JANUARY – MARCH 2014
JOURNEYS Reginald F. Lewis Museum Quarterly Newsmagazine
A new year means new beginnings. For many of us, January is a time to regroup, reenergize and establish fresh goals. The transition to a new calendar cycle offers another chance to tackle challenges and turn dreams to reality. Here at the museum, the first three months of the year are especially important for us, as they include several milestones that remind us of our nation’s historic fight for equality for all people. From Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, to Black History Month and Women’s History Month, we have multiple opportunities to reflect upon our nation’s promise of liberty and justice for all. The Association for the Study of African American Life & History has chosen “Civil Rights in America” as this year’s Black History Month theme. As our nation approaches 50 years since the Civil Rights Act of 1964, we are encouraged to pause and contemplate the progress we have made and the challenges we still face. As Coretta Scott King so eloquently stated, “Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated.” We invite visitors to celebrate with us as we pay tribute to several of the heroes and heroines who made our country what it is today. We have a variety of programs and activities for you and your family, including our Saturday’s Child “Black History Live” Workshop, Women’s History Film Showcase, and a special genealogy lecture by Professor Cheryl LaRoche. In honor of Black History Month, we are proud to present collector Bernard Kinsey’s nationally renowned talk, “What You Didn’t Learn in High School History.” This year also marks the 150th anniversary of Maryland Emancipation Day, which occurred November 1, 1864. We invite you to share your “Freedom Stories” with us. If you have reflections to recount about our nation’s journey from slavery to freedom, please email us at resourcecenter@maamc.org. You may be featured in our next issue! Sincerely,
Dr. A. Skipp Sanders, Executive Director
Table of Contents Early Genius: Forging New Paths, Defying the Odds.......................................... 3 Inside the Gallery: Arena Players’ Costume Dress................................. 5 A Legacy of Freedom in Maryland...................... 6
Cover and detail above: Field Hands, 1988, Jonathan Green. On view through March 2, 2014 as part of The Kinsey Collection: Shared Treasures of Bernard & Shirley Kinsey— Where Art & History Intersect.
Maryland’s Got Talent! Annual Show Highlights Area Teens........................ 8 What’s Going On? A Peek Inside the Museum.................................... 10 Make a Difference Today!................................. 11 Calendar of Events............................................. 12 Museum Information......................................... 17
The Griot’s Eye Youth Film and Cultural Festival, see page p. 14.
1
Early Genius Forging New Paths, Defying the Odds t She mastered Latin and Greek, then published her first poem at age 12 – all of this while enslaved. Phillis Wheatley is not your average teen. She went on to be the first African American to publish a book of poetry. Fittingly, she graces the “Early Genius” section of The Kinsey Collection: Shared Treasures of Bernard & Shirley Kinsey—Where Art & History Intersect, on view through March 2, 2014. Stroll through the “Early Genius” section and you will come across some of the most prominent African American artists and authors of the 18th and 19th centuries. Edward Mitchell Bannister was among the first African Americans to win a national art award; he received a bronze medal for his painting Under the Oaks at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial. Robert S. Duncanson developed his artistic skills through copying prints, still lifes and portraits; he is regarded as a significant contributor to the aesthetic made famous by the Hudson River School. Henry Ossawa Tanner was among the first African American artists to receive international acclaim. Charles Ethan Porter was best known for his floral paintings, a subject that not many American artists focused on at the time. His work, Lilacs, on view, incorporates miniscule brushstrokes, high contrasts, and stark colors. They are just some of the trailblazers who made their mark on the world at a time when the majority of Africans and African Americans faced overwhelming challenges. Through determination and a network of support, they gained recognition that was unprecedented during their lifetimes. Collector Bernard Kinsey has said that he hopes visitors will walk away knowing something new about history or art. The work of Africans and African Americans, particularly in times of great struggle, creates a strong foundation for telling a fuller American history. Left: A page from the first published book of poetry by an African American. Poems on Various Subjects—Religious and Moral, 1773, Phillis Wheatley. Right: Lilacs, 1890, Charles Ethan Porter. Courtesy of The Kinsey Collection.
3
4
Inside the gallery: Arena Players’ Costume Dress t The year was 1953 and an ambitious group of fledgling actors in Baltimore dreamed to launch a new kind of theater that would illuminate the African American experience through the performing arts. Today, the Arena Players is the nation’s oldest continuously operating African American theater group. Our permanent collection proudly features a piece of that history. You can view the dress that D. LaFonde Holley wore during an Arena Players’ 1977 performance of On Borrowed Time. This dress, which Holley lent to the museum, serves as a visual narrative of the historical achievements of African American Marylanders. The mission of the Arena Players is to entertain, educate and serve the Baltimore community. This group nurtures and gives growth to new, emerging and established artists through crosscultural endeavors while boldly illuminating the African American experience through the performing arts.
Costume Dress, Lent by D. LaFonde Holley, On Borrowed Time, 1977.
5
A LEGACY OF FREEDOM IN MARYLAND t If you visit the Benjamin Banneker Historical Park in Oella, Maryland, you will see a historical marker documenting a property called “Stout.” Without “Stout,” Benjamin Banneker, the “the first African American man of science,” might have led a very different life. Benjamin Banneker’s father Robert was a first generation African in Maryland who was emancipated as a young man. He married a local woman named Mary, the daughter of Bannaky and Molly Welsh, a freed interracial couple of Baltimore County. Robert started his own farm on a tract of land called Timber Poynt. In 1737 he purchased a 100 acre property called “Stout.” At the time, only male heirs could inherit property. To ensure that his son Benjamin remained a free man, Robert placed “Stout” in the name of six-yearold Benjamin. Robert’s foresight gave Maryland native Benjamin Banneker helped a foundation to the boy who became survey the original borders of Washington, D.C. a man of great renown. Benjamin Banneker helped survey the original borders of Washington D.C, and taught himself astronomy. His influential almanacs caught the attention of Thomas Jefferson himself who praised his work. The story of Banneker’s freedom is just one of many such histories. As we recognize Maryland Emancipation Day this year, the museum would like to find out about your family’s freedom stories. If you have stories about the generation that went from slavery to freedom, please contact the Resource Center at 443-263-1816. These stories can include migration, objects, documents, and the establishment of churches, cemeteries, businesses and fraternal organizations. The Resource Center’s public hours are Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, Noon to 4 p.m. and by appointment. To schedule an appointment, call 443-263-1816.
6
Above, center: Plat of District of Columbia. Courtesy of the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. Right: Benjamin Banneker’s Almanack, 1775 is on view through March 2, 2014. Courtesy of The Kinsey Collection.
7
Maryland’s Got Talent! Annual Show Highlights Area Teens t Every January, you may run into artists on our third floor gallery who are still learning to drive and undergoing their growth spurt. They are the youth featured in our annual High School Juried Arts Show. Through a partnership with the Maryland State Education Association and the Maryland State Department of Education, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum hosts the yearly competition. High school students across Maryland state are invited to submit their drawings, paintings, prints and mixed-media assemblages in answer to a selected artistic theme. This year, the call is “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Legacy: Have We Progressed?” The top three winners receive cash prizes for their work; first place is $400, second place is $200 and third place is $100. An opening reception will be held on January 12, 2014 and selected works will be exhibited from January 12–March 2, 2014 before traveling to the Maryland State Department of Education. The museum is proud to be a partner of this statewide initiative to develop programs to nurture youth in exploring the cultural arts. To learn how your school can be involved in next year’s art show, please contact Terry Taylor, educational programs coordinator, at 443-263-1829 or by email at taylor@maamc.org. Above: Community Mural, Pastel and Pencils, Trevon Wright from Suitland High School. 2nd Place Winner, 2012. Right, top: Foundations of Freedom, Mixed Media, Phylicia Shobayo from Laurel High School. Honorable Mention, 2012. Right, lower: Dawn of a New Civic, Mixed Media, Amanda Barnes from Suitland High School. 3rd Place Winner, 2012.
8
9
what’s going on? A Peek Inside the Museum t
1
2
3 4
5
6 10
1) Ribbon cutting for The Kinsey Collection with the Kinsey family, Dr. Sanders and Wells Fargo representatives. 2) Bernard Kinsey takes Baltimore City high school students through The Kinsey Collection. 3) Ashe to Amen gospel praise dance showcase. 4) Youth view baseball collection with Negro League Baseball Players at Black Memorabilia Collectors Fair. 5) Local Buffalo Soldier re-enactor talks to visitors at Black Memorabilia Collectors Fair. 6) Artist Arvie Smith and wife Julie Kern Smith stand in front of his painting, Baltimore My Baltimore, at the opening reception at BWI Airport. Items from museum’s permanent collection on view through January 23.
Make a Difference toDay! t Your gift in support of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum’s Annual Fund keeps the institution strong and vibrant in countless ways. As the primary funding source for daily museum activities, your generous contribution goes toward: n
High-quality, informative educational programs
n
Special exhibitions and maintaining permanent collections
n
Community outreach
These endeavors, while sometimes behind the scenes, are critical in ensuring the museum’s efficient operation and the opportunity for personal enrichment and lifelong learning for visitors in the current year and many years to come. For more information on the many ways you can support the museum, please contact D’ana Downing, Associate Director of Development, by phone at 443-263-1810, by fax at 410-333-1138 or by e-mail at development@ maamc.org.
“While your museum tells the story of Maryland African American history and culture, as an American this is also my history. I felt inspired by the many stories of strength and courage – of realized capacity and brilliance – of perseverance, endurance, skill, talent, and artistry. I had a great experience at your institution.” — from Pamela, a proud museum donor 11
March 8, 1pm
January 11, 1–3pm
Saturday’s Child Series Rosa Parks’ Freedom Road Sat Jan 18, 12 pm Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday with Master Storyteller Janice Curtis Greene. She recounts the courageous stories of Rosa Parks, who helped integrate public bus transportation in Montgomery, Alabama. Children will participate in their own civil rights march during this program. Included with museum admission. Black History Live! with Culture Queen Sat Feb 15, 12pm Teaching artist Culture Queen™ leads children in an interactive workshop with drama, movement, art and music as they use future hero™ powers to envision the future of America 20 years from now. This workshop is inspired by The Kinsey Collection. Program included with museum admission. Women’s History for Girls: Story Time Sat Mar 8, 1pm Author Crystal Marable reads her children’s book Graceful Gabby Finds Love in Blue. Hear how Graceful Gabby, disappointed that her room is not “pinky” perfect, learns from her Gran Ma-Ma about gratitude. Participants will create African crowns and enjoy a tea party after the reading. Program included with museum admission.
Generation Series Slavery by Another Name Community Talk Sat Jan 11, 1–3pm Join in a conversation on the use of forced labor and the criminalization of African Americans in the past and in contemporary times. This forum includes film segments of the documentary Slavery By Another Name and a panel discussion with area scholars. Free. To register, visit RFLewisMuseum.org or call 443-263-1875. This program is funded by Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle. Created Equal is part of the Bridging Cultures initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities produced in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History to encourage public conversations about the changing meanings of freedom and equality in America.
13
February 1, 12–5pm
February 15, 2pm
The Griot’s Eye Youth Film and Culture Festival Sat Feb 1, 12–5pm View the completed work of talented area youth through film, theater, African dance and poetry. The Griot’s Eye equips urban youth with the technical skills to create compelling media productions that address relevant issues in their lives. Program included with museum admission. Love, Peace and Soul: Behind the Scenes of America’s Favorite Dance Show Soul Train: Classic Moments (Author Talk and Book Signing) Sat Feb 15, 2pm Learn about the longest running “first-run” syndicated show in television history with Maryland author Erika Blount. This pop culture book is a celebratory, behindthe-scenes collection of anecdotes, stories and reflections about the show Soul Train, the host and the power of black music and dance on television. A book signing will follow the author’s talk. Program included with museum admission. Women’s History Double Feature: Black Beauty Revolution in Film Sat Mar 15 Enjoy films and dialogue with African American women filmmakers about the power of black women’s beauty. Members $12; Non-Members $15 (includes museum admission). 1pm Nappy: The Politics of Hair Nappy deals with the complex relationship between black women and western ideals of beauty. The film tells the story of 14 black women and girls who chose to stop straightening their hair and “go natural.” Join filmmaker Lydia Ann Douglas for a post-film discussion. 2:30pm Versailles ’73: American Runway Revolution The famed fashion show “Grand Divertissement at Versailles” brought French couture icons together with American designers and women of color models for the first time. The show is the stuff of legends and revolutionized an industry. Join filmmaker Deborah Riley Draper for a post-film discussion.
14
March 15, 1pm
March 15, 2:30pm
Genealogy and Local History Series A Fresh Look at the Underground Railroad with Professor Cheryl J. LaRoche Sat Feb 8, 1pm In her new book, Professor LaRoche uses archaeology and research of black churches, fraternal organizations and Quakers to explore how free blacks assisted runaways in the Midwest. LaRoche is a lecturer at the University of Maryland and the author Free Black Communities and the Underground Railroad: The Geography of Resistance. Included with museum admission. Please register at (443) 263-1816. (Snow date is February 15th.)
Sundays @ 2 Films MLK: The Assassination Tapes (46 minutes) Sun Jan 19, 2pm The shooting of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee was caught on film, tape and audio. So why have we seen so little of it? View a remarkable collection of recently rediscovered footage and revisit the tumultuous events surrounding one of the most shocking assassinations in America. Included with museum admission. American Masters/Paul Robeson: Here I Stand (1 hour 57 minutes) Sun Feb 16, 2pm Beloved athlete, singer, and scholar Paul Robeson gained international notoriety during his lifetime. He was also a charismatic champion of the rights of the working poor, the disenfranchised, and people of color. His rise and fall from favor is one of the great dramas of the 20th century, spanning an international canvas of social upheaval and ideological controversy. Included with museum admission. Free Angela & All Political Prisoners (100 minutes) Sun Mar 2, 2pm View a gripping historic account of the events that catapulted a young University of California philosophy professor into a controversial political icon in the late 1960s. As a result of her involvement with the Communist Party and the Black Panthers, Angela Davis became a principal spokesperson for the prison reform movement and finds herself in the national media spotlight. Included with museum admission. 15
January 16, 6pm
February 20, 6pm
March 20, 6pm
Third Thursdays
On Third Thursdays, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum is the perfect place to relax and mingle. Tour our permanent galleries, visit our special exhibition and enjoy a variety of entertainment for only $5, from 5 p.m.–8 p.m. Performances begin at 6 p.m. Marc Avon Evans Thu Jan 16, 6pm Evans’ baritone “effortlessly grabs every [record] track and stamps quality all over it,” according to Blues & Soul Magazine. Start your year with Evans’ poetic blend of jazz and R&B.
Gabrielle Goodman Thu Feb 20, 6pm Besides touring with Roberta Flack, Mary J. Blige, and Patti Labelle, the remarkable Gabrielle Goodman is a criticallyacclaimed songstress in her own right. She shares her latest release “Spiritual Tapestry” tonight.
Corinthia Cromwell and the Evolution Band Thu Mar 20, 6pm Gospel jazz and saxophone great Corinthia Cromwell makes your “spirit soar,” says The Examiner. This Wynton Marsalis protege was awarded “Up and Coming Artist of the Year 2011” by Baltimore Jazz Awards.
Special Events MLK Jr. Day Celebration Mon Jan 20, 12–4pm Celebrate with a living history performance by actor David Mills, music and crafts. View The MLK Streets Project, a revealing documentary that follows a group of teenagers as they explore the conditions of streets named after Dr. King across America. Special Museum Admission: $5 Lecture: African American Art, History and Culture: “What You Didn’t Learn In High School History” Thu Feb 6 at Morgan State University Gilliam Hall. Time TBD. Collector Bernard Kinsey tells the story of struggle, achievement and contribution of the African American experience that is rarely told or taught in school. Visit RFLewisMuseum.org for details. Verizon Open House Sat Feb 22, 10am–5pm Celebrate Black History Month with an open house at the museum. Join friends, neighbors, community innovators and business leaders for a day full of interactive tours, activities and entertainment. Free.
16
Come Visit! t Museum & Museum Shop Hours Wednesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday, Noon – 5 p.m. The museum is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and the following holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day and Easter Sunday.
t Café Hours Wednesday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Back cover and detail above: From the permanent collection: Netti Quilt, purchased from artist Barbara Pietila.
t Parking $6 validated parking is directly across the street at the PMI Garage, 815 E. Pratt Street.
t Special Needs Visitors with special needs can contact Visitor Services at (443) 263-1875. The museum has partnered with the Interpreter Mentoring Program, an initiative of the Hearing and Speech Agency’s Centralized Interpreter Referral Service to provide interpreting services.
t Group Tours Guided adult and educational group tours are available with reservations. Call (443) 263-1831. On weekends, a “Museum Highlights” tour is avilable at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
t Special Events To book catered receptions and other events, call Cori Ramos, sales and special events manager, at (443) 263-1811.
t Volunteer with Us! If interested, contact Joy Hall, volunteer coordinator at 443-263-1852 or hall@maamc.org.
830 E. Pratt Street Baltimore, MD 21202 www.RFLewisMuseum.org www.facebook.com/rflewismuseum 17
Baltimore, MD 21202
830 E. Pratt Street
of Maryland African American History & Culture
REGINALD F. LEWIS MUSEUM BALTIMORE, MD PERMIT NO. 7823
PAID
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE