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New Art Exhibition: “Into Africa”

SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES — Developed in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund and the Smithsonian Institution, and organized and traveled by the National Geographic Society, “Into Africa” is an exhibition that features the work of one of National Geographic’s most prolific and visionary nature photographers, Frans Lanting.

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By The South Florida Times

PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – Developed in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund and the Smithsonian Institution, and organized and traveled by the National Geographic Society, “Into Africa” is an exhibition that features the work of one of National Geographic’s most prolific and visionary nature photographers, Frans Lanting.

“Into Africa” opens at The Frank art gallery in Pembroke Pines with a reception at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 24. Free and open to the public, the reception also features a special performance by students of the flagship “Rhythms of Africa” program at West Broward High School, led by musician and director Willie Stewart.

“Into Africa” is on display at The Frank through Aug. 10. Admission is $5 per person Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. The admission cost is waived for special events, lectures and workshops.

“Into Africa” takes visitors on a grand tour through the wonders of African landscapes as seen through Lanting’s lens. His images and stories create an enduring vision of the continent and demonstrate what is at stake for its wildlife and wild places.

Stunning videos shot and produced by Lanting’s wife, videographer and partner Chris Eckstrom, accompany the 70 images that were selected . The videos provide in-depth local stories about chimpanzees in Senegal and the parade of animals that come to a water hole in Namibia. The exhibition shares untold stories of exploration from Lanting and Eckstrom’s fieldwork.

Upon entering the exhibition, visitors will be introduced to Lanting through a large scale National Geographic map detailing his many assignment locations across Africa’s diverse habitats. Large photographic prints, video installations and personal accounts will guide visitors through five thematic sections: “The Infinite Tapestry” (tropical forests), “The Gift of Water” (wetlands and rivers), “Primeval Plains” (grasslands), “Gondwana’s Ark” (Madagascar) and “Sands of Time” (deserts).

Visitors will leave the exhibition with a sense of what it is like to be on assignment with a National Geographic photographer. “It’s a powerful exhibition that we are very excited to share with our community,” said Joshua Carden, chief curator of The Frank.

In The Frank’s Third Space Gallery, which specifically focuses on supporting non-profit organizations, educational partners, underrepresented populations and community advocacy groups, artwork by the art of URGENT Inc., a Miami-based non-profit youth and community development organization dedicated toempowering young minds to transform their communities through visual arts, poetry, and performance, will be on display beginning May 24 through June 29.

The opening reception for this exhibition is Friday, May 24 from 6 – 9 p.m. and is free open to the public. Also on display in the Third Space gallery from July 6 through August 10 will be photographs of Africa by international nature photographer and researcher, Kirsten Hines.

As part of “Into Africa,” The Frank also will offer free, fun, engaging and educational workshops, lectures and events for children and adults.

For more information, visit thefrankgallery.org/events.

The Frank is located in the Charles F. Dodge City Center in Pembroke Pines at 601 City Center Way. Hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. For other information call 954-392-2120, or visit thefrankgallery.org. Follow The Frank on Facebook and Instagram at The Frank Pembroke Pines.

This article originally appeared in the South Florida Times

Activism

Alternative Outcome to Slayings by Police Explored in One-Man Play

BLACK MEN EVERYWHERE! is the explosive new one man play written, directed, and performed by Jinho “Piper” Ferreira. Set against the backdrop of a presidential election, the play explores how political and cultural leaders wield the myth of the dangerous Black man to manipulate the masses for personal gain. Piper penned the follow-up to his ground-breaking solo play, “Cops and Robbers,” after an impromptu cross-country Black history tour. 

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BLACK MEN EVERYWHERE! is the explosive new one man play written, directed, and performed by Jinho “Piper” Ferreira.
BLACK MEN EVERYWHERE! is the explosive new one man play written, directed, and performed by Jinho “Piper” Ferreira.

Special to The Post

What would happen if police officers who have gotten off for killing unarmed Black people started turning up dead?

BLACK MEN EVERYWHERE! is the explosive new one man play written, directed, and performed by Jinho “Piper” Ferreira. Set against the backdrop of a presidential election, the play explores how political and cultural leaders wield the myth of the dangerous Black man to manipulate the masses for personal gain.

Piper penned the follow-up to his ground-breaking solo play, “Cops and Robbers,” after an impromptu cross-country Black history tour.

“My wife and I had been talking about it for years,” Ferreira said. They had taken their three children to Brazil several times and West Africa but had yet to explore their history as Black people in this country. “It was Juneteenth last year and I realized we had a few weeks to make it happen, so we just jumped in the car and left” Piper said.

Three weeks later the family had seen everything from the African American Museum of History and Culture in Wash., D.C., to the phenomenally preserved Whitney Plantation in Louisiana. They’d stood outside of the balcony of the Lorraine Hotel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn., walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., and paid their respects at the Africa Town cemetery – where the passengers of the Clotilda (the last known U.S. slave ship to smuggle captured Africans into this country) were buried near Mobile, Ala.

“We had the kids keep a journal of the trip and my wife and I took notes, but once we got back home, I knew I had to make the pen move,” he said.

Ferreira plays 21 characters in the 60-minute emotional roller coaster ride; personalities we all know. While brilliantly weaving in themes of revolution, treachery, and revenge, “Black Men Everywhere!” is surprisingly — more than anything else — a love story.

“I wrote the play for Black men and everyone who loves us,” Ferreira said. “The play is narrated by a sistah and performed in front of the deeply spiritual artwork of Nedra T. Williams, an Oakland priestess of Olokun. It’s called ‘Black Men Everywhere!’ but we don’t exist without the Black woman.”

For tickets, please go to: http://tinyurl.com/5dm3mhra

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Art

City of Stockton Seeks Applications for Public Art Murals

The City of Stockton Arts Commission (SAC) has announced the opportunity for artist(s) and/or artist teams to apply to design and paint original artwork on City-owned property through a Public Art Mural Program. The deadline for applications is Friday, March 8, 2024, at 5 p.m. Applications and additional information are available online at www.stocktonca.gov/publicart.

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The Public Art Mural Program incentivizes mural installations by providing city funding and the means of curating the City’s collection of murals.
The Public Art Mural Program incentivizes mural installations by providing city funding and the means of curating the City’s collection of murals.

City of Stockton

The City of Stockton Arts Commission (SAC) has announced the opportunity for artist(s) and/or artist teams to apply to design and paint original artwork on City-owned property through a Public Art Mural Program.

The deadline for applications is Friday, March 8, 2024, at 5 p.m. Applications and additional information are available online at www.stocktonca.gov/publicart.

The Public Art Mural Program incentivizes mural installations by providing city funding and the means of curating the City’s collection of murals.

This program has $50,000 in available funds for artist(s) and is also available for those who have already identified funds and would like to complete a mural project on city-owned property. Applications will be reviewed on a competitive basis and selected by the SAC.

To learn more about the Stockton Arts Commission (SAC) or qualifications and eligibility for Public Art Mural Program, please visit www.stocktonca.gov/publicart or call the Community Services Department at (209) 937-8206.

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Art

Black Nativity: A Unique Adaptation of the Christmas Story

“Black Nativity” is a cultural adaptation that tells the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. Created by the poet, novelist, playwright and activist Langston Hughes, and performed by an all-Black cast, this unique musical production showcases traditional Christmas carols sung in a gospel style, along with some new songs specifically written for the show.

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Poet, novelist, playwright and activist Langston Hughes.
Poet, novelist, playwright and activist Langston Hughes.

By Tamara Shiloh

“Black Nativity” is a cultural adaptation that tells the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. Created by the poet, novelist, playwright and activist Langston Hughes, and performed by an all-Black cast, this unique musical production showcases traditional Christmas carols sung in a gospel style, along with some new songs specifically written for the show.

The show made its debut Off-Broadway on Dec. 11, 1961. It was a groundbreaking moment because it was one of the first plays written by an African American to be staged in New York City. The play gained popularity quickly and even toured Europe in 1962, with one notable performance at the Spoleto Festival of Two Worlds in Italy.

“Black Nativity” has become an annual tradition in Boston, since 1970. It has been performed at various locations, including the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts, Boston Opera House, Tremont Temple, Roxbury Community College, Northeastern University’s Blackman Auditorium, and Emerson College’s Paramount Theater. This production is considered the longest-running rendition of the Langston Hughes’ classic.

The original cast included 160 singers, classified by age group and vocal range. They were accompanied by soloists, a narrator, and unique portrayals of Mary and Joseph, who communicated without speaking. Musicians and American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters added depth to the performance.

The show begins in complete darkness as barefoot singers, dressed in white robes and carrying electric candles, walk in while singing the classic hymn “Go Tell It on the Mountain.” This creates a captivating and atmospheric start to the performance.

One of the most dramatic moments in the play is the portrayal of Jesus’ birth. The stage transforms from orange and blue lights to a deep red hue. African drums and percussion are used to echo Mary’s contractions, adding a unique touch to the story. The Three Wise Men, often prominent members of the local Black community, play their roles without singing.

The show concludes with the chorus singing a reprise of “Go Tell It on the Mountain” as they exit in darkness. A final soliloquy delivered by a young child brings emotional closure to the performance.

Originally, the play was named “Wasn’t It a Mighty Day?”

Notably, Alvin Ailey, a renowned dancer and choreographer, was part of the original Off-Broadway cast. However, both he and Carmen de Lavallade left the production due to a dispute over changing the title to “Black Nativity.”

In 2004, a documentary film was made about the world premiere performance and the creation of the best-selling gospel Christmas album, “Black Nativity – In Concert: A Gospel Celebration.” This original cast performance took place at the Immanuel Baptist Church in Portland, ME.

A film adaptation of “Black Nativity” directed by Kasi Lemmons and starring Forest Whitaker and Angela Bassett was released on Nov. 27, 2013, bringing this remarkable Nativity story to a broader audience.

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