Artist Talk a Conversation Led by SHOLO BEVERLY

"Art is Business"

Women in Nature: About the Exhibition

"Art is Business"

Women In Nature: Taking Up Space

"Art is Business"

My vision for this show is to reflect nature and the strength of women of color. Being a fine artist, my passion lies in painting large-scale murals. This show will be curated around the consideration of large-scale paintings, like as murals. I would like to create little utopias for our viewers with your art. 

Thank you very much to everyone for your submissions, my heart is full.   

SHOLO BEVERLY

Symbolism in Dragonflies and Praying Mantis

In 2013, I began creating environmental installations that simulate ceremonial purification circles. In these installations, objects and images are chosen to “serve as cultural mirrors, and their situated sites contribute to a broader cultural commentary.

This project, “Women in Nature”, is a pivotal step in my artistic career, as it aligns with my dedication to creating art in unconventional environments as an environmental installation artist. I deliberately seek to move beyond the boundaries of traditional gallery experiences, immersing myself in diverse settings to broaden the dialogue around art. Over the past couple of decades, my journey has led me across various landscapes, both nationally and internationally, where I have embraced the role of artist-in-residence in the natural environment. In these capacities, I have worked with local communities to transform empty lots, national forest preserves, and conservation lands into vibrant spaces for artistic expression. 

Symbolism in Dragonflies and Praying Mantises

Across different cultures, dragonflies symbolize renewal and self-awareness. They inspire us to embrace the present, highlighting the value of personal growth and change.

One summer, a vibrant, emerald-green praying mantis made its way into my home, capturing my attention with its graceful movements and poised demeanor. In many traditions, this fascinating creature is considered a symbol of good luck and protection, suggesting that my environment is blessed with serene and positive energy. 

However, during my observations, I became a witness to the stark reality of nature's sometimes brutal ways. I saw a female mantis consume her mate in an act of sexual cannibalism during their mating ritual. This shocking scene prompted me to reflect deeply on its significance. How could an event so violent coexist with the notion of good luck and protection?

As I pondered this, I began to draw parallels to my own life. The reality of survival often demands sacrifices, and I recognized that, in nature, women—much like the praying mantis—navigate their existence by any means necessary, fiercely asserting their role in procreation to ensure the continuity of their lineage. This contemplation left me with a profound understanding of resilience and the complexities of life and survival.

Concepts and Color Studies:

 

Concept of a gate for the back panel

 

Reimagining Black Identity, Strength, and Vulnerability Music Performance

"Art is Business"  February 21, 2025   

This art exhibit explores the multifaceted healing nature of Black identity, shedding light on the complex intersections of strength, vulnerability, history, and future within the Black experience. We invite artists of all mediums—visual art, sculpture, photography, performance, and beyond—to submit works that address the evolving narrative of Blackness in contemporary society.

The exhibit will showcase pieces that reframe traditional representations, inviting viewers to engage with themes of resilience, introspection, liberation, and the ever-shifting contours of identity. Artists are encouraged to challenge stereotypes and preconceived notions of Blackness, emphasizing the beauty and power of embracing vulnerability and quiet strength in moments of resistance, defiance, and healing.

We are looking for works that speak to the full range of Black-lived experiences, capturing both the triumphs and the struggles, the joy and the pain, the collective memory and individual expression. The exhibit aims to create space for reflection, dialogue, and healing while embracing the depth and complexity that define Blackness.

This exhibit will offer a new, unapologetically authentic, challenging, and transformative vision by reimagining Black identity healing, strength, and vulnerability. Artists are encouraged to draw upon personal narratives, cultural history, and current social movements to inspire their work, creating an environment where art becomes a tool for collective healing, liberation, and empowerment.

Bridgeport’s Zhou B Art Center Hosting Black History Month Festival Of The Arts

"Art is Business" reposted: by Grace Xue,   January 17, 2025, Bridgeport, Chinatown, McKinley Park

Bridgeport’s Zhou B Art Center Hosting Black History Month Festival Of The Arts

The local non-profit OH Art Foundation is bringing 27 African American artists together for a month of visual art and live performances.

Visitors looking at artwork at Zhou B Art Center Credit: Provided/Facebook

BRIDGEPORT — Twenty-seven African American artists will transform the Zhou B Art Center this Friday as the OH Art Foundation launches its inaugural Black History Month Festival of the Arts.

The festival, hosted by the Bridgeport-based nonprofit, invites visitors to explore reimagined themes of identity, strength, and vulnerability through diverse artistic expressions, ranging from paintings to orchestral compositions.

“In The Valley of The Sun” and other works by Bronzeville-based acrylic artist Jeffery Beckham will be featured in the Black History Month Arts Festival. Credit: Provided

The opening-night celebration starts at 7 p.m. Friday and will include musical performances by Marvin Hathaway, the Ari Brown Quintet, and Emoni Brown-Bey. Another reception on Feb. 21 will feature performances by Taalib-Din Ziyad, Coco Elysses and Draizig, Edward Wilkerson Jr., and Donovan Mixon. More information is available on the OH Art Foundation website.

“In The Valley of The Sun” and other works by Bronzeville-based acrylic artist Jeffery Beckham will be featured in the Black History Month Arts Festival. Credit: Provided

The OH Art Foundation has become a vital addition to the cultural fabric of Bridgeport and Chicago’s South Side. Located in the Zhou B Art Center, 1029 W 35th St. — a former industrial building transformed by the Zhou brothers into a creative hub in 2004 — the foundation continues to expand the center’s artistic legacy.

InJung Oh, daughter-in-law of the elder Zhou brother, founded the OH Art Foundation; the name stands for “Open Horizon,” reflecting its mission to inspire creativity and broaden perspectives through diverse cultural arts.

Since founding the organization in 2013, Oh said she has been exploring ways to celebrate cultural diversity through the arts. After the pandemic, she envisioned hosting festivals during various cultural heritage months. However, initially relying solely on personal funding, she said the organization struggled to finance even a single festival.

The Black History Month Festival of Arts exhibition space by OH Art Foundation is on the second floor of Zhou B Art Center. Credit: Grace Xue/Block Club Chicago

In 2023, after receiving grants from the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and the Illinois Arts Council, the foundation celebrated its first Asian Pacific American Heritage Festival of the Arts. After that success, the foundation added a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration last year.

With this year’s Black History Month festival, Oh said she hopes to establish these three cultural celebrations as annual traditions as she continues applying for grants for future years.

“Living in Bridgeport for the past 15 years, I’ve seen many changes in its cultural diversity,” Oh said. “In the past, you didn’t see many artists of color, but now, places like the Bridgeport storage have turned into an art center, and the Ramova Theatre just opened last year … It’s really good to have community leaders who believe in us and want to support the arts in the neighborhood.”

Staff installing artwork for the Black History Month Festival of Arts on the second floor of Zhou B Art Center. Credit: Grace Xue/Block Club Chicago

“Reimagining Black Identity”

Renee Baker, a celebrated visual artist, composer, curator, and co-curator Wisdom Baty, curated the exhibition, “Reimagining Black Identity, Strength and Vulnerability.”

Baker emphasizes the importance of showcasing the range of Black art, from abstract works to performance art, challenging monolithic stereotypes that limit Black art to representations of Black people.

“The Black imagination is limitless,” she said. “It was gratifying to see that Black artists, like all artists, were not allowing themselves to be pigeonholed because the expressions were all across the spectrum.”

“Father I Stretch My Hands” by Bronzeville-based acrylic artist Jefferey Beckham. Credit: Provided

Among the featured artists is Jeffery Beckham, a Bronzeville-based acrylic artist and CEO of Chicago Scholars. His contributions include “TU Flyboys,” a tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen; “In The Valley of The Sun,” a work dedicated to brotherhood and sisterhood; and “Father I Stretch My Hands,” which depicts a poignant moment of a Black child in prayer.

“Wanting to have works that reflected the power and the beauty of the black community, I thought of these three pieces when InJung and I talked about reimagining black identity, strength and vulnerability, you kind of get a little bit of all in each work,” Beckham said.

Visitors looking at artwork at Zhou B Art Center. Credit: Provided/Facebook

Baker is not only curating will also present her work “Dark Symphony: Movement Three,” a large-scale graphic score designed for orchestra, painted in acrylic on canvas.

As the interim chair of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, Baker has partnered with Oh to bring six live performances to the opening day and on Feb. 21. These experimental soundscapes will complement the visual works, creating an immersive experience for attendees.

“I’m hoping that people come with little expectation,” Baker said. “Just come and take in the product of all these Black minds that took the time to create and put their expressions on paper or canvas.”

Oh acknowledges the financial challenges many artists face and emphasizes the importance of compensating all creative contributors despite the festival's modest budget.

“As an artist myself, being able to run this program and give back to artists, taking care of them and seeing this long-held vision finally manifesting, is incredibly exciting,” she said.

Poster of Black History Month Festival of Arts by the OH Art Foundation at Zhou B Art Center. Credit: Grace Xue/Block Club Chicago

The Black History Month Festival of the Arts runs from Friday through March 16 at OH Art Foundation on the second floor of Zhou B Art Center, 1029 W. 35th St.

Admission is free, inviting all to explore and celebrate the rich tapestry of African American culture and creativity. Visit the exhibition website for information and a complete list of featured artists.

“Reimagining Black Identity, Strength, and Vulnerability”

"Art is Business" https://ohartfoundation.org/.

Celebrating Black History Month, OH Art Foundation presents an opening reception on January 17h, 2025, and a Closing reception on February 21st, 2025, with OH Art Foundation at Zhou B Art Center in Chicago. The visual exhibition was curated by Renee Bakers and Wisdom Baty and promises to be a significant celebration of Black History Month, showcasing 27 selected visual artists 

6 Music performances selected by Jeff Chen, 

Selected Artists:  Takako Konishi, Alexy Irving, Margot McMahon, Le'Trice Buckingham, Alpha Bruton, Arlene Turner-Crawford, Grandeast Wright, Lavon Pettis, Alexandra Henderson, Wisdom Baty, Malika Jackson, Summer Coleman, Andrea Hill Fitzgerald, Jason Campbell, Lenin Delsol,

Nichole Masani Landfair, Isaiah Afrumu, Safiya Mirsberger Tolson, Dysen White, Scout Cartagena, Sebastian Sandu, Sharmarke Ahmed, Jeffery Beckham, Christopher Williams, Nolan W. McCants, Renee' Baker, Brandy Kent.

Music Performance Schedule January 17, 2025

Marvin Hathaway

The Ari Brown Quartet

Emoni Brown-Bey

February 21, 2025

Taalib-Din Ziyad

Coco Elysses and Draizig

Edward Wilkerson Jr. and Donovan Mixon

Thank you, Renee Baker of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, for matching donations to support musicians.

Oh Art Foundation

Zhou B. Art Center

1029 W. 35th St.

Chicago, IL 60609

773-569-8582 

Curators: Renee Baker and Wisdom Baty

This art exhibit explores the multifaceted healing nature of Black identity, shedding light on the complex intersections of strength, vulnerability, history, and future within the Black experience. The exhibit will showcase pieces that reframe traditional representations, inviting viewers to engage with themes of resilience, introspection, liberation, and the ever-shifting contours of identity.

Location: OH Art Foundation 2nd fl of Zhou B Art Center, 
1029 W. 35th St. Chicago, IL 60609
Exhibition Dates:  1/17/25- 3/16/25 

This art exhibit explores the multifaceted healing nature of Black identity, shedding light on the complex intersections of strength, vulnerability, history, and future within the Black experience. We invite artists of all mediums—visual art, sculpture, photography, performance, and beyond—to submit works that address the evolving narrative of Blackness in contemporary society.

The exhibit will showcase pieces that reframe traditional representations, inviting viewers to engage with themes of resilience, introspection, liberation, and the ever-shifting contours of identity. Artists are encouraged to challenge stereotypes and preconceived notions of Blackness, emphasizing the beauty and power of embracing vulnerability and quiet strength in moments of resistance, defiance, and healing.

We are looking for works that speak to the full range of Black-lived experiences, capturing both the triumphs and the struggles, the joy and the pain, the collective memory and individual expression. The exhibit aims to create space for reflection, dialogue, and healing while embracing the depth and complexity that define Blackness.

This exhibit will offer a new, unapologetically authentic, challenging, and transformative vision by reimagining Black identity healing, strength, and vulnerability. Artists are encouraged to draw upon personal narratives, cultural history, and current social movements to inspire their work, creating an environment where art becomes a tool for collective healing, liberation, and empowerment.

The Northshore Black Artist Group (NBAG) is dedicated to connecting, promoting, and supporting artists.

"Art is Business" https://www.evanstonartcenter.org/exhibitions/northshore-black-artist-group-exhibition

"Alexis Lombre is a Pianist, Ain't No Chitlin Circuit," 3o" x 4o" x 2", Acyclic on canvas, mixed media collage, 2024

Organizing the NBAG can expose, educate, and engage audiences by presenting and supporting the art and artists of African descent. Both curators and artists joining this group are committed to continuing the legacy of providing stellar artistic and educational programs across various visual art disciplines.

CURATORIAL TEAM:

We are in the process of establishing a North Shore Black Artists Group. After the BP exhibit at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange in February, I realized that many Black artists did not know each other. Angela Williams, a designer at the Museum of Science and Industry and a current member of the Evanston Arts Council, and I are organizing the group's initial setup. 

 

There will be an opportunity to introduce the group through a small exhibition in the second-floor hallways of the Evanston Art Center. 

Fran Joy, Artist/Curator/Life Coach, Exhibitions and Board Member, Evanston Art Center

Angela Williams, a designer at the Museum of Science and Industry who serves on the Evanston Arts Council

On View:  October 19- November 3, 2024
Opening Reception: Sunday October 27th, 1-4 pm

The Northshore Black Artist Group (NBAG) is dedicated to connecting, promoting, and supporting artists. The organization includes visual, performing, literary, and media arts. Our mission is to create platforms for artists to showcase their work, encouraging creative expression and innovation. NBAG will serve as a community hub, bringing people together for shared experiences and fostering a sense of belonging.

OUR MISSION STATEMENT:

The Northshore Black Artist Group (NBAG) is dedicated to connecting, promoting, and supporting artists. The organization includes visual, performing, literary, and media arts. Our mission is to create platforms for artists to showcase their work and encourage creative expression and innovation. NBAG will serve as a community hub, bringing people together for shared experiences and fostering a sense of belonging.

NORTHSHORE BLACK ARTIST GROUP SHOW EXHIBITION STATEMENT

The 2024 Northshore Black Artist Group show is our first exhibition featuring the work of multiple artists, showcasing a diverse range of styles, mediums, and themes. This premier exhibition, generously hosted by the Evanston Arts Center, provides NBAG an opportunity to introduce the group to the Evanston, Chicagoland, and North Shore communities.

We are excited to exhibit this group of artists and look forward to creating a stepping stone for emerging and established artists to gain visibility. We believe that the arts offer something for everyone. The Northshore Black Artist Group hopes to spark conversation, offer diverse artistic expressions, support cultural heritage, and enrich lives.

GALLERY HOURS & VISITOR INFORMATION

This exhibition will be held in the Evanston Art Center (EAC) 's second-floor hallway galleries. Masks are optional but strongly recommended for students, visitors, and staff.

Gallery Hours

Monday–Thursday: 9am–6pm

Friday: 9am–5pm

Saturday–Sunday: 9am–4pm

HOW TO PURCHASE ARTWORK

The proceeds from artwork sales benefit both the artist and the Evanston Art Center. If you want to purchase artwork on display, please contact Emma Rose Gudewicz, Director of Development and Exhibitions, at egudewicz@evanstonartcenter.org or (847) 475-5300 x 102.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, which is funded through federal funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Date

Sat, 10/19/2024 - 09:00 - Sun, 11/03/2024 - 16:00

BACKGROUND AND MY INSPIRATION WHY I CREATED THIS COMPOSITION.

I selected this composition because I captured Alexis through my camera lens as she performed on piano at the Chicago Cultural Center during the 2024 Jazz Summit with Earnest Dawkins. 

Ernest's vision for this cross-cultural exchange is to explore the differences and similarities in the aesthetics of black music.

"The Englewood Soweto Exchange" evolved from a jazz workshop and cultural exchange that encouraged young musicians from two backgrounds bound by history to find each other.  Ernest deliberately selected musicians who had no prior exposure to travels into either continent to pursue the raw emotive quality he wanted to expose.

"We Want Our Land Back" is the debut single produced by this collaborative project between the U.S. and South Africa and was released officially across music streaming platforms on 25 February 2021.

Alexis Lombre is a Chicago pianist, vocalist, composer, and producer.

She discovered early that the true essence of music is not just about what you hear but how it makes you feel. Her mission is to keep the 'Soul' in music alive. Her latest single, "Boundaries," a powerful anthem about standing up for oneself and taking ownership of personal space, was initially released in June as part of Apple Music's Juneteenth Freedom 2024 Jazz playlist for Black Music Month and became available on all music platforms as of September.

Lombre's other releases include the single "Come Find Me," which she describes as "lyrically, a gospel song; harmonically, a jazz song; and rhythmically, a hip-hop/R&B song. I didn't create the song with any borders." As JazzTimes notes, "Lombre realized early on that by refusing to be constrained by convention—whether so-called 'jazz' or otherwise—she'd be honoring, rather than defiling, the rich heritage she'd come to embrace."

In addition to composing, producing, and performing her own music, she has toured the United States, Canada, Cuba, Brazil, France, and South Africa with artists such as Jon Batiste, Terrace Martin, Terri Lyne Carrington, Ledisi, Lizz Wright, STOUT, Keyon Harrold, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Marcus Miller, Nicole Mitchell, Jamila Woods, DJ D-Nice, and the Miles Davis Electric Band. Lombre was awarded the inaugural 2022 New Music Next Jazz Legacy Award and the 2023 Luminarts Award.

DEAR JAZZ 2024- ART EXHIBITION and JAZZ CONCERT

"Art is Business." Get your tickets at JazzInChicago.org/dear-jazz

I am thrilled to have my artwork in the Dear Jazz 2024. This art exhibition with live music is on November 8 and 9 at Fulton Street Collective at 1821 W. Hubbard. The Jazz Institute of Chicago produced the show curated by Raymond A. Thomas. I'll be one of over 25 important Chicago artists presenting. 

STATEMENT BY RAYMOND A. THOMAS

Dear Jazz is a vibrant and immersive art exhibition and concert that pays tribute to the soulful legacy of jazz music. Through a dynamic collection of visual works by some of Chicago's top artists, this exhibition captures the rhythm, improvisation, and emotional depth that have defined jazz throughout history. These works act as a heartfelt "love letter" to the genre, interpreting the essence of jazz's sound, spirit, and cultural significance. Drawing inspiration from the greats like Miles  Davis, John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, and many more, these chosen artists explore jazz's themes of freedom and innovation,  reflecting its role as a musical and cultural force. 

Dear Jazz invites all on a multisensory journey through jazz's history, present, and future. It celebrates how jazz transcends sound to become a universal language of expression, spontaneity, and joy.

If I Could Change Back the Hand of Time, 24" X 26" x 2", Mixed Media, Acrylic Collage, 2024

"Turn Back The Hands Of Time" by Tyrone Davis was on my mind as I named this composition. Remembering the lyrics and what he is singing about in the ℗ 1970's. It's an R&B song recorded by various artists, like Eddie Fisher's Orchestra in 1951 and 1970s, and even R. Kelly, Cher, and David Ruffin have a version. But the lyrics resonate with me, "Turn Back the Hands of Time" is based on relationship problems Moore was having at the time. Daniels co-wrote Davis's 1968 hit "Can I Change My Mind," and the recording session for "Turn Back the Hands of Time" included some of the same musicians from that session.

DEAR JAZZ- I didn't abandon you in the 1970s disco age, didn't abandon you to R&B, didn't abandon you to Reggae, nor did I turn my back on you as I listened to techno. I loved you through it all. My first Jazz Concert was the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1975. Growing up on the West Coast, jazz profoundly influenced my playlist.

"West Coast jazz refers to styles of jazz that developed in Los Angeles and San Francisco during the 1950s. West Coast jazz is often seen as a subgenre of cool jazz, which consisted of a calmer style than bebop or hard bop. The music relied relatively more on composition and arrangement than on the individually improvised playing of other jazz styles. Although this style dominated, it was not the only form of jazz heard on the American West Coast."

Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, and African rhythmic rituals. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a significant expression in traditional and popular music. 

Dear Jazz, the genres highlighted in Bold Black are my favorites:

• Acid jazz combined elements of soul music, funk, and disco, including looping beats and modal harmony the 1980s–1990s
• Afro-Cuban jazz mixes Afro-Cuban clave-based rhythms with jazz harmonies and techniques of improvisation. 1940s.
• Avant-garde jazz is a music and improvisation style combining avant-garde art music and composition with jazz. It originated in the 1950s and developed through the 1960s. 
• 1950s Bebop or bop is a jazz style characterized by a fast tempo, instrumental virtuosity, and improvisation based on a combination of harmonic structure and occasional references to the melody.
• 1940s—A big band is a type of musical ensemble, in essence, a jazz orchestra, that typically consists of at least ten musicians and four sections.
• 1910s -British dance band is a popular jazz and dance music genre that developed in British dance halls and hotel ballrooms during the 1920s and 1930s. 1920s 
• Cape Jazz (more often written as Cape Jazz) is a jazz genre performed in the southernmost part of Africa, the name being a reference to Cape Town, South Africa. 1990s 
• Chamber jazz Chamber jazz is a genre of jazz involving small, acoustic-based ensembles where group interplay is important. 1960s 
• Continental jazz Early jazz dance bands of Europe in the swing medium, to the exclusion of Great Britain.
• Cool jazz Contrasts with the hard, fast sound of bebop. A more relaxed, subdued style, with more formal arrangements and elements, such as swingswing and classical. 1940s–1960s
• Crossover jazz artists mix different styles of music into jazz. 1970s 
• Dixieland music or New Orleans jazz, sometimes referred to as hot jazz or early jazz, is a style of jazz music that developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. Stylistically, it is essentially a form of Ragtime typically transposed for brass band, banjo, or clarinet. 1900s 
• Electro Swing is a modern interpretatioSwingSwing that merges with EDM. Performances typically include both a live band and a DJ. 1990s 
• Ethio-jazz is a specific form of jazz that evolved in Ethiopia in the music of Mulatu Astatke, also referred to as the King of Ethio-jazz.1950s 
• Ethno jazz, a form of ethnic music, is sometimes equated to world music or is regarded as its successor, particularly before the 1990s. An independent meaning of "ethno-jazz" emerged around 1990. 1990s
•  European free jazz is a part of the global free jazz scene and has its own development and characteristics from the 1960s 
• Flamenco jazz is a style mixing flamenco and jazz, typified by artists such as Paco de Lucia and Camarón de la Isla. 1960s 
• Free funk: A combination of avant-garde jazz with funk music in the 1970s 
• Free jazz Free improvisation is improvised music without any specific rules. By itself, free improvisation can be any genre; it isn't necessarily jazz. Free jazz musicians use free improvisation to alter, extend, or break down jazz conventions, often by discarding fixed chord changes, tempos, melodies, or phrases. Ornette Coleman was an early and noted advocate of this style. 1950s 
• Gypsy jazz style of jazz music is often said to have been started by guitarist Jean "Django" Reinhardt in the 1930s. The style was originally called "hot club" or "hot jazz" and served an acoustic European interpretation. The term "gypsy jazz" didn't appear until after the 1970s, when Sinti people adapted their folk music to emulate that of Django. 1930s/1970s->
• Hard bop Incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospel music, and blues, especially in saxophone and piano playing. 1950s 
• Indo jazz Fusion of jazz with Indian music (see also Sitar in jazz and Jazz in India). 1950s ->
• Jazz blues Although not a distinct style, jazz blues is typically used to refer to songs that include idiomatic "jazz" embellishments to the standard form, such as extended harmony and chord substitutions. At a minimum, jazz blues usually include a ii–V progression in place of the simple V chord and an I–VI/vi–ii–V turnaround at the end of the form.
• Jazz-funk is a subgenre of jazz music characterized by a strong backbeat (groove), electrified sounds, and an early prevalence of analog synthesizers.1970s 
• Jazz fusion combines elements of jazz and rock. Characterized by electronic instruments, riffs, and extended solos. 1970s 
• Jazz poetry1920s 
• Jazz pop
• Jazz rap is a fusion subgenre of hip-hop and jazz, developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The lyrics are often based on political consciousness, Afrocentrism, and general positivism. 1980s 
• Jazz-rock The term "jazz-rock" (or "jazz/rock") is often used as a synonym for the term "jazz fusion." 1960s 
• Jump blues 1930s 
• Kansas City jazz is a style of jazz that developed in Kansas City, Missouri, and the surrounding Kansas City Metropolitan Area during the 1930s.
• Latin jazz draws heavily on salsa and merengue influences. Heavy use of percussion, including congas, timbales, bongos, guiros, and others. 1930s
• M-Base 1980s 
• Marabi 1920s–1930s
• Mainstream jazz is A genre of jazz music that was first used about the playing styles around the 1950s 1950s ->
• Modal jazz, as pioneered by Miles Davis, among others, is characterized by using modes, such as dorian modes, as the primary organizing element.
• Neo-bop jazz, notably associated with Wynton Marsalis, is a comparatively accessible, "retro" genre that emerged in the 1980s as a stylistic reaction against free jazz and jazz fusion. 1980s 
• Neo-swing: The name was given to the renewed interest in swing music from the 1930s and 40s. Many neo-swing bands practiced contemporary fusionSwingswing, jazz, and jump blues with rock, punk rock, ska, and ska-punk music or had roots in punk, ska, ska punk, and alternative rock music.1990s 
• Jazz noir is a form of slow or erratic contemporary jazz. Jazz noir (also known as "doom jazz" or "dark jazz") is noted for its often somber, mysterious, or even sinister tone. It takes inspiration from film noir soundtracks and dark ambient music. 1990s 
• Nu jazz music blends jazz elements with other musical styles, such as funk, soul, electronic dance music, and free improvisation.1990s 
• Orchestral jazz, Also known as "Symphonic Jazz" in the 1920s 
• Post-bop: A genre of small-combo jazz that assimilates hard bop, modal jazz, avant-garde, and free jazz without necessarily being immediately identifiable as any of those forms in the 1960s 
• Punk jazz is the amalgamation of elements of the jazz tradition (usually free jazz and jazz fusion of the 1960s and 1970s) with the instrumentation or conceptual heritage of punk rock 1970s and 
• Ragtime 1890s 
• Samba-jazz 1950s 
• Ska jazz music was derived by fusing the melodic content of jazz with the rhythmic and harmonic content of early Jamaican Music introduced by the "Fathers of Ska" in the late 1950s. It is sometimes considered a subgenre of Third-Wave Ska. 1960s 
• Skiffle 1950s ->
• Smooth jazz In general, a smooth jazz track is downtempo (the most widely played tracks are in the 90–105 BPM range), layering a lead, melody-playing instrument (saxophones – especially soprano and tenor – are the most popular, with guitars a close second) over a backdrop that typically consists of programmed rhythms and various synth pads or samples. 1960s 
• Soul jazz Draws heavy influences from hard bop, blues, gospel, and rhythm and blues. It is often characterized by organ trios. 1950s 
• Spiritual jazz 1960s 
• Straight-ahead jazz is A form of Jazz created in the 1960s with roots from the previous two decades. It omits elements from rock music and free jazz that began to appear in this period, instead emphasizing acoustic instruments and a more conventional sound. 1960s 
• Stride jazz A style of jazz piano which incorporates left hand techniques from ragtime music, except the left hand spans a greater distance on the keyboard. 1920s 
• Swing Big band arrangements, always swung. Pioneered by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Benny Goodman. 1930s–1950s
• Third stream: The fusion of the jazz stream and classical stream. 1950s
• Trad jazz, Short for "traditional jazz," refers to the Dixieland and ragtime jazz styles of the early 20th century.
• West Coast jazz is a style of jazz that emerged in Los Angeles and San Francisco during the 1950s. It is often considered a subgenre of cool jazz, characterized by a smoother and calmer sound compared to bebop or hard bop. This style emphasizes composition and arrangement more than individual improvisation, which is more prominent in other jazz genres. While West Coast jazz was a dominant style in the region, it wasn't the only type performed on the American West Coast.

Reference:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Coast_jazz

en.wikipedia.org › wiki › List_of_jazz_genresList of jazz genres - Wikipedia

SAPPHIRE AND CRYSTALS A documentary about one of longest running Black ...

Episode three of ART AS MOVEMENT.  The documentary series celebrates Black artists' resilience, creativity, and cultural contributions. The series provides a comprehensive exploration of the art itself and contextualizes it within Chicago's broader social and historical fabric.

Sapphire and Crystals tell the story of their mission to give voice and opportunity to African American women artists by participating in and increasing our visibility in art institutions and honoring our history and culture.

Sapphire & Crystals: Freedom’s Muse

"Art is Business" Sapphire & Crystals: Freedom’s Muse reposted Choose Chicago. 

Marva Jolly, My Mama’s Light, ceramic. Photo by Rose Blouin.

Logan Center Exhibitions is pleased to present Freedom’s Muse featuring members from Sapphire & Crystals, a collective of African American women artists in Chicago initially conceived by Marva Pitchford Jolly and Felicia Grant Preston in 1987. This exhibition explores the intersection of art and freedom of expression in celebration of the 36th Anniversary of the collective and the launch of the university’s new Chicago Forum for Free Inquiry and Expression.

“America is composed of all kinds of people, and part of the difficulty in our nation today is that we are not utilizing the abilities and the talents of other brown and black peoples and females that have something to bring to the creativity, the rejuvenation and the revitalization of this country.” – Shirley Chisholm

This year marks Sapphire & Crystals’ 36th anniversary as an active art collective. Our mission is to give voice and opportunity to African American women artists by participating in and increasing our visibility in arts institutions and honoring our history and culture. When our collective was formed in 1987, we declared our freedom from the status quo and demanded a place at the table.

For this exhibition at the University of Chicago’s Logan Center for the Arts, we chose the theme Freedom’s Muse to explore the ideas of freedom, creativity, and self-determination. In mythology, the Muses were nine goddesses who symbolized the arts and sciences. Today, a muse serves as inspiration. We find our Muses in activists, ancestors, and art forms. We find Muses in sacred spaces and special places, and they always encourage freedom of expression and creativity. Shirley Chisholm is certainly one of our Muses. She advocated for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion when she became the first Black woman to be elected to Congress in 1968 and throughout her presidential campaign in 1972. Over 50 years later, our nation continues to aspire to her ideas. These values are also our hope for humanity; thus, we celebrate our Muses.

In this exhibition, Sapphire & Crystal's artists address Freedom’s Muse in painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, quilting, drawing, and mixed media. We hope our individual and collective creative expressions inspire our viewers to muse more deeply about freedom, inclusion, diversity, and respect for all cultures and contributions, to Be and Do as a philosophy of life, to be the change we want to see in the world and Do what is necessary to achieve it.

Many thanks to the artists of Sapphire & Crystals and the Logan Center Staff for their invaluable support. This exhibition makes us proud of our perseverance in living, growing, and creating.

https://sixtyinchesfromcenter.org/the-vessels-that-marva-made-an-interview-with-members-of-sapphire-crystals/

What Women Are Thinking About

"Art is Business"   www.urbanartretreat.com

What Women Are Thinking About 

Feb. 10 - Mar. 23,  2024  (1-4)

Liz Long Gallery at Urban Art Retreat

1957 S. Spaulding Ave. Chicago, Il. 60623

  (773) 542-9126  messages only

Group show of women artists from around the world! Art Show about what women are thinking about, what we think is important. 

This is an opportunity to put our thoughts and opinions out there.

Sincerely,

 

Ms. Dianna C. Long

Chicago Urban Art Retreat Center & Women's Residence

1957 S. Spaulding Ave. Chicago, Il. 60623

(corner of 21st, just 2 short blocks west of Kedzie pink line stop)

Gallery Hours: 1-4  Saturdays  or make appt. to visit RSVP

Art, Culture, Social Justice Issues, A Vehicle for Volunteerism contact@urbanartretreat.com            

CUARC Orientation: Noon-1:00 on Saturdays year-round. Email RSVP only

Facebook.com/urbanartretreat          

Adults Art Studio Program 

Art Therapy Sessions

Animal Welfare Program

Peace Park Project

Kedzie Pink Line Stop Revitalization Project 

Youth Program/Spring&Summer 

"The Art of Soul" YoloArts Gallery 625 Black History Month Exhibition

"Art is Business" https://yoloarts.org/gallery-625/

Shonna McDaniel, the Executive Director of the Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum, has been invited to co-curate the YoloArts Gallery 625 Black History Month Exhibition. The exhibition, titled "The Art of Soul," will showcase the works of Black artists and legendary artists from the region. 

This exhibit will illuminate the American experience through an African American lens. Viewers will enjoy abstract & realistic paintings, works on paper, mixed media, and digital media.  The Art of Soul artists in the collection include several legendary artists throughout the region. This exhibit will illuminate the American experience through an African American lens. Viewers will enjoy abstract and realistic paintings, works on paper, mixed media, and digital media.

YoLoArts Has listed the following participating artists:

Milton Bowens (Museum Collection) 

Shonna McDaniels 

Unity Lewis 

Daphne Burgess (Museum Collection) 

Alpha Bruton (Museum Collection) 

Mia Davis 

Aliyah Sidqe

Karen Seneferu

Malik Seneferu

Lee McCormick

Urban Sunshine (Museum Collection)

Cedric Orange 

Joha Harrison

Gerry Simpson

Valerie Brown-Troutt

Elizabeth Catlett (Museum Collection) 

Dr. Samella Lewis (Museum Collection) 

Addis Ababa (Museum Collection) 

TAFA      (Museum Collection ) 

--

Hand Works by Trish Williams R.I.P.

"Art is Business"      Trish Williams has joined the Ancestors. Born:  1950 - Sunset 2024,  Chicago, Illinois Known for Fiber art, quilting, soft sculpture, and fashion design artist. 

Ronald West borrowed this photograph from her Facebook page.

As a fiber artist and quilter, she has archived her journey from 2008 to 2019 on her blog. She highlighted her thought process and the fellow artists who joined her as she navigated the art world as a Fiber and Textile Fine Artist. Trish and I served on the East Garfield Park Arts and Cultural Task Force in 2005 to design the East Garfield LISC Quality of Life Plan; we were Co-Committee Chairs and were listed in that publication. 

She also was instrumental in the beginning years of the Phantom Gallery Chicago. We went on to write a plan for the Phantom Gallery Chicago and began doing pop-up galleries along Madison/Western to Madison/Homan in empty storefronts. We also curated exhibits at ABC Bank in Austin Neighborhoods and Chicago Public Libraries. 

My most recent visit to Peoria in 2021 to visit her was a road trip with my board member and colleague Suzetta Withtaker. We visited the Richard Pryor Bronze sculpture and her exhibition at the Contemporary Art Center of Peoria. Before returning to Chicago, she visited Preston Jackson's studio and dined at her favorite restaurant. 

Trish Williams began her love affair with cloth at the age of five at the knees of my mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, where She started her love of color and fabric. She has exhibited nationally and internationally; her work can be seen in numerous collections and publications. She is a keeper of the cloth and tradition.

Biography from the Archives of askART

Trish's most recent exhibition was MUSE.

Logan Center Exhibitions is pleased to present Freedom’s Muse featuring members from Sapphire & Crystals, a collective of African American women artists in Chicago initially conceived by Marva Pitchford Jolly and Felicia Grant Preston in 1987. This exhibition explores the intersection of art and freedom of expression in celebration of the 36th Anniversary of the collective and the launch of the university’s new Chicago Forum for Free Inquiry and Expression.

https://www.loganexhibitions.uchicago.edu/exhibitions/freedoms-muse.

ARTIST STATEMENT: 2013

Having sewn all my life, I became a self-taught artist in 1997, falling in love with quilting as my medium. Since I was familiar with working in fabric, the transition into quilting seemed natural as a means to artistically express myself. Quilting also allowed me to revisit my upbringing in the Midwest using an imaginative style of stitching and color inspired by my Midwestern and African roots. I find joy and inspiration in the bountiful ebb and flow of the rivers and lakes.  

My current works include some mixed-media aspects; incorporating paint, paper, plastic, metals, or other found objects has allowed me to explore new ideas and advance my quilting techniques. I am active in Chicago and Peoria, Illinois.

RESUME  

Solo Exhibits

2013   Chicago State University - Forms & Fabrics, Chicago, IL, March 19th-  April 17th

2011    Concordia University - P.I.E.C.E.S. - River Forest, IL, January, 10th - February 13th

2009    Harold Washington Library - Chicago, IL, March 18 - April 30

2007    Open Studio - Artist Residency - Chicago, IL, February 1 - 28th

2006    Malcolm X Community College, "P.I.E.C.E" - Chicago, IL, March, 1st - 31st  

2004    UIC African American Cultural Center - Chicago, IL, March 1st - 31st  

2003    Bethel Cultural Arts Center - Chicago, IL, February 1 -28th  

Group Exhibitions

2013   

FAC - Conversation In Stitches. -Nature, Concordia University, River Forest, IL

FAC Blue World/Green World, Pump House Gallery, LaCrosse, WI  

2012 

FAC-13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird, Waukesha Civic Theater Gallery

Chicago School of Fusing exhibit at WMQFA Barn Gallery, Cedarburg, WI

FAC -13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird, American Craft Council Office, Minneapolis, MN

WOCQN-  1st Cultural Arts Awards Ceremony, CCNY, New Your, NY

Studio Group Exhibit at Romain's Studio, Peoria, IL

FAC - Blue World/Green World, River Front Art Center, Stevens Point, WI

We Two Chicago - Human Thread Gallery, Chicago, IL

SDA - Blind Eye: The Result of Doing Nothing, Human Thread Gallery, Chicago,

FAC - Blue World/Green World at the Prairie Cent for the Arts, Schaumburg, IL WOCQN -, Huston, TX      

2011 

Visions, Voices, Viewpoints and Victories of African American Artists, Peltz Gallery of Art, Milwaukee, WI

FAC- Conversations in Stitch, Anderson Art Center, Kenosha, WI

Textural Rhythms in Jazz, Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco, CA

FAC-Ties That Bind, The Sheldon Gallery, St. Louis, MO

FAC- 13 Ways of Looking at Blackbirds, Northville Art House

Black Pearls, Garfield Park Arts Center, Indianapolis, IN

FAC-13 Ways of Looking at Blackbirds, Schaumburg Prairie Arts Center, Schaumburg

2010 

Art Basel at the Betsy Hotel, Miami, FL

Beyond The Log Cabin - Abraham Lincoln: the Emancipation and the African American  Experience - Highland Museum, Ashland, KY

2009   

Quilts for Obama - Historical Society of Washington, DC

Mermaid and Merwomen in Black Folklore - Avery Research Center for African

American History and Culture, Charleston, SC, and the Florence Museum of Art,

Science and History, Florence, SC

2008 

Quilting African American Women's History: Our Challenges, Creativity, and Champions, Ohio Historical Society, Wilberforce, OH

Spoken with Hands" Ohio Valley Art League, Rotunda Gallery,

Henderson County Public Library, Henderson, KY

ABC Bank of Austin, Phantom Gallery - Chicago, IL

2007   

Wrapped In The Feeling: "The Story Coat Exhibition"- African American Museum -Wichita, KS

Sew What Art Quilters - Phantom Gallery, - Chicago, IL

Stitching Salon" Winter Delights event - Chicago, IL

2006    

Visual Voice: Transforming Silence through Contemporary Quilted Art -

Quilts for Change at the Cintas Center, Xavier University - Cincinnati, OH

Mancuso's "The World Quilt Show" - New England, Manchester, NH

2004    

Museum of Science and Industry, "Black Creativity"- Chicago, IL

2003   

Sacred Threads 2003 - Reynoldsburg and Upper Arlington, OH

Dallas Quilters Guild, Inc. - Dallas, TX

National Exhibits and Tours

Beyond Category: Visions of Jazz in Fiber - Women of Color Quilters Network exhibit at the International Textile Biennial San Jose, Costa Rica, University of Costa Rica (Limon) September 7 until October 12, 2010.

Textural Rhythms in Jazz - Touring nationally from February 2007 through 2011. Sixty-four quilts presented by the Women of Color Quilters Network display the interplay between jazz and art. Venues include the Smithsonian Anacostia Museum, the New York State Museum, Rutgers University Art Museum, City of Lake Charles, National Underground Railroad Ctr, HUB-Robinson Galleries, and Museum of the African Diaspora.

PAQA Orchid Challenge - Touring nationally from 2007 through 2010. Quilts were judged for their artistic merit and the accuracy of the depiction. The feeling was by both creative and floral judges. Venues included are Int. Orchid Show - Miami, FL, 19th World Orchid Conference and Show, Miami, Florida, Madison Orchid Growers' Guild of Madison Show, Madison, WI.

PAQA Water Challenge - Touring nationally from August 2006 through 2009. Seventy-five pieces in this exhibit had to interpret water, be no larger than 18" per side, and include a self-portrait. Venues Quilting on the Waterfront - Machines in Motion - Duluth MN, Mancuso Greater Chicago Quilt Exhibition, The Fine Line, St Charles IL,  Lancaster Quilter's Heritage Celebration, Sinnissippi Quilters of Rockford IL, Michigan Quilt Network Showcase- Lansing MI, and Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum.

Threads of Faith - Toured nationally from January 2005 through September 2006, presented by the Women of Color Quilters Network, displaying how our faith is viewed. Venues included The Mennonite Heritage Center, Harleysville, PA (outside of Philadelphia), Cincinnati Museum Center, Cincinnati, OH,  Huntington Art Museum, Huntington, WV, and  King-Tisdale Art Center, Savanna, GA.

Public Art

Prentiss Women's Hospital, Chicago, IL

Comers Children Hospital, Chicago, IL

Austin Senior Center, Chicago, IL

15th Police District, Chicago, IL

Bethel Culture Arts Center, Chicago, IL

UIC Extension Center, Chicago, IL

Publications

• Art Quilt Portfolio: The Natural World: Profiles of Major Artists, Galleries of Inspiring Works by Martha Sielman, page 45 - "Where Two or More..."
• 100 Artists of the Midwest by E. Ashley Rooney, a Schiffer Books publication    
• Fiberarts magazine - 2011 - Spring, page 57 - "Save Darfur"
• Threads of Faith - "Dancers of Praise," Textural Rhythms: Quilting the Jazz Tradition - "Blow Trane Blow"
• Quilting African American Women's History: Our Challenges, Creativity, and Champions -
•  "Harriet's Gone Up Yonder" Featured on Bonnie McCaffery's Video-Cast # 24

Lectures/Trunk Shows

North Shore Quilters Guild of Milwaukee, WI

River Walk Quilters Guild of Naperville, IL

UIC African American Center, Women History Month, Chicago, IL

Inter-generational Art: Building Creative Bridges between Generations Panel, Chicago, IL

Sources:

http://www.handworksbytrish.com/ArtistStatement.html

Information from the artist

** If you discover credit omissions or have additional information to add, please let us know at registrar@askart.com.

Share an image of the artist at images@askart.com.

TBWIG "MOTHERHOOD" EXHIBITION

"Art is Business"

Karen Seneferu

 THE BLACK WOMAN IS GOD

Founder

Karen Seneferu is one of the most thought-provoking visual artists of our time. Born and raised in Oakland, California, her childhood was fed by revolutionary politics and the Black Panther Party's complimentary breakfast program. She has dedicated her life to working as an educator and artivist. Self-taught in her artistic craft, Seneferu is obsessed with gathering information, imagery, and ideas. Senefuru is grounded in the philosophy that space dictates meaning. What enters that space is dictated by the meaning of the space or can change the importance of the space. 

As founder,  Artistic Director, and curator of The Black Woman Is God, Seneferu seeks to transform the meaning of space for Black women and intergenerational artists. She is interested in these artists speaking and dialoguing with each other as a vehicle of change. She does this by having well-known, emerging, and veteran artists in the same space to show the dynamics of their contributions to the historical legacy of Black women artists to the globe.

In 2021, the virtual exhibition of The Black Woman is God asserted that celebrating Black women is essential to building a more just society and a sustainable future. The project will explore the intersectionality of race, age, and gender and dismantle Black women's stereotypes. TBWG will reach out across global communities to reclaim physical space historically denied to Black women artists. In doing so, generations will reclaim the legacy of Black women artists.

TBWIG exhibitions reconfigure communal trauma, employing African Diaspora traditions and practices, connecting dance forms rooted in cultural, historical, and cosmological recognition in public spaces with recognizable African motifs embedded in the form. The program will provide a bridge to the expressions' meaning, exploring the artists' deep cultural connections to their work. The mission is to assert that we are moving beyond embattled ideologies and communities toward African spiritual growth.

The community connections will address the various artistic mediums of visual and performing arts, workshops, and artist talks, all designed to re-remember that Black people are the first human beings to contribute to global society beyond African culture.

The 2020 Black Woman is God exhibition will explore the intersectionality of race, age, and gender and examine Black women's contributions as artists, healers, and social change-makers. The exhibition will feature over 80 new works by Black women employing painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, film/video, mixed, new media, and performance, showing that when Black women create, they are God.  

Black History / My History Curated by Fran Joy

"Art is Business"

Community Conversation and Quilt Installation

"Art is Business"    https://www.chicagotextileweek.com/week-of-events/community-conversation-and-quilt-installation.

Blue Circles is a community art project developed by Amanda Christine Harth for her residency SAIC at Homan Square.

I visited this Community Conversation and Quilt Installation, and so glad I did. 

On Friday, September 30th, 2022, I joined an open-ended community conversation about Chicago's textile art and craft communities and their interrelating histories. 

What is Chicago's textile history, and what can we do to remember that history while creating its present and imagining its future?

This conversation occurred in Nichols Tower, part of Chicago's textile history. Once part of the original Sears, Roebuck & Company, the building now hosts the School of the Art Institute's Homan location. Several community quilts will be displayed during the conversation as a reminder of Chicago's rich quilting history and to link this gathering to the tradition of quilting circles as a community gathering, planning, and healing site. Featured quilts include A quilt from recent denim dying and quilting workshop participants at SAIC Homan, a "circle work" quilt made by Teen Creative Agency, and quilts from a local church.

Gatherings like quilting circles, sewing clubs, embroidery protests, and knitting collectives inspired this community conversation! So, in the spirit of those gatherings, bring your projects (knitting, crochet, embroidery, card weaving, quilt squares, fashion sketching, hand stitching, lace work--whatever!) to work on during the conversation. Some basic materials will be on hand if you don't have a project to bring. Then, CTW representatives and makers of the quilts on display will give brief opening remarks to set the stage for the remainder of the program.

RESOURCE: Sickler Welcome Blanket Kits, 2000 Miles of Warm

Sickler Welcome Blanket Kits, 2000 Miles of Warm Welcomeblanket.org, Making change with Art & Activism-Craftivism. Partnering with refugee resettlement agencies & immigrant aid groups to distribute blanks. 

Donating quilts to those in need of a warm welcome. What better way to welcome than a pretty, fun, and useful blanket? The need is great. 

Where are the blankets going?

Your blankets are helping three organizations:

THE IRC, our refugee resettlement partner, works with asylum seekers who have been released from detention.

Miry's List a movement dedicated to welcoming new arrival refugee families.

Catholic Charities USA, aiding in their Helping at the Boarder program.

Learn More:

The IRC: https://www.rescue.org/topic/seeking-safety-border

Miry's List: https://miryslist.org/

Catholic Charities USA: https://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/story/helping-at-the-border/

The Welcome Blanket: https://www.welcomeblanket.org/welcome-note