CAAM Here and Now - Fall 2018 by The California African American Museum

here & now California African American Museum Fall 2018

welcome. How do museums animate history and illuminate the ways in which our past is relevant to our present? At CAAM, we give a great deal of thought to such questions. We receive excellent feedback from visitors about our exhibitions that examine African American history, and often requests for more. Since that subject is so vast and diverse, our approach is to offer focused multimedia exhibitions about important people and movements, specific topics, and key moments that relate to our mission and engage visitors in ambitious presentations. Our two upcoming history exhibitions are no exception. California Bound: Slavery on the New Frontier, 1848–1865 examines a subject that many may be surprised to learn about: our state’s involvement with slavery in the years before and during the Civil War. A century later, in 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke before thousands of Angelenos at South LA’s Wrigley Field, and Los Angeles Freedom Rally, 1963 illustrates the significance of that event and locale. This fall we also present three new art exhibitions, including solo exhibitions of new and recent works by artists Nina Chanel Abney (in conjunction with the Institute for Contemporary Art, Los Angeles) and Robert Pruitt. The third, The Notion of Family, features photographs, paintings, and prints about family and togetherness, and it includes key loans from our new Exposition Park neighbor, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. We’ll mark the opening of these exhibitions with another “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop!”—the celebration that has come to define CAAM’s vitality and determination. Please join us on September 26 as we applaud the artists, curators, staff, partners, presenters, and patrons like you who are contributing to this dynamic fall season.

4 exhibitions | 10 public programs | 16 for families | 18 visit 2

Friends of Expo Summer Youth Job Corps interns Photo: Giovanna Azevedo

exhibitions on view California Bound: Slavery on the New Frontier, 1848–1865 September 26, 2018 – January 21, 2019 California Bound: Slavery on the New Frontier, 1848–1865 examines California’s under-recognized involvement with slavery in the 19th century. With powerful photographs, historical documents, and other ephemera, California Bound illuminates the state’s struggles over enslavement in an era that encompassed two wars and the establishment of California first as a territory and then a state. The exhibition highlights major historical events and untold stories of those impacted, and it considers how the state’s oscillation on enslavement produced ripple effects in America’s political structures that are still being felt today. This exhibition is curated by Tyree Boyd-Pates, History Curator and Program Manager, and Taylor Bythewood-Porter, Assistant History Curator.

Capturing Fugitive Slaves in California, 1856. Courtesy BlackPast.org

exhibitions on view

Los Angeles Freedom Rally, 1963 September 26, 2018 – March 3, 2019 On May 26, 1963, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. addressed nearly 40,000 people at Wrigley Field in South Los Angeles. Coined the “Los Angeles Freedom Rally,” it was one of the largest civil rights rallies in the country, predating the famous 1963 March on Washington by three months. The Los Angeles Freedom Rally was part of a full day of support for racial equality and attracted celebrities Dorothy Dandridge, Rita Moreno, Paul Newman, Sammy Davis Jr., Dick Gregory, and other notable supporters of King. Earlier that day, King attended First African Methodist Episcopal church and was the guest of honor for an evening reception where Los Angeles luminaries such as Marlon Brando were in attendance. With powerful photographs, historical documents, and other ephemera, Los Angeles Freedom Rally, 1963 examines this significant civil rights gathering. It also explores how and why Wrigley Field, LA’s first baseball stadium to the Los Angeles Angels, was a crucial locale for the event. Existing from 1925 through 1969, Wrigley Field is still remembered as the place where King stated, “Birmingham or Los Angeles, the cry is always the same. We want to be free.” His efforts to desegregate and to connect Los Angeles to Birmingham helped to raise significant and desperately needed funds to assist the movement in supporting the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This exhibition is curated by Tyree Boyd-Pates, History Curator and Program Manager, and Taylor Bythewood-Porter, Assistant History Curator. Harry Adams, Freedom Rally, Wrigley Field, Los Angeles, May 26, 1963. Black-and-white photograph. Courtesy the Harry Adams Collection

Robert Pruitt: Devotion September 12, 2018 – February 17, 2019 Through drawing, sculpture, animation, and photography, Houston-born, New York–based artist Robert Pruitt illuminates connections between spiritual traditions, fictional narratives, and technology and investigates how black identity can reside at the intersection of these arenas. In his first major museum exhibition in Los Angeles, Pruitt reconnects with the religious traditions of his upbringing and explores the theme of devotion, specifically religious practices carried out with fervor and dedication. Drawings are presented as a set of sacred images, sculptures act as ceremonial objects, and an audio component—created in collaboration with J∆WW∆ ∆ D Taylor—suffuses the space with an introspective feeling. The exhibition incorporates a selection of works from CAAM’s permanent collection by artists who have influenced Pruitt, including Charles White and John Biggers. These additional objects also reference spirituality, and they speak to Pruitt’s connections to Los Angeles’s African American art community and to various artists from the American South. This exhibition is curated by Mar Hollingsworth, Visual Arts Curator and Program Manager. 7

exhibitions on view

Nina Chanel Abney: Royal Flush September 23, 2018 – January 20, 2019 Nina Chanel Abney is at the forefront of a generation of artists that is unapologetically revitalizing narrative figurative painting. As a skillful storyteller, she visually articulates the complex social dynamics of contemporary urban life. Royal Flush—her first solo museum survey— includes paintings, watercolors, and collages created over the past ten years. Abney draws on mainstream news media, animated cartoons, video games, hip-hop culture, celebrity websites, and tabloid magazines to make paintings replete with symbols that appear to have landed on the canvas with the stream-of-consciousness immediacy of text messages, pop-up windows, or the scrolling headlines of an incessant 24-hour news cycle. By engaging loaded topics and controversial issues with irreverence, humor, and lampooning satire, Abney’s works are both pointed contemporary genre scenes as well as scathing commentaries on social attitudes and inequities. Nina Chanel Abney: Royal Flush is organized by Marshall N. Price, Nancy Hanks Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. In Los Angeles it is presented in two parts, at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and the California African American Museum. CAAM’s presentation is organized by Naima J. Keith, Deputy Director and Chief Curator, with Simone Krug, Curatorial Assistant.

The Notion of Family September 26, 2018 – March 3, 2019 In The Notion of Family, artworks from the nineteenth to the twenty-first centuries chart a trajectory of African American family and togetherness over generations. In a selection of historical sepia-tone photographs, groups of individuals echo a dignified and enduring sense of fellowship, while Miguel Covarrubias’s illustration Negro Mother (1927) and Jacob Lawrence’s The Birth of Toussaint (1986) reflect the timeless bond between mother and child. Traditions and gatherings to create, celebrate, play, and eat—which form an important part of the African American experience—are captured in Faith Ringgold’s The Sunflower Quilting Bee at Arles (1997) and Kadir Nelson’s Stickballers (2016). Throughout the exhibition, the notion of family is expressed in numerous mediums, including photographs by James Van Der Zee and Carrie Mae Weems; paintings by William E. Pajaud and others; and prints by Romare Bearden and John Biggers. As a whole, these empowering images illustrate that the African American family is a model for thriving, even amid hardship. They suggest a sense of levity while also reflecting agency, love, strength, diversity, and unity from an African American perspective. Nina Chanel Abney, Thieves Guild in Oblivion, 2009. Acrylic on canvas, 55.5 x 67 inches. Private collection. Image courtesy of the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University; Photo: Peter Paul Geoffrion. © Nina Chanel Abney

The majority of works in The Notion of Family are from the permanent collection of the California African American Museum, with additions from the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. The exhibition is curated by Vida L. Brown, Visual Arts Curator and Program Manager. 9

public programs Reclaiming Our Time: Radical Self Care Now! When Representative Maxine Waters invoked the phrase “reclaiming my time” during a House Financial Services Committee meeting last year, social media went ablaze. Used by the Congresswoman to demand that her questions be answered, the phrase signaled that it was the moment for Waters—and maybe all of us—to take back our power. In that spirit, CAAM is presenting a yearlong series dedicated to well-being. Radical self care is the bold act of making your quality of life primary. This series explores how a balanced and vibrant life demands that we take our needs into consideration and act upon them.

Wednesday, November 14, 2018 | 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Radical Self Care Now! Terry Crews In June 2018, actor Terry Crews appeared in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee alongside Rise founder Amanda Nguyen to share his story as a victim of sexual assault and to advocate for the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights. Crews has also spoken publicly this year about growing up with an abusive father and has been vocal about his experiences and in support for the #MeToo movement. Many fans have praised his bravery for speaking out and thanked him for giving a voice to male survivors of sexual assault. Join us for an evening with Crews as he discusses how he harnesses the courage to be so honest about his past.

E. Moncell Durden

Friday, December 7, 2018 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Radical Self Care Now! Giving Toy Drive by Dreamhaus Sometimes acts of selflessness, giving, and sharing bring us joy and wellness. Join us for a special toy drive and celebration of art presented by Dreamhaus. Bring an unopened gift for a child in need and enjoy an evening of music with DJ sets by Burning Benjamins and workshops where you can personalize your gift.

All events are free unless otherwise noted and are subject to change. Please visit caamuseum.org for the most up-to-date information on upcoming public programs. RSVP to CAAM programs at 213.744.2024 or rsvp@caamuseum.org

Saturday, December 15, 2018 | 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Practicing the Art of Radical Self Care Join us for a day of wellness with three new practitioners dedicated to healthy outlets for the body and mind. 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Self Heal Acupressure Massage Workshop Unable to get a massage or spend the day at the spa? Learn how to self heal with an acupressure massage workshop by Monique Gray, founder of Planet Mode Wellness. The session will focus on techniques to achieve homeostasis and get rid of energy blockages. 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. | Blended Berries Tea Enjoy fresh beverages throughout the day by Blended Berries Tea, an African American-owned company based in Los Angeles. 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. | The Art of Living: A Workshop on Mindful Eating Food plays a central role in our self-awareness. Eating, a seemingly unremarkable act, reveals much about how we listen to ourselves and the quality of the relationship we have with our bodies and our lives. Yoga & Mindfulness Instructor, Certified Master Gardener, and philanthropist Uma Nicole offers a conversation about where our food comes from, the battle for good food in Los Angeles, community gardens, and buying and preparing healthy foods on a budget. 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. | 5-6-7-8 Dancing through the Decades Dancer and dance historian E. Moncell Durden presents a throwback dance workshop teaching popular steps throughout the decades, including the Madison from the 1950s, the Philly Bop from the 1960s, the Rocksteady and Bump from the 1970s, and the Kid ‘n Play Kick-step from the 1980s. 11

public programs

Thursday, October 11, 2018 | 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Listening to Art with Patricia Smith Inspired by the work in Nina Chanel Abney’s exhibition Royal Flush, award-winning poet Patricia Smith reads selections from her recent book, Incendiary Art, recipient of the 2018 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. One of America’s most electrifying writers, Smith reveals what is frightening— and what is revelatory—about race and history today.

All events are free unless otherwise noted and are subject to change. Please visit caamuseum.org for the most up-to-date information on upcoming public programs.

Presented in partnership with Claremont Graduate University and the Kingsley & Kate Tufts Poetry Awards.

RSVP to CAAM programs at 213.744.2024 or rsvp@caamuseum.org

Tuesday, October 16, 2018 | 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Points of Access, Curators Conversation: Carolyn Castaño, Essence Harden, and Jamillah James

Saturday, September 29, 2018 | 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. In Conversation: Nina Chanel Abney with Jamillah James and Naima Keith Join artist Nina Chanel Abney in conversation with curators Jamillah James and Naima J. Keith to explore themes in Royal Flush—the first solo museum exhibition of work by Abney, which is presented in two parts at CAAM and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Sunday, September 30, 2018 | 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. In Conversation: Robert Pruitt and Tananarive Due In conjunction with his exhibition, Devotion, artist Robert Pruitt and writer Tananarive Due examine the larger themes and concepts of Pruitt’s work and practice, including their shared interest in Afrofuturism. The conversation is moderated by Visual Arts Curator Mar Hollingsworth. Thursday, October 4, 2018 | 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. In Conversation: E. Moncell Durden and Vida L. Brown In conjunction with the exhibition The Notion of Family, examine the history of dance in African American culture with dancer and dance historian E. Moncell Durden and curator Vida L. Brown. Hear about the evolution of dance traditions and dances such as the Backslide, Apple-Jack, Lockin, Electric Boogaloo, Urban Cha Cha, and Hip-Hop, to name a few, and learn how community and family play key roles in passing down or reshaping certain moves. 12

Location: Art + Practice, 4334 Degnan Blvd., LA 90008

Sunday, October 7, 2018 | 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. Sunday, November 4, 2018 | 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. Sunday, December 2, 2018 | 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. CAAM Reads! CAAM’s monthly book club continues this fall with titles selected in conjunction with the exhibition Robert Pruitt: Devotion. Pruitt’s work investigates how black identity can reside at the intersection of spiritual traditions, fictional narratives, and technology. October’s book is Tananarive Due’s My Soul to Keep. November’s selection is Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower. In December, we will discuss An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon. Join us for lively afternoons of spirited discourse moderated by CAAM’s research librarian, Denise L. Mc Iver.

Organized in collaboration with Art + Practice (A+P), Points of Access: Curators Conversation is the third program in the Points of Access series aimed at offering meaningful dialogue about access to and understanding of contemporary art. In four public programs, CAAM and A+P welcome artists, collectors, curators, and museum administrators to discuss their diverse paths and how they navigated the art world at each point in their careers. The series is designed for individuals at all levels of familiarity with contemporary art; no prior knowledge is required and all are welcome. Moderated by Anne Ellegood, Senior Curator, Hammer Museum. Friday, October 19, 2018 | 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Curatorial Walkthrough: California Bound: Slavery on the New Frontier, 1848-1865 Tour California Bound: Slavery on the New Frontier 1848–1865 with CAAM history curators Tyree Boyd-Pates and Taylor Bythewood-Porter, and discover how California’s stance on slavery oscillated and impacted African Americans in the state before, during, and after the Civil War. 13

public programs

Friday, November 2, 2018 | 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Curatorial Walkthrough: Los Angeles Freedom Rally, 1963 Enjoy an afternoon tour of Los Angeles Freedom Rally, 1963 with CAAM history curators Tyree Boyd-Pates and Taylor Bythewood-Porter as they examine one of the largest civil rights rallies in the country, led by Martin Luther King Jr. at Wrigley Field in South Los Angeles.

Thursday, November 8, 2018 | 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. In Conversation: Charles Gaines and lauren woods Inspired by Nina Chanel Abney: Royal Flush, artists Charles Gaines and lauren woods discuss representations of cultural narratives, state violence, collective memory, and monumentality in art.

Tuesday, October 23, 2018 | 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. In Conversation: Bridget R. Cooks and jill moniz Hear Bridget R. Cooks, Associate Professor, Department of African American Studies and Department of Art History at University of California, Irvine, and independent curator jill moniz discuss how both Charles White and John Biggers have influenced Robert Pruitt and other artists. Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Robert Pruitt: Devotion.

Presented in partnership with the University Art Museum at California State University, Long Beach, featuring an exhibition by lauren woods, Monument (September 17 – December 9, 2018).

Sunday, November 18, 2018 | 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. In Conversation: Brenda Stevenson and Tyree Boyd-Pates Presented in conjunction with California Bound: Slavery on the New Frontier, 1848–1865, UCLA history professor Brenda Stevenson and curator Tyree Boyd-Pates discuss the history of enslavement in California and how the institution transformed after Reconstruction.

Thursday, October 25, 2018 | 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Thursday, November 15, 2018 | 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Thursday, December 13, 2018 | 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. History of Central Avenue From the 1920s to the 1950s, Central Avenue was the hub of West Coast jazz. Famous the world over, “The Avenue,” as it was lovingly called, was a must-visit destination for jazz lovers in Los Angeles. Join us for a series of conversations about Central Avenue and its history and eventual decline. The first program focuses on the beginnings of Central Avenue as a downtown gathering place for Los Angeles’s black residents. Sessions two and three look at the jazz scene and how Central Avenue was pivotal to the Civil Rights Movement. Presented in partnership with CAAM’s History Council and led by Robert Lee Johnson, author of Notable Southern Californians in Black History. 14

On Central Avenue. Los Angeles, 1956.

Tuesday, November 27, 2018 | 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Points of Access, Museums: Allison Agsten, jill moniz, and Pilar Tompkins Rivas Organized in collaboration with Art + Practice (A+P), this is the final program in the Points of Access series aimed at offering meaningful dialogues about our access to and understanding of contemporary art. In four public programs, CAAM and A+P welcome artists, collectors, curators, and museum administrators to discuss their diverse paths and how they have navigated the art world at each point in their careers. The series is designed for individuals at all levels of familiarity with contemporary art; no prior knowledge is required and all are welcome.

for families The California African American Museum welcomes children of all ages, and we present a wide range of interactive programs designed especially for families. From arts and crafts workshops to dance classes and storytelling, come explore art, culture, and history together at CAAM! All events are free unless otherwise noted and are subject to change. Please visit caamuseum.org for the most up-to-date information on upcoming public programs. RSVP to CAAM programs at 213.744.2024 or rsvp@caamuseum.org

Sunday, October 7, 2018 | 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Playing-Card Art The title of Nina Chanel Abney’s colorful exhibition, Royal Flush, refers to a card player’s most valuable hand. By “laying her cards on the table,” Abney’s paintings reveal truthful aspects of our culture via the barrage of images culled from celebrity videos, pop-up screens, advertisements, news, icons, graphics, and other of-the-moment images. Visitors will use markers, collage, and oversized playing cards as a canvas to illustrate their personal views of our daily surroundings. Sunday, October 14, 2018 | 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Dress Up and Figure Drawing Workshop Add futuristic elements to your attire and take turns as model and artist, using methods inspired by Robert Pruitt’s work in the exhibition Devotion. Using a limited palette of charcoal and natural tints derived from tea will unify the diverse creativity of each participant. Sunday, November 4, 2018 | 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Family Story Time One of the works in the exhibition The Notion of Family is John Biggers’s The Upper Room. Biggers was fascinated by African symbolism and his work often included images of animals and objects that had a special meaning. Join storytellers from Uniting Communities for the Arts to hear wonderful African folk tales, many of which are well-known throughout the African diaspora.

Saturday, November 17, 2018 | 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. The Biddy Mason Story The exhibition California Bound: Slavery on the New Frontier, 1848–1865 includes the well-known but seldom-depicted story of Biddy Mason. Draw your own storyboard of Mason’s journey to freedom and her rise to become one of Los Angeles’s richest women and philanthropists. Ages 7 and up. Sunday, December 9, 2018 | 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. CAAM Makers Fest Get busy at this all-ages affair featuring maker stations led by local artists! Learn from the pros of our community, including Sharon Louise Barnes, who will offer a paper sculpture workshop to create garlands and festive ornaments; Michael Massenburg, who will lead a figurative collage workshop; and Rosalyn Myles, who will demonstrate how to make decoupage keepsake boxes. Take home several creative treasures of your own—no prior art experience necessary; art materials provided. Also, check out this season’s culmination projects from the Youth Now: USC RAD in the Neighborhood program. Partners include USC Roski School of Art and Design, Ánimo Jackie Robinson Charter High School, and Able ARTS Work. This project is made possible in part by generous support from the USC Good Neighbors Grant Program and the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Coming in January 2019! Wednesdays | 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. Youth Now: USC RAD in the Neighborhood Led by graduate students and faculty from the USC Roski School of Art and Design and Able ARTS Work, this weekly program offers a select group of high school students an opportunity to study art at an advanced level. Participants explore installation art, zines, and photography and take field trips to learn about college programs and jobs in the arts. Enrollment is by application on our website starting December 1, and a commitment to the full semester-long program is required. Partners include USC Roski School of Art and Design, Ánimo Jackie Robinson Charter High School, and Able ARTS Work. This project is made possible in part by generous support from the USC Good Neighbors Grant Program and the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Photo: HRDWRKER

The mission of the California African American Museum is to research, collect, preserve, and interpret for public enrichment the history, art, and culture of African Americans, with an emphasis on California and the western United States.

visit Robert Pruitt: Devotion

Map

California Bound: Slavery on the New Frontier, 1848–1865

Los Angeles Freedom Rally, 1963

The Notion of Family

Gary Simmons: Fade to Black

Nina Chanel Abney: Royal Flush

Research Library

  Conference Room

Admission is FREE. Hours Galleries open Tuesdays–Saturdays 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. and Sundays 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Location CAAM is located in Exposition Park, which is home to a variety of museums and attractions. Parking is $12 (cash only) at 39th and Figueroa Streets. The Metro Expo line stop Expo Park/USC is a five-minute walk through the Rose Garden to the Museum. Stay in touch with CAAM Phone: 213.744.7432 Email: info@caamuseum.org Sign up for our monthly e-news for updates on our exhibitions and public programs: caamuseum.org Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: @CAAMinLA The California African American Museum is a state-supported agency and a Smithsonian Affiliate.

Photo: HRDWRKER

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600 State Drive Exposition Park Los Angeles, CA 90037 caam state board of directors todd hawkins, president zna portlock houston, vice president cornelious burke terri holoman rev. cecil l. murray bari a. williams executive director, george o. davis

Front: Robert Pruitt, Communion, 2018. Charcoal, ContĂŠ, and coffee on paper. 84 x 60 in. Courtesy the artist and Koplin Del Rio Gallery, Seattle Back: Faith Ringgold, The Sunflower Quilting Bee at Arles, 1997. Serigraph ink on paper, 22 x 30 in. Collection of the California African American Museum. Gift of Impressions Limited Atelier