. Imani has been expanding on her choreography with fusing styles that include Djembe and Doun Dance, Sabar, House, Chicago Footwork, and Afrobeat.

With over 20 years of professional training and performance with Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago as a principal artist and as the Assistant Artistic Director of Ayodele Drum and Dance, she truly enjoys and works in the efforts to preserve African dance and culture as well as share her current experiences and style in her teaching and performing. 

https://lucky-plush-productions.myshopify.com/collections/afro-house-with-imania-fatima-detry

Spoken word artist Binkey, aka Lawrence Tolefree, will host a three-part series on BEATNIKS giving a platform to discuss these critical issues from the perspective of African dance forms.  This can help a person deal with emotional conflicts, become aware of issues, and express unspoken concerns. 

Bronzeville Art Tours. Music therapy is another tool to relieve stress and anxiety and is often played loudly in space activations and activities here at the Bronzeville Artist Lofts, where each collaborative art partner resides.

Event Description; Bronzeville Art District Trolley Tour, August 19th, 2022, 6PM- Bronzeville Artist Lofts, 436 E. 47th Street.

From Bronzeville to Beverly: One Artist’s Black History Inspiration

"Art is Business"  reposted an original article by Kristin Boza

Rhonda Hardy’s parents were born in Louisiana. As children, their families were part of the Great Migration, the historic movement of an estimated six million African Americans from the South to urban areas in the Midwest, Northeast, and West. Many African Americans who came to Chicago from the South, including Hardy’s grandparents and parents, settled in Bronzeville.  

Hardy’s rich family history inspires her art. The Bronzeville Babies series is focused on historical clothing and styles, and Urban Comforts is a textile line influenced by African stamps and motifs. 

“When I was growing up, I listened to the stories told by my parents, grandparents, and aunts,” Hardy said. “I internalized all of the stories about who they came up with during the Great Migration, what they did when they got here, and where they worked. It was a natural progression for me as I got older to begin doing more research on African American history.” 

Hardy began her journey at what is now known as the DuSable Museum of African American History, which at the time was The Ebony Museum of Negro History and Art located in curator/artist/educator/writer/activist Margaret Taylor Burroughs’ home on the South Side.  

As a student at Southern Illinois University, Hardy earned a bachelor’s degree in clothing and textiles and a master’s in African and African American culture. Her master’s thesis focused on the designs of African fabrics and clothing styles of African Americans.  

“I documented what was worn by the slaves, by people during the Reconstruction period, and the styles worn during the Black empowerment movement of the 1960s,” Hardy said. She eventually began working for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Extension campus conducting outreach in predominantly Black neighborhoods in Chicago.  

After retirement, Hardy was able to focus once again on her art and fashion. A Beverly/Morgan Park resident, Hardy remains very connected to the Bronzeville neighborhood. As a re-emerging artist, she created a series of soft-sculpted dolls commemorating the Great Migration for a Bronzeville exhibit.  

“I have eight different dolls in my line and they each have their own name and story,” Hardy said. “With my fashion background, I’ve been able to make patterns and clothing for the dolls that help tell their story. All of the clothing is as authentic as possible; the biggest challenge is finding the right fabrics worn during the doll’s time period. The dolls and their clothing make a statement about where they were and what they were thinking during a period in our history.” 

The Pullman Porter doll wears an authentic replica of the Pullman Porter uniform. Hardy used the doll during an artist-in-residence program at The Nautilus School, 1917 W. 93rd St., to teach the history of Pullman. 

The Urban Comforts line consists of tea towels, wall hangings, pillows, and tablecloths made from African-inspired prints designed by Hardy and created through a stamp printing process.  

Hardy’s work inspires others to share their stories. “I participated in a few Beverly Art Walks and people would see my work and just start talking about their own communities and where their family was from,” she said. “We’re all grounded in history, and we have our own story that makes up who we are as a person.” 

Hardy’s work can currently be found at Made Artisan Collaborative, 1802 W. 103rd St., or online at RhondaHardyDesigns.com. 

Virtual Open Studio- Textile Artists Talk About Their Art

"Art is Business"  Listen to the artist speak on "Creative Conversation," Trish Williams,  Rhonda Hardy.

Featured Artist: Trish Williams,  

Trish Williams was born and raised in Chicago in the North Lawndale community, where she attends public school.  Once she completed elementary and high school education, she attended Malcolm X Community College. Then, under the tutelage of Barbara Jone-Hogu, she was introduced to the AfriCOBRA collective and the South Side Community Art Center, where she was introduced to an even broader spectrum of African American artists.

While she has always created as far back as she can remember by drawing, painting, and sewing, but in 1997 she saw a book titled “A Communion of The Spirits” by Roland Freeman about African American quiltmakers and was reminded of her ancestors who carried on these traditions and knew that is what she must do too, but not for the beds, but for the walls because would encompass most of the things that she loved about art.

She’s exhibited local, national, and international, and her works are collationed globally, and several public art commissions in the Chicagoland area.  Her work is also included in exhibition catalogs, magazine publications, and she is listed as one of 100 artists in the Midwest.  She is also seen in the movie “Southside With You” about President and Mrs. Obama if you look quick enough.

The Women of Color Quilters Network is a non-profit organization* founded in 1985 by Carolyn L. Mazloomi, a nationally-acclaimed quilt artist and lecturer, to foster and preserve the art of quiltmaking among women of color.

It supports its membership through presentations, providing venues for sharing technical information, grant writing, and other services. It offers quilts and fiber art to museums for exhibition and researches and documents African American quiltmaking. In recent years, the Network has showcased the work of its members before national and international audiences. An important component of the network's activity is its quiltmaking in social and economic development projects. Educational projects and workshops foster exposure to the arts, creative development, and improved self-esteem. These programs present the benefits of quilting to audiences of all ages, income levels, ethnic backgrounds,s and learning abilities.     *(IRS 501(c)(3))

Guest Artist - Rhonda Brady: 

Rhonda Hardy is an artist committed to social empowerment by encouraging the appreciation of diverse cultures as seen through art. Her artwork has been exhibited and sold at venues such as the South Side Community Art Center, Gallery Guichard, and the Beverly Arts Alliance. 

The journey to manifest my story started in high school, where I sought to learn everything I could about African and African American culture. I subsequently went to college and obtained a Bachelor's and Master’s degrees in clothing and textiles and became certified in Interior Decorating. So, it is a natural progression that I use my passion, skills, and knowledge as a tool to tell the story of the African American experience using the medium of hand-crafted textiles, fashion, and storytelling.

SPONSORS

Bronzeville Art District August 20th Art Walk Hybrid Experience

"Art is Business"

Josephine "La" Baker : Vision of Beauty

In a world where African American female imagery, in cinema and life,  is often not celebrated, the victorious and love-filled life of Josephine Baker reminds us that beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder.

Join us on the third Friday of the month this summer, July - September 17th, 2021, for a free screening during the Bronzeville Art District Art Tour,  SSFF Satellite Experimental Film Festival, presented by Wabi House Media, an art film by Renee Baker.

The art partners create an interdisciplinary/ multi-disciplinary Hybrid experience featuring a virtual online tour and in-person experiences at each gallery. In addition, an alley activation at 436 E. 47th Street will connect guests to the Great Migration Garden, becoming a social distance zone to gather.  Our neighbors can bring lawn chairs at dusk and enjoy a popup drive in an experimental film festival with projections on a three-foot wall facing the 47th street intersection. 

A Tribute to Tamasha Williamson- From the Archives

"Art is Business" From the Phantom Gallery Chicago Archives,  
A Special Tribute for Tamasha Thembi Akua Williamson

Sunrise: July 2, 1975 - Sunset: September 4, 2016 RIP

Tamasha Williamson as a moderator for a panel discussion at the
Switching Station Artist Lofts in East Garfield Park, CAM 2007.

Featured artist Chicago Artist Month, installation at the Switching Station Artist Lofts. 

Representing the voice of reason and expressing her ideology and conceptual art practice.

"If the ability to be self-critical is a marker of a culture’s strength and maturity, then the artists presented in the exhibition “Disinhibition” blow a fresh breath of confidence into the conversation around contemporary African-American art. Curated by HPAC’s Blake Bradford, the exhibition brings together the work of emerging and one well-established artist who uses provocative humor to illuminate uncomfortable truths. The attitude can be summarized as “political correctness and solidarity be damned! Here is the truth!” Heavy on irony and anger, many of the works team with frustrated despair with both white racism and the less savory aspects of black culture. 

The predominant strategy is an illustration by the use of telling juxtapositions. Tamasha Williamson’s drawing series “It Is isn't It? The African-American Vernacular and the King’s English: Validation v. Degradation (Articulate)” collages loaded words and phrases such as “bling” with loaded imagery such as slave shackles and bullets. Blake Bradford

Tamasha designed the Phantom's postcard for the 2008 fundraiser at LBP, she was a graphic artist.

 It Is…Ain’t It? African-American Vernacular and the King’s English: Validation v. Degradation (Articulate), 2007 Graphite On Paper 24 X 36 © Tamasha Williamson

Tamasha Williamson

Profile  |  Artworks  |  Exhibitions  |  Network  |  Comments

Quick Facts EXHIBITED WITH THESE ARTISTS

Negar Ahkami

Laylah Ali

Emma Amos

Elizabeth Axtman

Kate Bae

Siona Benjamin

Margaret Burroughs

Nina Buxenbaum

Keiko Ishii Eckhardt

Debra Edgerton

Wanda Ewing

Swati Khurana

Soumiya Krishnaswamy

Athena LaTocha

Isabel Manalo

Migiwa Orimo

Howardena Pindell

Karen Powell

Faith Ringgold

Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson

Joyce Scott

Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum

Patssi Valdez

Regina Vater

Paula Wilson

Flo Oy Wong

Saya Woolfalk

Michael Paul Britto

David Leggett

Dave McKenzie

TAMASHA WILLIAMSON HAS EXHIBITED AT THESE VENUES:

 RICHMAN GALLERY, 

DAVISON LOBBY,

 HYDE PARK ART CENTER,

 WOMAN MADE GALLERY,

 PHANTOM GALLERY CHICAGO,

 Little Black Pearl,

 NEIU Fine Arts Center Gallery - Northeastern Illinois University 

NEIU Fine Arts Center 

Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum Part 3 Using Tactical Urbanism as a Tool

"Art is Business"
Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum Part 3 Using Tactical Urbanism as a tool 10/03 by Phantom Gallery Chicago Network | Visual Arts:

"Izzy" Isreal Low and David Washington

Using tactical urbanism as a tool and art in placemaking,  Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum kicked off its Community Mural Beautification and Educational Workshops on July 15th,2019. Professional artists working with the museum provided workshops and mural training. The first project of this series was held at the Mack Road Valley High Community center. Youth were introduced to film documentaries from the artist of the Harlem Renaissance, youth who attended learned about jazz artists, poets and writers, and visual artists who were legendary and made a historical impact through the arts. The Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual, social, and artistic explosion centered in Harlem, New York, from 1918–37. At the time, it was known as the "New Negro Movement," named after The New Negro, a 1925 anthology edited by Alain Locke.

Shonna McDaniels, Executive Director, a visual artist, and community activist, envisioned an institution to preserve Black history and celebrate the accomplishments of African American people and their legacy. Offering resources to document, preserve and educate the public on African Americans' history, life, and culture.

Want to join me in making a difference? Shonna asked David Washington the question he said yes. He is a motivated muralist with five years' experience and enthusiasm for developing a curriculum for community arts education. In addition, he brings with him deep architecture and art history knowledge. He started at SOJO Summer Camp as a volunteer-created fun and educational activity for campers.

David painted images on a bench themed after W.H. Johnson, with one of Langston Hughes Poetry benches, also the raised bed, and other elements of the garden. 

Experimental-ism Photography, Painting, and Process-

"Art is Business"

 bit.ly/BronzevilleArtTROLLEYTOUR

“Black Bodies In Nature” 
Painting Photography and Process
Photography @Larissa Kim Akinremi 

July16th, 11am Part 1
Larissa Kim Akinremi uses nature as an experiment to showcase the Black Body in outdoor landscapes.
In Physics, the black body is defined as an object that absorbs all electromagnetic radiation that falls into it. It can radiate any wavelength of energy. In America and around the world, the Black Body is a vessel of beauty and wonderment. It is magnetic. It has been sold, is for sale, is revered, sought after, despised, copied, and used as a source of entertainment and pleasure. The Black Body is perceived differently through the lens when emotion is evoked; through speech, anger, happiness and through triumphant times. 

"Wire Figure It Out" @ LaDiPo

 July 23rd 11am, Part 2
Experimentalism to me represents the process of learning by doing - a pedagogy I apply to both my scientific work and artistic practice. As a materials researcher, I am eager to find the potential in products deemed as waste to other industries and incorporate them into the concrete. As an artist, I’ve discovered my own personal style in creating abstract-yet-human-like wire figures. Through exaggerated gestures, these figures greet each other and activate every object they encounter. LaDiPo Famodu. 

Painting, "Man with Butterflies @ Cesar Conde
"Of Human Survival Series" 
August 6th, 11am
Experimentalism - "Of Human Survival Series" is a body of work influence by Michelle Alexander's book "The New Jim Crow" regarding mass incarceration of black and brown bodies. As an artist who deals with social issues, I started using endangered species juxtaposed with black and brown bodies to serve as a bridge to a conversation of difficult issues. Black and brown bodies are also endangered due to unbalanced systemic racism in the justice system. The lively colors of these animals and insects soften the pathway to a difficult conversation, it’s a commentary on both racial inequality and climate change and who suffers the consequences of both. Cesar Conde

EXPERIMENTALISM -Creative Conversation 
BlogTalkRadio Interview Questions to contemplate
"WE ONLY THINK WHEN WE ARE CONFRONTED WITH PROBLEMS.” Do you agree with this statement? Why or Why not?
“Learning is the ability to reflect on the experience, to make sense of what came our way, and to grow personally and socially as a result.”

EXPERIMENTALISM is largely centered on the human experience. Universal education was the key to teaching people how to abandon their habits and think creatively.

EXPERIMENTALISM

”WE ONLY THINK WHEN WE ARE CONFRONTED WITH PROBLEMS.” Do you agree with this statement? Why or Why not?

Bronzeville Art District 2019 Trolley Tours

"Art is Business" "Save The Dates" - RSVP BronzevilleArtTROLLEYTOUR

2019 Curators Present Conundrum Conversations

IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Renee Baker as Guest- Artist in Residency 2019  The Phantom Gallery Chicago Network proudly announces Renee Baker as a guest- artist in residency. She will work directly with Phantom Gallery Chicago’s chief curator Alpha Bruton. Exhibit: We Know Our Blues Film /Screening A Natural Born Gambler- Bert Williams Charleston Parade- Jean Renoir Both films with new scores by Renee Baker Recorded by Chicago Modern Orchestra Project Friday, Jan 4 -  2019 Phantom Gallery Chicago  Opening 6-9pm Dinner and wine reception (RSVP space limited) What are Creative Conversations? Creative Conversations are local gatherings of engaged citizens in communities across the country and are part of a grassroots movement to elevate the profile of arts in America.  Historic Overton Hygienic Building, 3619 - 3627 S. State Street, Art, and Social Justice, "Examining the State of Our Environment, Nov 1 - Nov 30, 2018.Artist: Toussaint  Warner, Curator: Paula Robinson, Moderator: Larissa A. Johnson Phantom Gallery Chicago panel discussion in 2007, at the Switch Station Artist Lofts, East Garfield Park, Chicago, IL.  Join us on BlogTalkRadio by scheduling a podcast to discuss yourself and your art practice. Submit proposals to phantomgallerychicago@gmail.com.  Pop-Up Research Station has developed gradually: by hosting curators and artists who have and are exploring  “Temporary Public Art Installations,”  ” Storefront Art Movements,” “Creative Place-making,” and projects that are the impetus for “Tactical Urbanism/Cultural Urban Planning”.… urban movement has come to be known under many names, “Pop-up.” Our methodology for collecting data is to call the guest artist and ask them, in casual conversation, about their current project and the trajectory of their practice. Investigation: What does it mean to exhibit in temporary installation spaces outside the museum? Unanticipated Impacts? How do the current body of work and the films you are currently screening intersect with the ideas of art and social justice?  CALL for Curators 2019 Exhibition -Installation Artists  Deadline or Post Expiration: Open Call  Call for papers are ongoing/projects for the art and social justice Action Network.

And the Walls Came Tumbling Down…

"Art is Business"

Catina Robinson-Hale

History Lost by Displacement

@Catina Robinson-Hale

A portion of the photos in my installation was taken during the years of 2000-2001... In 1996, the federal department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) took control of the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA). At that time HUD introduced a radical change of policy, advocating the demolition of “failed high-rise buildings”. Chicago demolished several high-rise buildings in 1996 and 1997. As thousands of families became displaced the footprint of the West and South Side(s) of the city were changed forever. My installation attempts to capture the sense of abandonment and destruction. At the same time highlighting the juxtaposition of buildings tumbling down against the backdrop of the ever-pristine Saint Ignatius Church Bell Tower. I see this as a simple display of how the livelihoods of African American families were literally being torn apart while the almighty Catholic Church stands strong. Upholding the realities of Chicago and “The Tale of Two Cities”.

The larger prints of the installation showcase images of locks and chains. For years I’ve been drawn to the different compositions captured with randomly found locks and chains. Many metaphors can be used to break down the meaning behind the lock and chain. 

I wanted to connect the idea of how the city kept many African American families on “lockdown” in these vertical towers in Black areas of the city for many decades. Those “locks” that were eventually unlocked when (HUD) decided to demolish these “failed high-rise buildings”.

 In the end, it’s no secret that the government had always owed the land. They kept it under lock and key and when the time came, gave the authority to unlock the land for developers. I can imagine the history of these once well-known high-rise public housing buildings filled with families fading with each story told. Almost like a ghost town of communities that Black Families once occupied.