by Sandy | May 22, 2009 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Culture
I love the Travel Channel – they work really hard to create something different in the tried and true travel/ pretty pictures genre. I happened to run across a “sports” show called, “Dhani Travels the Globe”. Dhani (pronounced DaHani) Jones, linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals, is the host of this program devoted to exploring “the way sports helps to define a culture”. His intent is to get to know people around the world by learning the games they play.
He has visited Australia, New Zealand, Cambodia, Thailand, Spain, Russia and Ireland. We watch as Dhani gamely tries his best to keep up with the locals in their favorite sports. He is a nice guy and a good sport.
“Dhani Travels the Globe”
The Travel Channel – check local listings
Dhani has a blog – http://dhani-blog.travelchannel.com/
*Travel Channel photos: Dhani surfing and Scuba diving in Australia and Dhani in Thailand trying out Muay Thai
by Sandy | May 21, 2009 | Art, Blogroll, Culture, Exhibits, Museums
“Pen and Parchment: Drawing in the Middle Ages”
June 2, 2009 – August 23, 2009
Maps, decorated manuscripts and sketchbooks are included in the 50 examples of drawings from the Medieval period called the Middle Ages, (between 5th and 15th centuries).
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
5th Ave and 86 Street, NYC
Galleries for Drawings and Prints on 2nd floor
Images: Pages from the illustrated “Book of Kells”, completed in 800 AD
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by Sandy | May 15, 2009 | Art, Blogroll, Culture, Exhibits, Museums
The Denver Museum of Art, “DAM”, has a permanent African exhibit that includes paintings, sculptures, masks, bronze figures, plaques and mixed media installations from all over the continent.
There are several works by colorful Nigerian artist, Moyo Ogundipe.
I like them!
DAM, Denver Museum of Art
Images: Moyo Ogundipe
by Sandy | May 9, 2009 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Culture, Directors, Film, Movies
Director Spike is known for his movies – “Malcom X”, “The 25th Day” , “The Insider” and “Miracle of St. Anna” .
He makes good movies and sometimes great ones, but he also makes documentaries. He takes a risk and will veer from the fictional format that he’s conquered, to much acclaim, ever since his first films, “She’s Gotta Have It” and “Do The Right Thing”. When he tackles real events, the results are supreme.
“When the Levees Broke: Requiem in Four Acts”, originally HBO and now in DVD, was moving to watch because he let the people of New Orleans tell their stories about what happened in September 2005 when water and wind ravaged their city. Not out to ridicule or embarrass (like some recent “documentaries”), no need to fictionalize the tragedy- it is raw, angry, direct, sad.
Mr. Lee’s 1998 documentary – “4 Little Girls” also on DVD, is about the bombing of the 16th street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963 and the little girls that died in the blast– he allows rage and grief to be expressed in a straight forward way. He also gives some insight into to what the racial climate was like before the tragedy and how the people of Birmingham dealt with the aftermath.
Spike’s films are often terrific. His documentaries have been terrific and powerful, always.
I’m looking forward to see his latest:
* The coming of age musical “Passing Strange”. I saw it on Broadway and was thoroughly charmed and entertained by “Stew”, who wrote the book, lyrics and music along with Heidi Rodewald.
* “Kobe Doin’ Work” about Lakers basketball star Kobe Bryant
by Sandy | May 7, 2009 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Books, Culture, Education, Events, Learning
Save the Date!
11th Annual Harlem Book Fair & Arts Festival:
This is the largest annual African American book fair and it’s free!
Featured, on Saturday 7/18/09, will be 250 exhibit booths, 4 stages with music, story telling and children’s activities.
Harlem Book Fair, Sat. July 18, 2009, 11am – 6pm
Jacob Javits Center
655 W. 34th Street, NYC
“BUILDING READERS, EMPOWERING COMMUNITY”
For event information: (212) 348 – 1681
www.qbr.com
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by Cybel Martin | May 6, 2009 | Art, Creativity, Culture, Directors, Movies
I went to my friend, & fellow Tisch alumnus, Rod Gailes’ New York Premier of his feature film “Camouflage” last week. It’s a very intriguing, thought provoking visual journey/film shot during the pre-gentrification of Harlem. I believe Rod began production on “Camouflage” close to 15 years ago. One of the many thoughts the film will leave you with is just how much potential, desire and hope was being suffocated in the impoverished circumstances of Harlem.
St. John The Divine, Harlem, NYC by Ronnie Ginnever
Flash forward many years later and we have that potential expressed. One excellent blog, worthy of a RSS feed, is “Harlem World”. Its a pretty content rich blog/magazine centered on Harlem. What caught my attention was just how much is focused on the arts. I just happened on the blog today (late to the party, I know) but greatly enjoyed this article on the “Negritude” exhibit at the Exit Art Gallery.
A taste:
“Harlem resident Greg Tate presents a three-room “Black Mystery Anti-Panopticon,” envisioning Négritude as a “place” for mystery and funk, music and soul. A DJ shrine, created by Tate and the artists Xaviera Simmons and Arthur Jafa, will provide a site for weekly performances; a raised stage outfitted with a drum kit, microphones, and amps will be used for occasional live music; and an exhibition of visionary black artists – including Thornton Dial, Jr., Thornton Dial, Sr., and Lonnie Holley – coupled with laminated pages from the books Souls Grown Deep: African American Vernacular Art, Vols. 1 and 2, will create a “conjuration room where willing spirits can come to get toasted, roasted, and lit the fuck up.”
Harlem World Blog also encourages “citizen journalists” to send interviews, photographs, news stories etc to: hwcontact@yahoo.com
Photo is of course James VanDerZee’s “Couple in Raccoon Coats”, which I believe is at the Studio Museum of Harlem.
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