Gallery Reception and Spoken-Word Poetry Performance to Celebrate the Limbo Exhibition
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gallery Reception and Spoken-Word Poetry Performance:
Thursday, April 9, 5:30-8pm
Exhibitions: Limbo, featuring the work of Admas Habteslasie; As it Happens: Artists-in-Residence at Light Work; and Artist Showcase: Images by Jane Walker
Please join Light Work Thursday, April 9, from 5:30-8pm, for a spoken-word poetry performance by Verbal Blend and gallery reception. This event will celebrate our current exhibitions, Limbo, featuring the work of Admas Habteslasie; As it Happens: Artists-in-Residence at Light Work; and Artist Showcase: Images by Jane Walker.
The images from the Limbo exhibition depict a graceful yet unusually honest and insightful snapshot of Eritrea, an East African country suspended in an unsettled state between war and peace.
 The images from the Limbo exhibition depict a graceful yet unusually honest and insightful snapshot of Eritrea, an East African country suspended in an unsettled state between war and peace.
Eritrea warred with neighboring Ethiopia for 30 years before gaining independence in 1991. Then, in 1998, they entered another war with Ethiopia that lasted two years. Today, the war-torn country is yet again at the brink of war with their neighbor. Years of unrest have left the people of Eritrea waiting for life to improve. According to Habteslasie: "Transitory states become permanent; empty villas, destroyed old buildings and unfinished new buildings dot the landscape, monuments to the suspension of history. The collision between Eritrea's proud historical narrative and the bleak ennui of the present has produced an obsessive focus on the future. Reconstruction and infrastructure development are energetically driven forward whilst the economy remains essentially shut off from the outside world." The images in the Limbo exhibition capture both destruction and construction, both the unhealed wounds of war and a fierce optimism and hope for a brighter future.
Light Work will feature an evening with the artist on April 9 from 5:30-8 p.m. The evening will begin with a spoken-word poetry performance by Verbal Blend, featuring Aaron Hudson, Celena Corley, Ousman Diallo, Chiderah Monde, Cedric Bolton, Tandameshia Hastings, Josh Frackleton, Ashley Marshall, Christopher Alexander, Tiffany Viruet, Jason Adams, Kar-Lai Leung, Seneca Wilson, and Christopher Lee. The performance will be followed by a question and answer session with Habteslasie, and a gallery reception. Verbal Blend is a spoken-word poetry program sponsored by Syracuse University's Office of Multicultural Affairs, designed to enhance participants' confidence in writing and performing original poems. The program is comprised of a five-week workshop series on poetry forms and formats, journal entry, and peer-reviews. Participants get the opportunity to showcase their work at public venues such as open mic nights. For this event, a group of SU students, high school students, and community members have prepared spoken-word performances in response to Habteslasie's images.
Also on view at this time is As it Happens: Artists-in-Residence at Light Work. This exhibition, curated by Syracuse University museum studies graduate student Josh Brilliant, features work by participants in Light Work's Artist-in-Residence program. The exhibition celebrates Light Work's commitment to supporting emerging and under-recognized artists by featuring work that has been donated to the Light Work Collection by participants in the program. Artists included in this exhibition include Kelli Connell, Cristina Fraire, Tony Gleaton, Suzanne Mejean, Peggy Nolan, Christine Osinski, and Amy Stein. In addition, Artist Showcase: Images by Jane Walker is on view in the Community Darkrooms Gallery.
[Image by Admas Habteslasie - Family gifts]
|
Reflections in Black: Deborah Willis Lecture
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Event Title: Reflections in Black
Artist/Lecturer: Deborah Willis
Date/Time: Wednesday, April 8, at 4:00pm
Location: Maxwell Auditorium, The Maxwell School of Syracuse University
Please join Light Work and Syracuse University's Southside Initiative for a lecture by internationally renowned curator, artist, photographer, and MacArthur Fellow Deborah Willis. The lecture, to be held in Maxwell Auditorium on Wednesday, April 8, at 4:00pm, will focus on empowering the Syracuse community to preserve African American history in Central New York. She will also discuss the Eatonville project, in which she and three other photographers photographed Eatonville, FL
In conjunction with the lecture, Light Work is featuring the exhibition Embracing Eatonville in the Robert B. Menschel Photography Gallery in Schine Student Center. Embracing Eatonville is a photographic survey of Eatonville, FL, the oldest black incorporated town in the United States, and place where celebrated writer Zora Neale Hurston lived and worked. Beginning in January 2002 Dawoud Bey, Lonnie Graham, Carrie Mae Weems, and Deborah Willis spent time in Eatonville taking photographs to provide a meaningful reflection of the town's spirit and character, while concentrating on its social, political, and cultural landscape.
This event is hosted in collaboration with Light Work and Syracuse University's Southside Initiative, as well as Onondaga Historical Association, and the Syracuse Community Committee. Special thanks go to the Division of Student Affairs for their support of this program through a U.encounter Grant.
|
