by Sandy | Mar 18, 2023 | Art, Blogroll, Culture, Events, Exhibits, Learning
Until March 31, 2023: The City of Goodyear Library and Sedona Arts Center Gallery presents, Vision & Sound: An African American Experience.
The exhibit highlights the work of eight prolific artists that represent various mediums and genres of art.
Michael Cunningham, Founder
Norma Cunningham, Founder
*Vision and Sound: An African American Experience* founded in 2015
cunninghamart@ cox.net ~ Phone 623-680-0538
www.visionandsound.org
https://www.goodyearaz.gov/government/departments/parks-recreation/library-fine-art-shows
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by Bob Martin | Jan 5, 2023 | Art, Artist, Culture
It is not necessary that we come to an agreement about what is good works of art. It is important that we independently see value in the art that we like and appreciate. To have our own listening, our own sight, that we are not relying on what others think. We don’t need talking heads for everything.
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by Sandy | Jan 20, 2022 | Art, Blogroll, Culture, Museums
Isn’t this beautiful!
This 16th century brass piece is the head of a West African “Oba”, or king. Many such examples of royal sculpture, from the Benin Kingdom of Nigeria, Edo Empire (it flourished from 1440 to the late 1800’s), are included in the Met’s “Arts of Oceania, and the Americas” permanent exhibits.
I am so grateful that some of this former kingdom’s art has been preserved. Art can be such a history lesson sometimes. So often it represents what is most important to a people during specific periods of their time.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
5th Ave and 86 Street, NYC
*Head of an Oba, 16th century (ca. 1550)
Nigeria; Edo, Court of Benin (Brass)
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by Sandy | Jan 8, 2022 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Books, Culture
Mr Sidney Poitier, whom I considered a national treasure, has left us, 1/7/22 at age 94, with great stories, great images and lots of pride and warm thoughts. He lived his life. He won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a Grammy. He had success as an actor, director, author and perhaps more importantly, as a man.
Born in 1927 in the Bahamas, Mr. Poitier went to New York as a teen, taught himself to read and catapulted himself into an acting career- a movie star. Not an easy road, but he did it with humor, grace, determination and a never wavering belief in him self.
He condensed some of the life lessons learned into books, not just about his journey, but also about how to conduct himself in an often difficult and complicated world.
Sir Poitier shared:
“The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography”, 2000
“Life Beyond Measure: Letters to My Great-Granddaughter” 2005
“Those that stop their questioning at 75, 60, even 30, cut short their explorations and end up with permanently unfinished lives.” – From “Life Beyond Measure: Letter to My Great-Granddaughter”
by Sandy | Jul 13, 2021 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Books, Culture, Writers
~The below text was originally posted in 2009. With the popularity of Mr Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” last year, (film still available on Netflix) I wanted to list his other work again.
The ambitious intentions of a playwright resulted in the impressive, and enjoyable, “August Wilson Century Cycle”. It consists of a play for every decade of the 20th century that would chronicle some part of the black experience in America.
Through the use of his great ear for dialogue, Wilson (1945 – 2005) was able to give us some insight into the daily life – both struggles and triumphs – of an assortment of universal characters that his audience could easily recognize.
An ambitious undertaking, but, his huge vision was realized and, btw, it resulted in 2 Pulitzers and a Tony award. He accomplished a lot doing what he loved to do and perhaps more importantly, August Wilson left a powerful body of work that will be read and performed for years to come. Dreaming big has rewards of all kinds.
All 10 of August Wilson’s plays are collected in hard cover with a nice presentation box. Each has an introduction by an actor, director or writer familiar with his work.
In 2005, August Wilson completed the ten-play cycle:
by Sandy | Dec 17, 2020 | Art, Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Exhibits, Learning, Museums
“P.S. Art is an annual celebration of achievement in the arts in New York City public schools. This juried exhibition of work created during the 2019–20 school year by talented young artists showcases the creativity of 122 prekindergarten through grade 12 students from all five boroughs, including students from District 75, a citywide district serving students with disabilities. The exhibition consists of paintings, prints, sculptures, photographs, mixed-media works, collages, and drawings…”
Click here for online Catalog info
P.S. Art 2020:
Celebrating the Creative Spirit of New York City Kids
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
5th Ave and 86 Street, NYC
