Photo: Scott Hess
Petaluma Arts Center's The Black Artists on Art exhibition (Oct 10 - Nov 22nd) features over 50 contemporary and legendary Black fine artists spanning three generations, including Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, Charles White, George “P-Funk Clinton and Dr. Samella Lewis, one of America’s leading historians and collectors of Black fine art.
“For various cultural and economic reasons, the Black and White visual arts communities have largely followed separate paths”, says Executive Director Val Richman. “At the Petaluma Arts Center we believe that art bursts through barriers between cultures, ages, races and languages. We are proud to present this exciting exhibition to Sonoma County.”
Artist and art historian Samella Lewis is renowned for her contributions to African American art and art history. Born in 1924 in New Orleans, Lewis's heritage led her to view art as an essential expression of the community and its struggles. She began her art career at Dillard University, where she was instructed by the African American sculptor Elizabeth Catlett.
She earned her B.A. degree in art history in 1945 at Hampton Institute and completed her graduate studies at the Ohio State University, earning her M.A. degree in 1948. In 1951 she became the first African American woman to receive her doctorate in fine arts and art history. In order to publish Black Artists on Art (1969), Lewis founded the first African American-owned art publishing house, Contemporary Crafts.
Now in 2015, Samella Lewis’s grandson, Unity Lewis, and co-organizer Trevor Parham, are continuing her legacy by reviving the book series and organizing the traveling exhibition of the same name. The exhibition will serve as a campaign to recruit over 500 new Black artists for upcoming volumes of Black Artists on Art.
Dr. Lewis, on publishing the book series: “I wanted to make a chronology of African American artists, and artists of African descent, to document our history. The historians weren’t doing it. I felt it better the artists do it anyway, through pictorial and written information. I thought it was absolutely necessary, not just for the public but for the artists, to know what was going on. In my opinion, the artists were the people who documented our history better than anybody else.
A lot was going on culturally. Blacks were rebelling and revolting and doing things that they hadn’t done before. I felt we had to do something. I created these books to inform artists and inspire them to be participants in the movement. It was really about the movement.”
The Black Artists on Art exhibition is on loan from Oakstop Gallery in Oakland, and co-curated by Petaluman Scott Hess, Trevor Parham from Oakstop, and Unity Lewis. Unity says: “More than 40 years after the release of the second volume of Black Artists on Art, I have come to preserve and continue the legacy. A legacy that represents more than just the work of my grandmother Dr. Samella Lewis, but the legacy of the Black Arts Movement (BAM), its growth and development over the decades. Like so many of my fellow artists, I am proof that BAM has been moving like the Underground Railroad. The fact that Black people continue to face the same issues in today’s society that our predecessors faced in the ‘60’s indicates to me that we must relentlessly press on.”
In addition to the artwork, the exhibition at the Petaluma Arts Center will feature interactive education and activism, with 24/7 Twitter and Instagram feeds by modern activists including DeRay McKesson. McKesson is a member of the organization ‘We The Protesters’, which organizes protests that center on African-American issues, and is known for his activism via social media outlets. Books and educational projects will be available for visitors. Field trips and docent tours will be offered for groups and students; some of the artists will accompany the curators into schools to talk about the art and its historical context. The group Petaluma Blacks for Community Development is involved in promoting the exhibition.
Housed in the historic Railroad Station freight building, next to the Petaluma Visitors Center, the Petaluma Arts Center hosts art exhibitions, performances, art classes for people of all ages, literary and film lectures, and community events. Located next to the upcoming SMART commuter train station in developing Midtown Petaluma, the arts center is experiencing a renaissance along with the growth of the arts in Sonoma County.
Groups and Docent Tours
For information on groups and school tours, contact Kim Chigi at 762-5600 x104 or KChigi@PetalumaArtsCenter.org – special admission price for groups.
Petaluma Arts Center is open Thursday through Monday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.; closed Tuesdays, Wednesdays and holidays.
Events
Opening Reception: Saturday October 10, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. featuring Kora (African harp) player Keenan Webster.
Words/Art: Thursday October 15, 7:00 p.m. Storyteller Tureeda Mikell and co-curators Trevor Parham and Unity Lewis. Tickets $7 general, $6 discount, $4 PAC members.
The doRiaN Mode, vintage jazz and blues: Saturday November 7, 8:00 p.m. Tickets $9 general, $8 discount, $5 PAC members.
The Bruthas feat. Levi Lloyd, soul and R&B: Saturday November 21, 8:00 p.m. Tickets $9 general, $8 discount, $5 PAC members.
Photo: Robert Hale
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