The Studio Museum in Harlem Magazine / Spring 2005

Home , Anthony Barboza, Chris Ofili, Dox Thrash, Robert Colescott, Studio Museum in Harlem, Thelma Golden

/ Spring 2005

The Studio Museum in Harlem Magazine / Spring 2005 Exhibition Fund, Gayle Perkins SMH Board Operation of the Studio Museum in Harlem is Members supported with public funds provided by The Atkins and Charles N. Atkins, and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; halley k. harrisburg and Michael Raymond J. McGuire the New York State Council on the Arts, Rosenfeld. Chairman a state agency; and the New York State Offi ce of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation Chris Ofi li: Afro Muses 1995-2000 Carol Sutton Lewis through the offi ce of Sen. David A. Paterson. has been made possible through the Vice-Chair Major funding is also provided by The Peter Reginald Van Lee Jay Sharp Foundation and The Carnegie Cor- generous support of The Peter Jay poration of New York, with additional support Treasurer Sharp Foundation 2004-2005 from The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, The Studio Museum in Harlem Magazine / Spring 2005 exhibition Fund, Melva Bucksbaum Gayle Perkins Atkins J. P. Morgan Chase, LEF Foundation, The Kathryn C. Chenault Scherman Foundation, Inc., Goldman, Sachs and Raymond Learsy, and The & Co., Credit Suisse First Boston, The New Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation. Paula R. Collins York Times Company Foundation, Pfi zer, Inc., Gordon J. Davis The Norman and Rosita Winston Foundation, On a sad note, we recently lost Anne B. Ehrenkranz Inc., The Cowles Charitable Trust, The Moody’s Foundation, and Young & Rubicam two of our greatest friends and Susan Fales-Hill champions: long time trustee Bobby Exhibitions are made possible in part, by: Dr. Henry Louis The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation 2004/05 Short and artist Gwendolyn Knight From the Director Gates, Jr. Exhibition Fund, Altria Group, Inc., Horace W. 01 / Lawrence. Don’t miss my special Sandra Grymes Goldsmith Foundation, and TishmanSpeyer whats up Chris Ofi li / Traylor / Edmonson / Collection in Context / Har- Properties. This spring The Studio Museum in tributes to them in these pages. This Joyce Haupt lem Postcards 06 / upcoming exhibitions Scratch / Frequency / Energy / Exper- Harlem presents two stellar exhibi- edition of STUDIO marks our fi rst Education and Public Programs are funded in Arthur J. Humphrey, Jr. part, by: The New York State Council on the tions that exemplify the richness magazine. Over the past couple of George L. Knox Arts, a state agency, The Peter Jay Sharp Foun- imentation / Africa Comics 10 / elsewhere Kara Walker / Issac Julien / Back to and variety of art created by black dation, Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence, Elaine years, we’ve truly appreciated your Nancy L. Lane Black art Cinema / PS1 Greater NY / H.O.A.S.T / Afro Pop 12 / feature Gwen- artists globally. Bill Traylor, William e-mails, calls and letters expressing Dannheisser Foundation, MetLife Foundation, Dr. Michael L. Lomax the National Endowment for the Arts, Wacho- Edmondson, and the Modernist your love of our attempt to bring you Tracy Maitland via Foundation, Citigroup Foundation, Fleet dolyn Knight Lawrence 16 / profi le Montgomery Harris 17 / artist commission Impulse organized by the Krannert more of the world of artists of Afri- Rodney M. Miller Boston Financial, The Center for Arts Educa- Art Museum, University of Illinois at can descent. With this publication, tion, Helena Rubinstein Foundation, Morgan Robert Pruitt 20 / feature Bobby Short 24 / catalog excerpt Ofi li / Traylor / Ed- Eileen Harris Norton Stanley, Jerome Foundation, ARTS Intern, The Urbana-Champaign, features the beautifully designed by 2x4, and Corine Pettey Renate, Hans & Maria Hofmann Trust, Rush monson 28 / 3 questions Laylah Ali 29 / profi le Stacyann Chin 30 / playlist Ofi li / works of two major fi gures of the masterfully executed by Editor-in- David A. Ross Philanthropic Arts Foundation, The David self-taught genre who came to the Chief (and PR Manager) Ali Evans, Rockefeller Fund, May and Samuel Rudin Robinson / Simmons 31 / check out 33 / public programs 42 / profi le Chris Myers Charles A. Shorter, Jr. Family Foundation, and public funds from the attention of the art world during the we give you even more. Ann Tenenbaum New York State Offi ce of Parks, Recreation 43 / coloring page 45 / studio visit 46 / overheard 48 / 3 questions Daniel Roumain 1930s and 40s (at a time when & Historic Preservation made available by the This is the last time I write to you as John T. Thompson modern art circles were infatuated offi ce of Assemblyman Keith L. Wright Executive Director of The Studio Joyce A. Wein 49 / harlem: where we’re at 54 / store 56 / benefi t with folk and self-taught idioms as Museum in Harlem. As of July 1, Michael Winston expressions of a true American art.) 2005, Thelma Golden will assume Karen A. Phillips Curators Josef Helfenstein (now the position of Director and Chief ex-offi cio Director of the Menil Collection) and Curator of the Museum. I have been Hon. Kate D. Levin Wardell Milan Tropicks / 2004 / Collection of the artist / New York Russell Bowman, former Director appointed President by our Board ex-offi cio of the Milwaukee Art Museum have of Trustees and will work on special explored the careers of these two projects, including our strategic artists, not only in the context of their plan, re-accreditation and the per- Studio own communities, but also within manent collection. I know you join Ali Evans the broader context of American and me in congratulating Thelma. Editor-in-chief European culture of the fi rst half of As always, I look forward to still see- the twentieth century. Samir Patel ing you at The Studio Museum. Copy editor In the contemporary realm, Chris Ofi li: Afro Muses 1995-2005, pres- Kristia Moises ents a selection of 175 watercolors Editorial assistant created over the last decade by Design the renowned and ingenious black 2x4, New York British artist. These unexpected Printing and engaging works are imagined Cosmos Commu- portraits of African male and female nications, Inc. archetypes and demonstrate Ofi li’s skill with the watercolor medium and his special sense of color. This exhibition was organized by SMH Chief Curator Thelma Golden, and is the fi rst time this work is being shown as a body. We thank New Yorker magazine staff writer Hilton Als and artist and critic Beth Coleman for their beautifully poetic contributions to the catalogue. I wish to acknowledge the support for the Studio Museum’s presentation of the Traylor/Edmondson exhibition provided by The Peter Jay above: Len Irish Sharp Foundation 2004-2005 above left: Robert Hale 02 / what’s up Studio / Spring 05 03 / Studio / Spring 05 SMH is pleased to present this rare, solo, U.S. museum exhibition of watercolors by Brit- ish painter Chris Ofi li. Ofi li, who is considered one of the most signifi cant and innovative painters of our time, was the 1998 recipient of the Turner Prize and represented the Chris Ofi li: United Kingdom at the 2003 Venice Biennale. This project brings together for the fi rst time a series of more than 100 of Ofi li’s iconic watercolors created over the last decade. Known for his aesthetic daring and his passion for painting, Ofi li has always seen the watercolors as an important extension of his painting practice. Like some of his paintings and pencil drawings, these watercolors are imagined Afro Muses1995– portraits of treasured archetypes and present Ofi li’s acute sensitivity towards portraiture and his exuberant use of color. Mostly portraying women but also some men, they are created in vibrant color with precise and bold lines. This project, Afro Muses, has been selected by the artist and SMH Chief Curator Thelma Golden and is accompanied by a full-color catalogue. 2005 April 27—July Chris Ofi li: Afro Muses 1995-2000 is presented with the generous support of The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation 2004-2005 Exhibition Fund, Melva Bucksbaum and Raymond Learsy, and The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation. 3, 2005

01—06 / Chris Oﬁ li Untitled 1995—2005

03 04

01 02 05 06 04 / what’s up Studio / Spring 05 05 / Studio / Spring 05 Bill Traylor, William Edmondson, and the Modernist Impulse is the fi rst large-scale exhibition focusing on the works of two major fi gures in American art history: Bill Traylor Bill Traylor, William (1854–1949), a draftsman, and William Edmondson (1874–1951), a sculptor. Although Traylor and Edmondson are often defi ned as “folk” or “outsider” artists that refl ect the roots of African- American culture, their work was actually discovered and fi rst discussed in the broader context of modernism during the1930s. This exhibition includes more than fi fty drawings and paintings made by Traylor, and twenty-fi ve sculptures by Edmondson, along with photographs of them by taken their contemporaries, drawn from private collections and Edmondson, museums across the country. Organized by Josef Helfenstein, Director of the Menil Collection and Russell Bowman, former Director of the Milwaukee Art Museum, this exhibition opened at the Krannert Art Museum, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign before traveling to the Birmingham Museum of Art in Alabama and The Studio Museum in Har- lem, and will be on view at The Menil Collection in Houston, Texas from July 22—October 2, 2005. and the Modernist Bill Traylor, William Edmondson and the Moderrnist Impulse is organized by Krannert Art Museum, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and sponsored in part by Fox Development Corporation, Krannert Art Museum Council, Ruth and Bob Vogele, A.G. Edwards & Sons, Hickory Point Bank & Trust, Hampton Inn and the Illinois Arts Council. The Studio Museum in Harlem’s presentation of this exhibition is made possible by The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation 2004-2005 Exhibition Fund, Gayle Perkins Atkins and Charles N. Atkins, and halley k. harrisburg Impulse April 27— and Michael Rosenfeld

01 / Bill Traylor 06 / William Edmondson Untitled (ﬁ ghting couple), Miss Louisa, ca. 1933 1940–1942 Philadelphia Museum of Art, Birmingham Museum of Art gift of Paul W. McCloskey in July 3, 2005 memory of Maris 02 / Bill Traylor Untitled, 1940–1942 07 / William Edmondson Private collection Dove, 1933–1940 Memorial Art Gallery, 03 / Bill Traylor University of Rochester, Turtle Swimming Down, Marion Stratton Gould Fund 1939–1942 Private collection 04 / William Edmondson Cruciﬁ x, ca. 1940 Robert A. Roth

05 / William Edmondson Angel, ca. 1940 Robert M. Greenberg

04 05

02 03 07 06 / what’s up Studio / Spring 05 07 / Studio / Spring 05 Collection in Harlem Postcards Context: Selections Spring 2005 from the Permanent Petra Lindholm Born 1973, Karis, Finland Lives and works in Stockholm, Sweden Rare Bird, 2005 Collection April 27– A friend of mine told me that while he lived in New York he often went to the upper parts of Central Park to spot birds. He has seen the most spectacular birds in this particular part. I can’t remember what kind they were but they sounded exotic to me. With this in mind I started to plan for my postcard photo. Some weeks before arriving in New York July 3, 2005 a thought about a bird sitting down in front of my camera, I was focusing on this every day for a few seconds. Then fi nally here on the right spot I moved around slowly thinking about the bird, and suddenly over my head and down on a three landed a red bright bird. It sat there and let me come close. I took three photos and it fl ew off again. Jennie C. Jones Born 1968, Cincinnati, OH Lives and works in Brooklyn, NY Julie Mehertu One Note, 2005 Untitled, 2004, Museum Purchase with funds provided by the Acquisitions Committee Minton’s Playhouse opened in 1938 on the ground fl oor of the Cecil Hotel on 118th Street. Over the next decade it fl ourished as a late night jam session spot for young musicians, an incubator that allowed a vast amount of experimentation to occur. If Modernist jazz had a place associated with its birth, it was Minton’s. This installment of Collection in Context: Selections from the Permanent Collection con- Interested as I am in examining, locating or commemorating collective tinues our presentation of the formation and development of the Museum’s collection and cultural experiences in historic moments of creative transition, par- its critical role in tracing the history of the institution. The collection at the Studio Museum ticularly as related to modernism, a visit to Minton’s seemed appropriate for this project. As suggested by the title and the image itself, in Harlem began 30 years ago when the museum began to accept works from generous One Note at Minton’s emphasizes the desire for a kind of “reductive artists and donors. Today the collection numbers over 1600 objects and continues to grow mythology.” Thelonious Monk best summed up this particular Harlem in exciting directions from gifts and acquisitions. fable as such: “It’s true modern jazz probably began to get popular there, but some Michelle Lopez The Collection in Context series uses new strategies to highlight the key holdings and to expand the conversation of these histories and articles put what happened over the course of Born 1970, Manila, Phillippines around African-American art and artists of African descent. This exhibition, organized by the SMH Curatorial Team, fea- ten years into one year. They put people all together in one time, in Lives and works in San Francisco, CA tures gifts and acquisitions and includes works by Gwen Knight Lawrence, Isaac Julien and Julie Mehretu, among others. one place. I’ve seen practically everybody at Minton’s, but they were Then girl ran one block to her apt. building, 1590 Madison, 2005 just playing. They weren’t giving lectures.” Collection in Context is a testament to the Museum’s longstanding commitment to the presentation of diverse works by My concept found its genesis in the notion of the “absence” of the black artists at different points in their careers and provides a point of reference and entry to exhibitions on view. Harlem streets. I was interested in the absent bodies within a landscape, the uncanny presence in the memory of the streets. My project focused on documenting sites where people have laid down and died as a result of accident, injury, or petty crime. I combed through homi- cide police reports both recent and historical. My photo documenta- tion seeks to explore the questions of space absorbing violence, and death how the act might resonate within the environment and memory and knowledge infl ecting our ways of seeing space. It also explores my own interest in the representation of body and how to codify it simply without it, via the invisible man. Then Girl Ran One Block to Her Apt. Building, 1590 Madison Avenue, represents the death of a young girl who was caught in the crossfi re between two men. 8 / upcoming exhibitions Studio / Spring 05 9 / Studio / Spring 05 Scratch (skraˇch) William Cordova, Michael Queenland & Marc Robinson July 20–October 31, 2005

The Studio Museum in Harlem Artists-in-Residence 2004–05 hasty scribble; a sound made by scratching; Sports the starting line scratch v. tr. to make a thin shallow cut or mark on (a surface) with for a race, a contestant who has been withdrawn from a competi- a sharp instrument; to use the nails or claws to dig or scrape at; tion Games the act of scratching in billiards, a fl uke or chance shot to rub or scrape (the skin) to relieve itching; to scrape or strike in billiards; poultry feed; Slang money. adj. done haphazardly or by on an abrasive surface; to write or draw (something) by scraping chance; assembled hastily or at random; Sports Having no golf handi- a surface: scratched their initials on a rock; to write or draw hur- cap. Idioms: from scratch from the very beginning; scratch the surface riedly: scratched off a thank-you note; to strike out or cancel (a to investigate or treat something superfi cially; up to scratch Informal meeting the requirements, in fi t condition. word, for example) by or as if by drawing lines through; Slang to Simon Mbumbo (Cameroon) cancel (a project or program, for example), to withdraw (an entry) The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Miffl in Company.Published by Houghton Miffl in Company. from a contest. Tom Lloyd All rights reserved. Marokan 1965 \v. intr. to use the nails or claws to dig, scrape, or wound; to rub or scrape the skin to relieve itching; to make a harsh scraping sound; to gather funds or produce a living with diffi culty; to withdraw from a contest; Games to make a shot in billiards that results in a penalty, as Energy /Experimenta- when the cue ball falls into a pocket or jumps the cushion. n. a mark resembling a line that is produced by scratching, a slight wound; a tion: Black Artists and Abstraction, 1964–1980 April 5-July 2, 2006

In the Spring of 2006, the Studio Museum will present Energy /Experimentation: Black Artists and Abstraction, 1964–1980, group exhibition guest curated by Dr. Kellie Jones. Energy/Experimentation explores the strong voice of abstract art- making that developed during the second half of the 20th century. Working in both painting and sculpture this group of artists commit- d nlan W ee ted themselves to innovation in structure and materials. While fi gura- ill ael Qu iam Mich Co tion of the 1960s and 1970s is well known through the works of rd ova Romare Bearden, Betye Saar or artists connected with the Black Arts Movement (focus of the groundbreaking SMH show Tradition and Confl ict (1985), less explored abstractionists such as Sam Gilliam, Frequency William T. Williams, Al Loving, Joe Overstreet and Howardena Pindell, were steadfast in their use of non-objective visual language. Energy/ Experimentation will present the painting and sculpture of 15 artists November 9, 2005 – ing whose work challenged artistic technical, and social boundaries and Kola Fayemi om (Nigeria) C March 12, 2006 assumptions during this period. Soon Commonly referred to or mistaken as as Freestyle II, Frequency Africa Comics will feature art work by thirty of the hottest emerging, black artists of 2005! Living and working in the United States and ranging in The Studio Museum in Harlem in conjunction with Africa e Medi- age from 27 to 42, their inspirations and infl uences range from hip terraneo, (Bologna, Italy) will present the fi rst exhibition of African hop videos and folktales, to baseball stars and Abstract Expres- comic art in the United States. sionism, to tattoo design and non-western aesthetics. Africa e Mediterraneo, a non-profi t cooperative, was created in 1997 In painting, drawing, museum sculpture, photography, video, digi- to foster intercultural education between Italy and Africa, and devel- tal animation and new media, the will be abuzz with new works by oped the fi rst serious contemporary investigation of comic art in Africa new artists for Studio Museum audiences. The artists hail from cities today. With narratives engaging humor, social awareness, history and around the country such as St. Louis, Memphis, Los Angeles, Hous- myth, African comic art has achieved a wide-range of recognition ton, Chicago and Washington, D.C., and for many of them, Harlem is both as an art form and as a valuable medium of cross-cultural com- munication. The Studio Museum in Harlem will present a selection of Robinson a totally new. Frequency is organized by Thelma Golden and Christine Mark Andre Y. Kim, and will be accompanied by a full-color catalogue. recent work in support of this vital art form that is omnipresent on the African continent. 10 / elsewhere: art beyond SMH Studio / Spring 05 11 / Studio / Spring 05 Completely Biased, Entirely Opinionated Hot Picks By SMH’s Chief Curator, Thelma Golden

Here’s a couple of must-see Don’t Miss exhibitions that I’m not going to miss this Spring:

05 Greater New York @ PS 1 / 22-25 Jack- son Ave / Long Island City / www.ps1.org / thru September 26, 2005 PS 1 does it again with a big exciting sprawling survey of contem- 04 porary artists. Back to Black, Art Cinema and the We are thrilled that former Artists In Residence Deborah Grant, Adia Millett, Wangechi Mutu, and William Villalongo; as well as Derrick Racial Imagery @ White Chapel Art Gal- Adams, Rico Gatson, Wardell Milan, Karyn Olivier, Clifford Owens, lery / 80 82 Whitechapel High Street, Lon- and Saya Woolfalk are on view. Showcasing more than 160 artists from the New York area, the work explores both this specifi c time don, England / www.whitechapel.org / June period, during which New York City has radically changed; shows strength, energy, and exciting undertake; and anticipates fresh artistic 7-August 2005 directions. For the past decade there has been a resurgence of interests in Greater New York 2005 is jointly organized by P.S.1 and The Museum the black exploitation era, and in understanding the potency of the of Modern Art. visual impact of that time. Back to Black which is organized by London based curator David Bai- 02 ley and Richard J. Powell, John Spencer Bassett Professor of Art and Art historian at Duke University. The exhibition explores the work and infl uence of black artists working in America, Britain and Jamaica in the 1960s and 70s, through seven main themes including black con- sciousness in art; the ghetto; black fashion; popular culture; and politics. The work of Elizabeth Catlett, Barkley L. Hendricks and Robert Senstacke show how the trends and hairstyles of the time were used as vehicles for social concealing and self-invention. Political works of 01 03 art on show include several large sculptures and a crucial body-print- on-paper by David Hammons. Finally, the impact of black music on the A Beautiful Thing: Kara Walker @ New Issac Julien / True North @ The MAK Black Arts Movement is revealed through the melodic and painterly School University / Arnhold Hall, 55 West Center/Schindler House 835 North Kings works of artists such as Jeff Donaldson and Margo Humphrey. 13th Street Road / West Hollywood, CA / www.MAK- Harlem Open Artist Studio Tour Event Horizon, a site specifi c work by artist Kara Walker, is her fi rst center.org / July 17-October 16, 2005 public art installation, and is one of several works the University (H.O.A.S.T.) @104 W 119th St., NY, NY London based fi lm and video artist Isaac Julien has once again cre- has commissioned in recent years. ated a work about place and race. 10026 / www.hoast.org / Saturday, April The mural is on view in the main lobby or Arnhold Hall, located at 55 W. 13th St., where it joins a recent commission by the artist Sol LeWitt. The 2004 fi lm installation, “True North”, is based on the story of www. 30 from 10am-4pm & Sunday, May 1, 2005 matthewhenson.com Matthew Henson, the fi rst explorer to reach the Afro Pop North Pole with pearyhenson.org/robertepeary Robert E. Peary in / from 1pm-5pm 1909. Julien uses beauty as a way to recognize cultural mistakes. He Check out our Harlem neighbors. This two day event opens the I’ve been completely thrilled to see African references on the sets up his fi lms, not so much as a political act, though they frequently doors to 95 visual artists to the public. fashion runways this season. Much has been made (in writing) feel that way, but as a means of re-interviewing a misunderstood past. about these references and how the infl uences have come to light Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with the artists and as designers travel and safari across the continent. While it is true purchase original works of art directly from the artists. The cultural that many designers have traveled throughout the continent, diversity and the essence coolness, fl awlessly represents the heart of I suspect that that they are truly taking cues from the brilliant 01 / Kara Walker 02 / Issac Julien 03 / Issac Julien 04 / Gordon Parks 05 / Adia Millett Harlem today. This event is open to the public. infusion of Africa in the work of contemporary artists of African Event Horizon, Untitled (True North Series), Untitled (True North Series), Eldridge cleaver and Wife, I Love You., 2005 2004 2004 2004 Kathleen with Portrait of A shuttle tour service is provided, to receive an event map go visit descent, such as Seydou Keita, Yinka Shonibare, and Malick Courtesy New School HueyNewton, Algiers, 1970, Sidibe among others. University Courtesy Howard Greenberg www.hoast.org. Gallery, New York 12 / feature Studio / Spring 05 13 / Studio / Spring 05 Harlem Was Always on Her Mind

Gwendolyn Knight Lawrencec Lowery Stokes Sims 14 / feature Studio / Spring 05 15 / Studio / Spring 05

0011 / GGwenwen KnightKnight New Orleans,Orleans, 20012001

0022 / GGwenwen KnightKnight The WhiteWhite Dress,Dress, 19991999 CCollectionollection of the StudioStudio Museum in HarlemHarlem

On February 18, 2005 the Harlem community lost one of its most elegant and catalytic ﬁ gures with the death of Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence. She was 91 years old.

LLawrence’sawrence’s life and career exemplifiexemplifi ed that of manmanyy black artists who emerged in the 1930s and 40s. A native ofof BBarbados,arbados, she was part of the West Indian migration that so enriched the character of black life and culture in HHarlemarlem andand thethe UnitedUnited States. SheShe arrivedarrived at thethe age of 7, livingliving fi rst in St. Louis anandd tthenhen HarHarlemlem wwherehere sshehe aattendedttended Wadleigh High School for Girls.Girls. After studyingstudying for two yearsyears at Howard University,University, she returned to Har- lem and became involved with a group of young artists around legendary sculptor Augusta Savage at the Harlem CCommunityommunity Art Center. Eventually,Eventually, Lawrence becamebecame partpart of thethe burgeoningburgeoning art scene, meeting painterspainters JacoJacobb LLawrence,awrence, Romare Bearden, and Charles Alston, as well as writer Claude McKay.McKay. Gwen and Jacob married in 1941 becoming a dynamic couple within the art world. They lived in the fi rst integrateintegratedd co-opco-op in New York,York, traveledtraveled to thethe SouthSouth spendingspending time in New OrleansOrleans andand BlackBlack Mountain CollegeCollege in NorthNorth CaroCarolinalina wwherehere Lawrence was inviteinvitedd to teacteachh by Josef AAlbers.lbers. During tthehe 1960s, tthehe Lawrences sspentpent time in Nigeria and then moved to Seattle in 1971 where they established their fi nal home. While GwenGwen Lawrence was recognized during her lifetime as her husband’s able collaborator particularlyparticularly oonn major publicpublic commissions, sheshe pursuedpursued herher own workwork throughoutthroughout thethe six decadesdecades of theirtheir marriage. Her paint-paintings and graphic works show her interest in form and color and abstraction and fi guration. Her subjects included intimate domesticdomestic scenes, portraits,portraits, stillstill lifelife compositions,compositions, andand laterlater in herher career, evocative studiesstudies of animals,animals, eespeciallyspecially horses.horses. Gwen Lawrence often reminisced about her life in Harlem: dancing with friends at the Savoy, attend-attend- ing concerts andand vaudevillevaudeville shows.shows. Her familyfamily livedlived in thethe same buildingbuilding as actress andand singer EthelEthel Waters andand BBillyilly Strayhorn,Strayhorn, thethe inimitableinimitable collaboratorcollaborator of DukeDuke Ellington.Ellington. WhileWhile thethe Lawrences never realizedrealized theirtheir dreamdream to return to this community which had nurtured them in their formative years, after her husband’s death Gwen LLawrenceawrence was ddeterminedetermined to impactimpact tthehe eeducationducation anandd mentoring of yyoungoung artists in HarHarlem.lem. SShehe estaestablishedblished a foundation in 2000 and in 2004 awarded Studio Museum a grant of $45,000$45,000 over three yearsyears to supportsupport the ART- LLooksooks Program for high school students. Upon her death, she bequeathed $$2million2million to the Studio Museum to ccreatereate andand endowmentendowment to supportsupport thisthis programprogram andand our signature Artist-in-ResidenceArtist-in-Residence pprogram.rogram. HarHarlem,lem, it wouwouldld sseem,eem, was never out of her heart or her mind.

01 16 / proﬁ le Studio / Spring 05 17 / artist commission Studio / Spring 05

A woman with Stepping into These expres- For More Montgomery a vision can not Montgomery sions will be Information be stopped. Harris’s bou- launched by Harris Let’s go back. tique, Jolinda, several addi- Jolinda Inc. One woman’s Inc., is entering tions to the 2312 Seventh ambition a space that Montgomery Avenue, Corner transported her is luxe and brand. She will of 136th Street from St. Louis feminine but soon unveil 212.690.2166 to Paris, where edgy and t-shirts for Open Monday- she overcame unique—all the men. Her well Sunday 1-7 PM racial limita- same words recognized tions becoming that you might iconic signa- Makeba Dixon-Hill, one of the use to describe ture, Jolinda—a Education and Public Programs world’s most this dynamic round black Coordinator versatile enter- powerhouse face with a tainers. One after meeting red polka-dot woman’s talent her. Born in turban and and striking Birmingham, gold hoop beauty carried Alabama, and earrings—will her from trag- educated in also evolve. edy to triumph exhibit display Taken by the as the ‘fi rst’ and fashion social implica- nominated for design at tions of black an Academy the Fashion caricatures Award as Best Institute of created during Actress. And Technology the early1900s, Commissioned / Robert Pruitt one woman’s in New York, Montgomery ingenuity Montgomery’s reclaims, opened a fi rst memories redefi nes and fashion-for- of stylistic remixes the Robert Pruitt was born in 1975 in Houston,Texas ward boutique inspiration are image “with that caters to arts and crafts a wink and a and lives and works there today all shapes and activities dur- smile,” making sizes with only ing her youth. it a unique one prerequi- testament to site—wear it Now with a the resiliency well! store in Harlem and power of and clientele the imagina- including style tion. Based on mavens, such that creative as Halle Berry, vision, she Nia Long, Iman, has extended Erykah Badu Jolinda’s family and Oprah Win- of to include frey, Montgom- Baby Child, ery is extending the family’s her reach by adopted white collaborating daughter. with the Studio Museum on Refl ecting on an inaugural her business installation and creative located in the progression, Museum Store. Montgomery Partnering with says that Sean Rush throughout (www.sean- those times rush.com), inte- “you give your- rior artist and self permission collaborator to shine.” And on her store’s shine she does. whimsical yet mature décor, Montgomery is sure to “create joyful visual expressions.”

photo: Roncallo, 2005 Robert Pruitt / Drop Rule (Welcome 2 the Struggle) Robert Pruitt / Sunra-moon and Stars 020 / feature Studio / Spring 05 021 / Studio / Spring 05

BOBBY

SHORTLowery Stokes Sims

Long-time Studio Museum trustee, singer and perform- child star, Bobby performed in and around Danville, Illi- er Bobby Short, who passed away on March 17, 2005, nois, and joined the vaudeville circuit, where he teamed was celebrated as a national treasure and a living leg- with Louis Armstrong. He soon became known as the end. During his long career he made his reputation as “Miniature King of Swing,” headlined in nightclubs an unparalleled interpreter of the music of Cole Porter, in Manhattan and at the Apollo Theater. Before con- George Gershwin and, Rodgers and Hart. His perfor- tinuing his career, Short returned home to ﬁ nish high mances were distinguished by his delivery and personal school and then worked in Los Angles, London and Par- elan, which made the music accessible to new audienc- is. Success overseas led to an album contract with At- es for cabaret music. lantic Records.

Born September 15, 1924, Short was the ninth of 10 By the mid 1950s Short’s recordings had earned him children in a musically inclined family. By the time he loyal audiences and universal acclaim in the press. In was four, he demonstrated a prodigious talent for play- 1968 he appeared at Town Hall with Mabel Mercer and ing by ear and taught himself to play the piano. As a subsequently appeared in major concert halls all over 022 / feature Studio / Spring 05 023 / Studio / Spring 05 His performances were distinguished by his delivery and personal élan, which made the music accessible to new audiences for cabaret music.

Photo credit: Bruno of Hollywood the United States. It was at this time that he began his Bobby Short joined the board of trustees of The Studio long and legendary run at the Cafe Carlyle in New York Museum in Harlem in 1986 and generously brought his City. Short performed many times at the White House talents and resources to the support of the institution in and expanded his repertoire as a performer and dra- a signifi cant way. His 1999 benefi t evening at the Café matic actor on stage, and in television and in fi lm. He Carlyle earned the Museum $75,000 and in 2001 he bro- appeared in the movies Hannah and Her Sisters and kered a relationship between the Studio Museum and Splash, as well as in the television miniseries Roots and the Peter Jay Sharp Foundation. This relationship re- the on the television drama In the Heat of the Night. sulted in an initial grant of $450,000 to support general Short was nominated for a Grammy for Late Night at operation expenses between 2002 and 2005, and a re- the Cafe Carlyle in 1993, and again in 2000 for You’re newed commitment in 2004 of $800,000 over four years. the Top: Love Songs of Cole Porter. This grant continues to support general operations, exhibitions, and the education program, Expanding the His reputation as a performer often overshadowed his Walls: Making Connections between History, Photogra- contributions as a writer and chronicler of contempo- phy and Community. rary American music. He frequently contributed to various periodicals, and published two memoirs: Black Bobby short left an indelible mark on this institution and White Baby in 1970 and Bobby Short: The Life and and American culture. He will be greatly missed. Times of a Saloon Singer in 1995. He has received an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from Bloomfi eld Col- lege, New Jersey, and was appointed Laureate of the Lincoln Academy in Illinois. On the 100th Anniversary of Cole Porter’s birth, Short was recognized by the composer’s family for his work to preserve Porter’s musical legacy. He was also known for promoting the music of African-American composers, such as Duke Ellington, Eubie Blake, Fats Waller and lyricist Andy Razaf. 24 / catalogue excerpt Studio / Spring 05 25 / Studio / Spring 05

from Chris Oﬁ li: Afro Muses 1995—2005 From She & He by Thelma Golden

The path that led to this exhibition began a few years ago when I had the opportunity to be to preview the paintings in progress in Oﬁ li’s studio for his presentation in the British Pavilion at the 50th Venice Biennale in 2003. While speaking of these paintings that eventually became the phenomenal exhibition Within Reach, we spoke about his watercolors. In a conversation about his process, he explained to me the progression and interconnectedness of his work on paper and his work on canvas. Throughout his career Oﬁ li has concurrently produced several bodies of work simultaneously, linked by image and theme, separated by formal strategies and media.

The watercolors in this exhibition are primarily depictions of men and women, with some images of birds and fl owers. They are created within a strict, unwavering compositional format. The women are rendered straight on or in a three-quarters pose, with a view from the top of their heads to mid-torso fi lling the page. What distinguishes them from the others and creates their individuality, is their hairstyles and dress. Ofi li uses the brush and the watercolor to lovingly adorn these women with fantastical hairstyles, coquettish eyelashes, dazzling jewels and dresses formed of patterns made with colorful calligraphic lines.

Ofi li has described his process in making these works as both pleasurable and challenging. The watercolors began as a meditative ritual, a way to get started in the studio, an exercise–quick, without pressure. Generally, his process starts with a single sheet of paper carefully divided into eight pieces. Some of the watercolors have delicate, almost imperceptible pencil under-drawings that function as an outline or a guide, and in other drawings, these lines morph into patterns from which the fi gure emerges. Ofi li speaks of all of these choices as deliberate ones, and simultaneously acknowledges the artistic pleasures created by the lack of pressure that more formal processes require.

In time, practice became oeuvre. Because of the viscous quality of watercolor, the imagery demands quick resolution. Oﬁ li converts this challenge along with the transparency of the medium into a foundation for the works themselves. Thus, Oﬁ li has created a unique visual vocabulary out of medium and process. While some of the works were the starting point for larger paintings, overall the watercolors are not created strictly as sketches or studies, but as fully realized works of their own.

Thelma Golden is Chief Curator & Deputy Director for Exhibitions and Programs at the Studio Museum.

photo:photo: CourtesyCourtesy of ChrisChris OﬁOﬁ lili 26 / catalogue excerpt Studio / Spring 05 27 / Studio / Spring 05

from Bill Traylor, William Edmondson and the Modernist Impulse by Joseph Henestein

From the Sidewalk to the Institution: The Transformation of Meaning

More than for most “modern” artists, the site of production and the relationship with the local community add an important dimension to the meaning of Traylor’s and Edmondson’s art. First, the division between self-taught and academically informed art-making is of much less importance in the African American community. For both Traylor and Edmondson, their work had little (if any) “artistic” value in the formally aesthetic sense. Comments of both artists about passersby or visitors who bought their works “without needing them” make it clear that both men attributed a practical or utilitarian rather than an “artistic” value to their pieces. Knowing little—if anything—about the mainstream art world, neither Traylor nor Edmondson consciously responded to the traditions of art; however, there can be no doubt that the experience of the aesthetic existed in the everyday life of their respective culture— in the churches, bars, homes, and streets.38 Obviously, their view of art was different from the dominant concept of established European and American culture. Like any other contemporary artist, Traylor and Edmondson drew identity from different sources: from dominant American popular culture by which they were surrounded, from their African American community and its cultural traditions, and, on a deeper, unconscious level, on the African legacy, whose remnants still survived. Both Traylor’s and Edmondson’s art is located in the modern tradition of hybrid non-Western culture and in the precarious territory of “subculture,” the ghetto at the margins of American consumer society.

The question, who actually created meaning for Edmondson’s sculptures and Traylor’s drawings, is crucial, since both artists’ work was catapulted into a context virtually unknown to black artists in that period. Meaning was created ﬁ rst by those who discovered the work and decided to show it in the framework of modern art: white artists, white photographers, white curators, and later on white critics and white collectors. Unlike most “professional” artists, Edmondson and Traylor had little or no control over the process of the production of meaning. Both men’s statements were publicized by reporters unprepared for and unfamiliar with the work. These comments suggest that neither man considered his works as “art” in the strictly Western, modernist sense.

The museum displays further enhanced the process of appropriation, classifi cation, and the transformation and redefi nition of meaning inherent to objects becoming part of the institutional art system. The removal of Edmondson’s sculptures from his yard and of Traylor’s drawings from the sidewalk, where they were created and fi rst presented, changed their meaning. The display of each man’s work in an institutional environment unknown to that artist also altered and redefi ned their content more than is usually the case. The consequence was a reduction and a stripping away of meaning.39

On the other hand, Edmondson’s and Traylor’s artistic ambitions, their creative passion, their interest in showing and selling their works, are fundamentally similar to those of mainstream artists. Most academically trained artists struggle economically and artistically, and even relatively established and successful artists constantly search for the precarious balance between acceptance and independence. When Traylor presented himself to an unknown photographer on the sidewalk surrounded by his drawings (ﬁ g. 8), there was no division between art and life. David Hammons repeated that situation forty-four years later, selling snowballs on the sidewalk in Harlem (ﬁ g. 9). Like Traylor, Hammons used the sidewalk— the place of the beggar, of the street vendor, of the lowest chain in the capitalist trade system— as his platform. Yet, what was natural for Traylor, the use of the sidewalk as the environment for his work, became a conceptual decision for Hammons, based on his profound suspicion of institutional culture. However, both Traylor and Hammons delineate the same status for the artist as a nomad, an independent, highly vulnerable outsider in modern consumer society.

The receptions given both Edmondson’s and Traylor’s work illustrate the inability of the dominant culture to provide the framework to present, discuss, and understand their work. But despite almost insurmountable disadvantages (poverty, old age, and no access to education), Traylor and Edmondson created a highly personal, idiosyncratic work that represents a unique contribution to the visual history of their time.

I am very grateful to Jonathan Fineberg and Jordana Mendelson for their reading of this essay. Many thanks go to Gisela Carbonell-Coll for her excellent research assistance.

For endonotes see catalog pg. 65.

RReprintedeprinted with permissionpermission of copyrightcopyright owner. Further reproductionreproduction prohibitedprohibited without permission.permission. 28 / 3 questions Studio / Spring 05 29 / proﬁ le Studio / Spring 05

I turned on She wrapped In the vein of a Born in Staceyann the television her body litany of literary Montego Chin to Russell around her inspirations, Bay, Jamaica, Laylah Ali Simmons’ Def words that as including Staceyann Poetry Jam and she indicted Audre Lorde, Chin is black there she was the history Toni Morrison, and Asian, an a phenomenal of lesbian T.S. Elliot, Zora activist, perfor- the fi gures are wearing helmets, 03 powerhouse oppression Neale Hurston mance poet, an headdresses or goggles. Who are CYK: could you please describe with a wild afro and celebrated and James original cast these characters and what are nearly as big the complex- Baldwin, Chin’s member of Def your studio environment? their narratives? as her body ity of biracial introduction to Poetry Jam on with words identity. the panoramic Broadway and LA: two large drafting tables; Laylah Ali: The new characters are shaped She com- collection of a steadfast many bright spot lights; a photo of drawn from warriors, pilots, sad by passion manded my poetry edited supporter of john brown without a beard; erupting from attention I was by June Jordan the spoken soldiers, war re-enactors, self-help a photo of serena williams in a dar- her small frame arrested. and fi rst pub- word move- gurus, evangelists, chieftains, and ing tennis outfi t; a photo of me in like oil spurt- lished in 1970, ment. She lives olympic interrupters... People who tight swimming goggles; old, ing from the soulscript: and works in have been blown up but are still big stereo speakers; cd cases piled earth. Smooth, A Collection of Brooklyn. For alive. They are half and quarter on the fl oor; yogurt tops with uncompro- African Ameri- once in my like, breeds, gifted liars, and naked mising and can Poetry has I thanked god mixed paint; half-fi nished pieces vulnerable people. full of intent, fi rmly placed for television. tacked to the walls. Staceyann Chin this woman jumped out among some Sandra P. Jackson 02 Interview by Christine Y. Kim Director of Educa- Associate Curator at the Studio Museum of my televi- of the great- tion and Public CYK: why have you moved to a sion and into est voices to Programs slightly larger dimension for these my heart. emerge from a passion for works? socially rel- 01 evant writing. Christine Y. Kim: Laylah, in your LA: I wanted to see what happened most recent work, you’ve moved if I worked a bit larger and, for me, away from scenes of “greenhead” slightly looser. fi gures and toward more tradi- tional bust-portraits. Some of

New Acquisition / Laylah Ali Untitled / 2004 / Gouache on paper 10 3/8 x 8 3/8 30 / playlist: what artists we love are listening to Studio / Spring 05 31 / check out Studio / Spring 05

Gary Simmons Chris Oﬁ li Nadine Robinson Romare Bearden Wardell Milan Alma Thomas Mike Cloud Norman Lewis Xiomara De Oliver Conjur Woman and Tropicks / 2004 Space / 1966 Slow Drying / 2004 Bonﬁ re / 1962 Javelinas / Gentiles & the Virgin-Mecklen- Collection of the artist Collection of The Courtesy of Max Collection of The Neophytes / 2002 berg /1978 / Collec- / New York Studio Museum in Protetch, New York Studio Museum in Courtesy of RARE, tion of The Studio Harlem, Museum / Harlem, Gift of the New York Museum in Harlem, Purchase and gift from Estate of Norman Museum Purchase, E. Thomas Williams Lewis, 81.1.2 97.9.14 and Audlyn Higgins Williams / 97.9.19

If you like... check out »» Romare Bearden Wardell Milan (born in Knoxville, Tennessee, lives and (1912-1989) work in New York)

CHRIS OFILI PLAYLIST »» 01 ALICE COLTRANE »» 02 MOS DEF »» 03 TALIB QUALI »» 04 JILL SCOTT »» 05 ERIKA BADU »» 06 THE ROOTS »» 07 COMMON »» 08 DEAD PREZ »» 09 OUTKAST »» 10 WAITING FOR OTHER NADINE ROBINSON PLAYLIST »» 01 I WAYNE..THE CD ALBUM »» 02 THE GIFT OF TONGUES (GLOSSALALIA) »» 03 HANDEL’S If you like... check out Alma Thomas Mike Cloud (born in Chicago, Illinois, lives and works in HALLULUJAH CHORUS(MESSIAH) »» 04 BEN, BY MICHAEL (1895-1978) New York) JACKSON »» 05 MAHAGONY, MOVIE SOUNDTRACK »» 06 I LOVE AMERICA, BY THE LIBERTY BAPTIST COLLEGE SING- ERS »» 07 NADINE EXPERT, ALBUM CALLED “EXCUSE ME MONSIEUR”, SONG “TAKE IT EASY NADINE” »» 08 GAG BALL BREAKS..BREAKBEAT “POACHER” PRODUCED BY FUNK- SHITUP RECORDS »» 09 “MUSIC TO LIVE BY”, MOOD MUSIC PRODUCED BY MERCURY

GARY SIMMONS PLAYLIST »» 01 LEE SCRATCH PERRY VER- If you like... check out Norman Lewis Xiomara De Oliver (born in Grand Forks, British Columbia, SUS I-ROY - SENSIMILLA SHOWDOWN »» 02 KING TUBBY’S (1909-1979) Canada, lives and works in New York) IN FINE STYLE »» 03 BEANS - SHOCK CITY MAVERICK »» 04 NAS - STREET’S DISCIPLE »» 05 THE LIBERTINES - DON’T LOOK BACK INTO THE SUN »» 06 RAZORLIGHT - RIP IT UP »» 07 THE CLASH - THIS IS RADIO CLASH »» 08 PIXELTAN - GET UP/SAY WHAT (DFA MIX) »» 09 AUDION - INVOKE THE SWARM »» 10 M.I.A. - GALANG »» BONUS TRACK ALL THINGS NINA SIMONE!!!! 32 / from the collection Studio / Spring 05 April/May/June

m / 25 t / 26 w / 27 th / 28 f / 29 sat / 30 sun / 1 Books + Authors Artists-in-Residence 7 PM Open Studio soulscript: 2–6 PM Artists-in-Residence A Collection of African American Poetry. Open Studio May m / 2 t / 3 w / 4 th / 5 fri / 6 sat / 7 Neighbors Night Tours for Seniors! out at the Studio! 2 PM 5–7 PM Modern Folk! 10 AM May 1 Exploring the Bill Traylor, William Edmonson and the Modernist Impulse exhibition

tues / 10 w / 11 th / 12 fri / 13 Dialogue Poetry @ SMH 7 PM 7 PM Artists, Modernists, Craftsmen: Bill Traylor and William Edmonson

tues / 17 thurs / 19 fri / 20 sat / 21 sun / 22 Dialogue Books + Authors Hoofers’ House Inside/Out Gallery Tour Sunday Salon 7 PM (off-site) 7 PM 7 PM 11 AM 3–5 PM Folk Art Inﬂ uences: Nelson, Jill. Finding Artlooks: A day Contemporary Martha’s Vineyard: in the life of an artist Perspectives African Americans at Home 10 AM – 1 PM on an Island. The 2004-2006 Jacob and Gwendolyn Lawrence Gift Watercolor Works! June fri / 3 sat / 4 Soul Muses Watercolor Works! 7:30 PM 10 AM Exploring the Chris Oﬁ li June 4 Architecture Walking Tours 11 AM Tours for Seniors! 2 PM

tues / 7 fri/ 10 Books + Authors Craig Harris and 7 PM friends performing Marberry, Craig. Cuttin’ Souls within the Veil Up: Wit and Wisdom from 7:30 PM Black Barber Shops.

thurs / 16 sat / 18 The Joanne Books + Authors, Kids Brackeen Quartet 11 AM –1 PM 7:30 PM Featuring Veronica Chambers Community Art Jam 11 AM – 3 PM Juneteenth Celebration!

fri / 24 Hoofers’ House 7 PM Romare Bearden Books + Untitled (Tropical Scene) / 2004 Collection of the Studio Museum in Authors Harlem 97.9.9 33 / evolving the practice Studio / Spring 05 34/ Adult Programs The Studio Museum has Poetry@ SMH a long tradition of present- FRIDAY, MAY 13, 7 PM ing programs that address Don’t miss this evening of poetry and prose as Cave At the Studio Museum, performance is considered as introduced by t he slave masters prevalent issues in contem- Canem poets read work thematically related to the important as a work of art. The live experience plays a criti- to the music and to the instru- ideas and issues presented in our current exhibitions. ments learned the instruments. cal in the expansion and comprehension of contemporary porary art by artists of Noted poets Derrick Weston Brown, Toni Brown, They had to learn fi ngering. They Christopher Stackhouse, and Sheree Renée Thomas art and culture. In his work curator, academic, art critic had to play around with it until African descent. Through and consultant, Joshua Decter often refers the discursive they got familiar. Somebody put will present new compositions inspired by the work of museum—a site for discourse; the notion of a museum the trumpet in Lois Armstrong the Department of Educa- artists Bill Traylor, William Edmonson and Chris Ofi li. as a place that serves as a platform and catalyst for dis- hands and Louis changed music tion and Public Programs, Poetry @ SMH is FREE. Space/seating is available forever, somebody gave Duke cussions about contemporary issues. This understanding Ellington the keys to the piano, we offer a range of activi- on a fi rst-come, fi rst-served basis. Authors will be is fundamental, critical and timely in this moment of our and he changed music forever. I ties and programs that available to sign books after the program. Books are educational practice at The Studio Museum in Harlem. live for the time and I look forward available in the Museum store. to seeing it when these young engage a diverse cross- The Studio Museum in Harlem is proud to offer this For many years, the Museum has been a site used by creators will have fi nished their fi ngering exercises and catering section of artists of various program in collaboration with the Cave Canem Founda- some of the most compelling voices to experiment with Credit: Anthony Barboza to the mass market and begin to tion, Inc. Poetry @ SMH is presented with public new ideas—functioning as a studio for black artists across disciplines, writers, scholars do in movies what Louis and funds provided by The New York City Department of artistic media. Last season, Lyle Ashton Harris presented Duke and the others did in music Ossie Davis and critics who share Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on his experimental performance at the Museum. During so that we have an art form that 1917– 2005 the Arts, a state agency. the summer of 2003, we hosted a rare public conversa- enables and ennobles the human diverse perspectives with “I think movies are important spirit and not pushes it down.” Cave Canem Foundation, Inc. programs and collaborations are made possible by tion between highly acclaimed contemporary artist Kara our audiences. a grant from the New York Community Trust. For more information about Cave Canem Walker and SMH Chief Curator Thelma Golden. For because they engage us at an visit http://www.cavecanempoets. emotional and imaginative The late Ossie Davis in conversa- two years, the galleries have been the home for tap danc- level that is important to our tion with George Alexander ers that have created original choreography in response mental activity. That’s the inside author of Why We Make Movies: to a work of art on view. Audiences have been graced of it. But…movies are important The magic of Cinema at the Studio Museum’s Books + Soul Muses in our space by the voice of late legendary activist, actor because they are made important. Authors program [Insert date]. FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 7:30 PM Ossie Davis during a reading of Zora Neal Hurston’s, Movies belong to the culture of mass communications and mass This evening of soulful music is a testimony to the beauty of black- Now You’re Cookin’ With Gas (hand-picked for him by communications are subject ness seen in Chris Ofi li: Afro Muses. Come out and hear some noted visual artist Betye Saar). And years ago the brilliant to mass manipulations. Movies of NYC most riveting songbirds and let them take you on a journey. musical sounds bellowed from the horn of jazz impresario are the one instrument by which Miles Davis and fi lled the galleries. mass manipulation can most easily take place. Movies are a great source of distraction. The efforts of the Museum’s educational program are Movies help trivialize the culture Inside/Out driven by our desire to serve as a point of entry or vehicle and help make us become for dialogues. We navigate our role as cultural produc- shallow thinkers so when we’re ers of contemporary art by asking diffi cult questions and faced with great crisis we Gallery Tour respond like children. Movies taking the required risks to support new works. Our SATURDAY, MAY 21, 11 AM can be different. Movies are educational mission is to redefi ne how Museums exist entertainment but movies also A best kept secret amongst artists, in the world; to foster experiences that invoke a range can be art. Entertainment Long Island City is now the focus of many of emotions and interactions that reverberate within and trivializes and distracts. Art in the artworld. Put on your walking shoes outside of the Museum context. confronts and tries to lead you to truth. …My great disappoint- and explore a few of the hottest exhibitions ment with movies has always in New York City with SMH Associate been that this great power to Curator, Christine Y. Kim. Participants will communicate has been used in take a look at the work of some of today’s a way that does not enlarge the human spirit but it tends rather most compelling emerging black artists. to minimize it.” Space is limited and available on a fi rst- “My expectation is that this come, fi rst-served basis. Pre-registration young generation here entering is required and early registration is encour- movies now, like the musicians of aged. Please call 212/864/4500 x264 the last century. The blacks fi rst to register. Registration ends May 18. $20 (general public), $15 (members, seniors Sandra D. Jackson and students). Director of Education and Public Programs Public Programs Public Vital Expressions in American Art: Artists-In- Performance @ SMH Residence For more than 20 years, the Studio Museum has presented art and humanities Open Studio programs that enhance, interpret and supplement exhibitions on view. Vital SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2 – 6 PM Expressions introduces and illuminates connections between the visual arts You met them in the fall, and now they and other disciplines through concerts and theatrical and dance performances. have settled in. Join 2004-2005 Studio Museum Artists-in-Residence: William Cordova, Michael Queenland and Marc Andre Robinson, and be among the fi rst to see their progress as they prepare Craig Harris and for the year-end exhibition. Conceived The Joanne Friends performing at the formation of the Studio Museum more than 30 years ago, the A-I-R pro- Souls Within The Veil gram remains central to the Museum’s Brackeen Quartet FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 7:30 PM mission. Free and open to the public. Featuring Ravi Coltrane (Tenor Saxophone) Composed to commemorate the With Rodney Green (Drums) centennial of The Souls of Black Folks – And Ugonna Okegwo (Bass) W.E.B. DuBois’s seminal work – Souls Within the Veil is musician Craig Harris’ THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 7:30 PM Tours For Seniors! endeavor to capture the timeless social Hoofers’ House Are you an elder? Do you like meeting and having One of the long-time sites of the commentary as well as the compositional In honor of the important place of tap dancing JVC Jazz Festival, the Studio Museum craft of DuBois’ writing. This original in Harlem’s history, SMH now serves as a conversations with new people? Well … then it’s time has hosted some of the greatest jazz composition is written for “10 souls using new home for hoofers. Tap dancers – elders to get out and socialize! Spend a Saturday afternoon talents the world has known. This year musical instruments” (consisting of four and young people alike – are invited to take at SMH during these exclusive tours that explore our is no exception as we welcome the current exhibitions. Joanne Brackeen Quartet to the stage. saxophones, two trumpets, one trom- the fl oor at these quarterly jam sessions, Declared “a visionary of extraordinary bone, one bass, and two percussions). accompanied by live music! SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2 PM / SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2 PM depth” by Tony Bennett and “a pianist- Combining improvisation and composi- Seats are available and light refreshments will be composer of phenomenal capacity” by tion into one sound, this performance the late Bill Evans, Brackeen is consis- served. Program for Seniors are FREE. Space/seating will be presented before a backdrop Host: Rashida Bumbray tently ranked by critics and jazz maga- Pre-registration is required and early is available on a fi rst-come, fi rst-served basis. Pre- of images organized by artist, curator, FRIDAY, MAY 20, 7 PM zines as one of the best jazz pianists in registration is encouraged. Please registration is required. Please call 212/864/4500 the world. Her playing is virtuosic and call 212/864/4500 x264 to purchase and scholar Deborah Willis, Phd. This Talented beyond her years, SMH curatorial assis- x264 to reserve a space. wholly unpredictable, dense and richly a seat. $20(at door), $15(advance, is one you’ll surely not want to miss! tant Rashida Bumbray will be at the helm of this jam detailed, rhythmically advanced and seniors and students), $12 (members) session. As usual, Rashida’s roster of fellow dancers consistently, effortlessly swinging. The JVC Jazz Festival is presented by George Wein Seating is limited and available on a fi rst- and Festival Productions, Inc. (insert jvc logo) come, fi rst-served basis. Pre-registration will include some of New York City’s most compel- Seating is limited and available on a ling talents working today. fi rst-come, fi rst-served basis. is required (early registration is encouraged). Please call 212/864/4500 x264 Architectural Walking Tours to purchase a seat. Host: Omar Edwards SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 11 AM This program is co-produced by the Nation of Imagination. Save A Seat FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 7 PM With arrival of spring comes many blue skies and Have you noticed the crowds of people Some know him from hit Broadway productions like sunny days! Explore Harlem with architectural preserva- gathering in SMH’s lobby? We are thrilled Black and Blue and Bring in ‘Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da tionist and Harlem resident John Reddick. Participants that the exhibitions and public programs Funk, and others know him as the young tap dancer will go on an intimate tour of Harlem beginning in have become increasingly popular! If you’ve our galleries and extending to the streets where Reddick ever attended a program, you may have on Showtime at the Apollo. Come out to Hoofer’s noticed that the activities take place in the House and you’ll feel like you know him yourself as will illuminate how many of the concepts seen in our Museum’s galleries or courtyard. As a result he pounds the stage creating unforgettable rhythms current exhibitions are ever-present in Harlem’s histori- there is limited seating. Please be sure and beats. cal landscape. to check the program schedule to see if registration is required. In almost all cases, Hoofers’ House is FREE. Space/seating is available Space is limited and available on a fi rst-come, fi rst- seating is limited and available on a fi rst- on a fi rst-come, fi rst-served basis. served basis. Pre-registration is required and early come, fi rst-served basis. If you ever have a registration is encouraged. Please call 212.864.4500 question, please call 212/864/4500 x264. x264 to register. Registration ends June 1. $20 (general Someone will get back to you within three business days. public), $15 (members, seniors and students) Sunday Salon Featuring Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts, writer Books + Authors: SUNDAY, MAY 22, 3 – 5 PM Referencing Harlem’s rich artistic legacy, Sunday Salon is dedicated to highlighting local musicians, poets, singers, writers, thinkers and performance artists. Inspired by the vast talent just outside of the Museum’s doors, Evenings with Writers & this program celebrates the spirit of Harlem’s historic parlor scene. Join us for an intimate reading and dialogue on new work by an exceptional emerging talent. THURSDAY, MAY 19, 7 PM Others TITLE: Nelson, Jill. Finding Martha’s Vineyard: Join Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts as she reads her original short stories about Harlem. Exposed to the arts at an early age, Sharifa grew up performing as a dancer, making experimental fi lms and writing. Working as a freelance African Americans at Home on an Island. Be sure to arrive early for this already legendary writer and editor, she has published work in the The New York Times, Transitions Magazine, Africana.com and Doubleday: New York, 2004. program featuring some of today’s most compel- The Nation, among others. Currently, Sharifa is working on a book about Harlem. Sunday Salon is FREE and SPEAKERS: Jill Nelson ling authors. Packed to capacity, Books + Authors open to the public. is designed to introduce works by literary masters, About this book: Finding Martha’s Vineyard is about established living authors and emerging writers. the power of place in our lives. A rich treasury of This program also features new titles that explore reminiscences, excerpts from news articles documents black culture locally, nationally and internation- from Martha’s Vineyard Historical Society, recipes Dialogues: Seminars on ally. Sometimes it’s a performance and other and glorious photographs, it brings the sights, sounds, times it’s a straight reading, but there’s always a celebrations and social importance of the island discussion fi lled with rich, diverse perspectives. community brilliantly to life. Contemporary Intersections Each program is followed by a book signing. TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 7 PM Books + Authors is FREE. Space/seating is available on a fi rst-come, fi rst-served basis. Authors TITLE: Marberry, Craig. Cuttin’ Up: Wit and in Art will be available to sign books after the program. Wisdom from Black Barber Shops. Books are available in the Museum store. Doubleday, New York, 2005. This series of conversations will have you talking about the work of SPEAKER: Craig Marberry and other special guests. Bill Traylor and William Edmondson—two noted artists whose work has been SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 7 PM About this book: Crisscrossing the country from well received simultaneously in the modern, contemporary and self-taught Detroit to Orlando, and Brooklyn to Houston, Craig TITLE: soulscript: A Collection of African art worlds. American Poetry, Jordan June, ed. Marberry listened in on conversations that covered everything from reminiscences about the fi rst haircut— SPEAKERS: Poetic powerhouse Staceyann Chin Session I: Session 2: will host an evening of poetry and spoken word a sometimes comic rite of passage—to spirited Artists, Modernists, Craftsmen: Folk Art Infl uences: dedicated to the work of noted and celebrated exchanges about women, to serious lessons in black Bill Traylor and William Edmondson Contemporary Artist Perspectives political poet June Jordan on the occasion of history and current events. His collection of wit and wisdom of patrons and barbers brings together TUESDAY, MAY 10, 7 PM TUESDAY, MAY 17, 7 PM (at the American Folk Art Museum) National Poetry Month. Leslie “ButtaFlySoul” Taylor and others poets will come together for an irresistible and often touching chorus of voices. Join Lowery Stokes Sims (Executive Director of the In this panel discussion three artists, Kerry James this rare occasion. Books + Authors is free and open to the public. Studio Museum in Harlem), Eugenia Carter Shannon Marshall, Faith Ringgold and Alison Saar, will talk with (a collector and supporter of Bill Traylor) and Rusty Brooke Anderson (Director and Curator of the Con- About this book: First published in 1970, soulscript is Freeman (Vice President of the Plains Art Museum in temporary Center at the American Folk Art Museum) a poignant, panoramic collection of poetry from some of North Dakota and a William Edmondson specialist) about how the work of African-American, self-taught the most eloquent voices in the art, edited and organized Carl Hancock Rux reading from Speak, So You Can Speak Again: The Life of Nora for a critical discussion about the work of Bill Traylor artists has informed their work. This program will by the late, revered poet June Jordan. Selected for their Neale Hurston at The Studio Museum Books + Authors program 12.02.04 and William Edmondson. Focusing on the position of continue the conversation from Session I on how literary excellence and by the dictates of Jordan’s heart, self-taught art, also called folk art, in modern art and the work of contemporary trained artists and that of these works tell the story of both collective and personal the art world as a whole, this discussion will interro- self-taught artists intersects in purposeful and often experiences. soulscript features works by Jordan gate assumptions and illuminate connections across unexplored ways. and other luminaries like Gwendolyn Brooks, Countee cultural and academic landscapes. Space is limited and available on a fi rst-come, fi rst-served basis. Cullen, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Nikki Giovanni, Langston Space is limited and available on a fi rst-come, fi rst-served basis. Pre-registration is required and early registration is encouraged. Hughes, Gayl Jines, James Weldon Johnson, Audre Pre-registration is required and early registration is encouraged. Please call the American Folk Art Museum at 212/265/1040 Lorde, Claude McKay, Ishmael Reed, Sonia Sanchez and Please call 212/864/4500 x264 to register for Session I. x160 to register for Session II. Richard Wright, as well as the fresh voices of a turbulent Each session: $10 (general public), $8 (members, seniors and era’s younger writers. students) Both Sessions: $16 (general public), $12 (members, seniors and students) This seminar series was co-organized by The American Folk Art Museum and the Studio Museum in Harlem on the occasion of the Bill Traylor, William Edmondson, and the Modernist Impulse exhibition on view at the Studio Museum thru June 26, 2005, and the Ancestry and Innovation: African American Art From the Collection exhibition Bill Traylor at the American Folk Art Museum on view through September 4, 2005. Untitled (red bird on structure), 1939-1942 Youth Programs Books + Authors: The Studio Museum is Artlooks: A Day in dedicated to creating a safe The Life of An Artist Excerpts environment for youth to The 2004-2006 Jacob And Gwendolyn Lawrence Gift express themselves cre- SATURDAY, MAY 21, 10 AM – 1 PM atively. The Museum hosts Hang out and talk with some of New York City’s contemporary free programs for high artists and hear what they have to say about creating work that refl ects your world. You’ll also get feedback on your own work school age students outside in one-on-one portfolio review sessions specifi cally for teens. of the school environment. Don’t miss your chance to meet working artists while chillin’ These programs offer with your peers! Refreshments will be served. students the opportunity Visit www.studiomuseum.org for updates on artists who will attend! to meet and converse with Call 212/864/4500 x264 with questions or to reserve your space! prominent visual artists, express their ideas in discussions, facilitate tours Excerpt from Cuttin’ Up: Wit and Jordan, June, ed. soulscript: A Col- Nelson, Jill. Finding Martha’s Vine- and hands-on workshops Wisdom from Black Barber Shops. lection of African American Poetry. yard: African Americans at Home on Doubleday, New York, 2005. Harlem Moon: New York, 1970. an Island. Doubleday: New York, 2004. and develop important com- By Marberry, Craig In her essay “Do You Do Well to Be Angry,” We come to Martha’s Vineyard in search of munication and critical African-American men commune at published in the collection of Some of Us as many things as there are visitors: some the barber shop. It’s where we get to be Did Not Die (Basic Civitas Books, 2003) of these overlap, many do not. Yet I am thinking skills. among ourselves, to be ourselves, to she (June Jordan) invites us each to admit: convinced that we all cross the boundaries unmask. More than even the church, Sometimes, I am the terrorist I must disarm. of race, class, age, religion, and geography where reverence for God’s house curbs to come to this island in search of home. ...Three years after September 11, 2001, one’s enthusiasm, the barber shop is where For black Americans, this search for home the allegations and explanations were still we gather for true fellowship, for a respite is perhaps most profound. Most of us have a wet muddle of half-truths and conspiracy from a society where black men are no specifi c, tangible ties to our ancestor’s theories gone wild. I had just, months often scorned and excluded. Barber homeland, the vast continent of Africa. For before, left the Broadway cast of Russell Reginald Attucks called the barber shop the most part, we do not know what region Simmons’s Def Poetry Jam. I lacked the last frontier. or country our ancestors came from, have direction. My fi ngers were still quiet from no inkling of what name or address to put It’s the last public place,” he says, the year I had spent becoming thirty, At Home Activity! on the envelope if we wanted to send a [where] black men can go to be separate.” dealing with the massive changes in my Kitchen Watercolors letter home. Sometimes I think a yearning Jordan Cook 2003 We come for a haircut, of course, but we body, my career, my relationship with Ever wonder where you can get great art for home was implanted in the molecular also come to connect, to converse among Jamaica, and the fact that I had yet to do supplies? Try your own kitchen cabinet! memory of each person chained in the Expanding the Walls brethren—sometimes in spirited debate, anything with the almost three hundred Here’s a quick, safe and fun recipe for making holds of a slave ship as it pulled away from sometimes in jovial accord. We spice our pages of a memoir I had been nursing for WATERCOLOR PAINTS! Student Exhibition the shores of Africa, to be passed down dialogues with braggadocio, poured so at least four years by then. through generations. Language, history, Step 1: Gather your ingredients generously that the air hangs heavy with Every year the Studio Museum take concrete form as the students Alone and silently clawing at myself, for not family and stories may have been destroyed 1 tbsp. vinegar ½ tsp. glycerin witch hazel and testosterone. conducts a search for 15 high school develop and provide public tours to sleeping enough, not eating enough, and or forgotten, but this desire for a home 2 tbsp. baking soda 2 drops food coloring students to participate in Expand- seniors, families and their peers. Governing most exchanges in black barber not writing enough, I mourned the buildings place abides. Our yearning for home is both 1 tbsp. cornstarch 1 tsp. water ing the Walls: Making Connections shops is an unwritten rule: comments and the bodies that had perished there. greatest and least defi ned. We know we’re At the culmination of the program, Step 2: Mix them. Between Photography, History and shared with the group must both entertain To make sense of my own tacit listlessness, looking for it, can’t describe it, but will know the participants organize a group In bowl mix baking soda and vinegar. When Community. In turn, the Museum and enlighten. Proverbs must merge I decided to read what June had written it when we get there. exhibition of their photographs along- the mixture stops foaming, add the cornstarch becomes the most personal venue with punch lines, comedy with profundity. of it. And wham! Broad as daylight−there, side those of James VanDerZee. The and glycerin, then the food coloring to make for teenagers to engage contempo- Those unskilled in the art of being one part sat the ultimate challenge. I had to rewind images in this exhibition will refl ect the color you want. If the mixture is too thick, rary artists and develop their humorist and one part sage bite their and read it again. subjects that investigate represen- just add few drops of water. Store the paint in own artistic practices while inves- tongues and play the role of audience. tations of identity, family tradition, Sometimes, I am the terrorist I must disarm.” a tightly covered jar when you’re not using it tigating the concept of community. cultural infl uence, the effects of From the Author’s Note (page 3) of By exploring the work of James From the newly added introduction to Step 3: Paint your heart out! gentrifi cation and the symbolism of Cuttin’ Up: Wit and Wisdom from Black VanDerZee—Harlem’s pre-eminent soulscript written by Staceyann Chin. Chin Now that you’ve made your own watercolors, portraiture. This presentation of black Barbershops by Craig Marberry photographer—and learning 35-mm will be the host of the Studio Museum’ it’s time to use them! Ask a family member to and white photographs will highlight photography, the students discuss Books+Authors program featuring a sit while you paint their portrait. Be sure to the participants new-found under- how community can be defi ned running list of poets paying homage to June use thick paper (so that it doesn’t rip). When standing of imagery and how it can and redefi ned through personal Jordan on Saturday, April 30 at 7pm. you’re done, create a frame and give your expand the defi nition of community. paintings as gifts! identity, social history and contemporary imagery. These explorations This recipe was adapted from foodfunandfacts.com 42 / profi le Studio / Spring 05 Family Programs Books + Authors, Kids Christopher You can say Family photo- A storyteller If you look The Studio Museum in that Christoper graphs were dad (and at any of Featuring Veronica Chambers Myers Myers’ interest also important, granddad)—no Christoper’s Harlem acknowledges the in the arts especially a wonder Chris- books, it’s easy SATURDAY, JUNE 18 FROM 11 AM – 1 PM and children’s particular black toper became to see how his need for families to spend books is a & white image an artist and past, especially When Celia Cruz was a this wonderful artist. But more family tradition. of his grandfa- children’s book his childhood time together. Nurturing girl growing up in Cuba, she than that, this story encourages His father, Wal- ther. “He was a illustrator! interest in could never hear the magic young people to recognize their ter Dean Myers, storyteller. Christoper found objects bonds between parents is a famous His thick, dark, began his fi rst and old photos, and their children through art, others claimed was in her greatness, even when they have children’s book calloused art classes affects his voice. When she opened up doubts. Meet the author and author, and hands told at 13. His work. Instead the Museum offers programs her mouth to sing, she heard illustrator, learn salsa dancing Christoper’s stories,” Chris- introduction of drawing interest in toper says. to children’s or painting and activities that allow a girl like any other. But when and have your book signed! images came “My father tells books came to illustrate a she sang… Her father heard Then hang out in our galleries from objects stories. I tell when he story, he makes families to share in the cre- thunder. Her cousins heard or across the street at the State and photos his stories.” helped his collages of parents found father with photographs, ative process. Bring the the call of the sea. Her neigh- Offi ce Building Plaza for our at auctions and research for cut paper, bors heard a hummingbird. Juneteenth Celebration. Azúcar! fl ea markets. one of his bits from family and explore our books. Chris- magazines and This is a special session is offered in conjunction toper illus- objects to take exciting exhibitions. Become Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa with the Third Annual Juneteenth Celebration. is a wonderful new children’s trated his fi rst children on a an artist in a hands-on book, Shadow journey. book by author Veronica of the Red workshop and create works Chambers, and a great addition Moon in 1996, For all his to any child’s library. Vibrantly when he was hard work, of art with your kids! Family 20, and in 1998 Christopher illustrated by Julie Maren, it he partnered has won many programs are designed traces Señora Cruz’s life from with his father awards, includ- a young girl in Havana, Cuba, to illustrate ing a Caldecott for families with children Harlem. Honor and a ages 5-10 years old. to an international songstress. Coretta Scott It’s a great way to introduce King Honor, These programs are FREE. children to geography, history but his creative energy doesn’t Pre-registration is required. and politics through the life of stop with children’s books. Christopher is also a fi ne artist and clothing Watercolor Works! designer. Exploring The Chris Ofi li: Modern Afro Muses Exhibition SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 10 AM Activity: Wacky Watercolor Works Folk! Paint + Water + Chris Ofi li = fabulous portraits! Take a look at William Edmondson Ofi li’s watercolor paintings and then try your hand at painting Jack Johnson 1934-1941 in our experimental watercolor workshop. There’s so much you can do with a brush and your imagination!

Exploring The Bill Traylor, William Edmonson, and The Modernist Impulse Exhibition SATURDAY, MAY 7, 10 AM Activity: Carved Sculptures Do you have to go to art school to be an artist? Bill Traylor and William Edmonson didn’t think so! Come out and explore the work of these self-taught artists, and create your own “folk” inspired sculpture!

Photo: Courtesy of the Artist 43 / add color! Studio / Spring 05 44 / from the collection Studio / Spring 05

Martin Puryear Avey / 2000 Collection of The Studio Museum in Harlem 01.8.7

Created exclusively for The Studio Museum in Harlem © Christopher Myers, 2005 45 / studio visit Studio / Spring 05 46 / overheard Studio / Spring 05 Kwabena Slaughter Brooklyn, New York March 26, 2005 “” “...our survival skills through aesthetics and adornment have made us feel good on the inside and helped us stand a little taller on the outside...How do you connect what makes us feel so good with what could become a prison of sort?” Noted fashion expert Lloyd Boston on blacks and style at the Studio Museum Books + Authors program in conversation with Carol Tulloch, scholar and curator of the Black British Style exhibition at the Victoria an Albert Museum in London 11.11.05 “One of the problems that African American artists, or I 01 / Kwabena Slaughter 02 / Kwabena Slaughter Dancing in Yellow, 2004 Water Street, 2004 would say non-white artists in general, have to deal with is Courtesy of the artist Courtesy of the artist 01 the notion that their work always has more social relevance Slaughter also photographs outdoors using unique camera tech- than it has aesthetic relevance.” niques. On a typical sunny afternoon in DUMBO, Slaughter can be found on Water Street with his handmade, mechanical, 35-mm cam- Artist Kerry James Marshall on the challenge of developing a black aesthetic during the Studio Museum Artist’s Voice public program 11.19.04 era on a tripod. In one long exposure using daylight slide fi lm, he manually pulls the length of the fi lm through the camera, capturing “We’re constantly trying to express ourselves and understand pedestrians, motorists and bikers in one long shot. The single trans- parent image extends the length of an adult’s arm span. who we are. So we’re constantly trying to pull all of these An obsessive notekeeper and hero of trial-and-error mechanical processes, this 29 year old artist has studied theater, performance and pieces from everywhere, just to say this is who I am. Unless visual arts. He received his BA in Fine Arts from Oberlin College in Ohio in 1998 and his MFA from the University of Chicago, in 2001. you’re trying to say, this is who I’m not. For me there is a He has been living in New York since 2003. 02 black aesthetic, but it’s a part of trying to fi nd that expres- Christine Y. Kim, associate curator

In a windowless studio at an alternative gallery space called Smack sion of who I am.” Mellon, Kwabena Slaughter builds stage sets out of wood, paper, Dancer & Choreographer, and Artistic Director of Evidence, Ronald K. Brown on the black aesthetic at Studio Museum pubic program Intersections: Conversations on Art + Culture in rugs and other materials. They serve as backdrops for his enigmatic conversation with and SMH director of education + public programs, Sandra D. Jackson 1.6.05 photographs of moving fi gures and fl ying carpets. The oddly fl attened perspectives and colorful, storyboard scenes suggest a strong inter- “Black space is a state of mind related to the environment.” est in non-western perspective and narrative structure. “My work,” Victor Body-Lawson, Principal, Body Lawson Associates, in panel discussion “Black Space: Architecture, Race and Cultural Identity” at explains Slaughter, “is motivated by a historical question: if photog- New York Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Design 2.17.05 raphy is an outgrowth of the development of linear perspective in Renaissance painting, how would the medium be different if it grew directly from pre-Renaissance painting?” Jumping from Medieval “The written poem and rap and all these kinds of things are and non-western perspectives to modern photography, the angled theater sets, curved skateboard ramps, and skewed fi gures are part the attempt to get close to and near poetic expression. They of a scientifi c inquiry and sociological conundrum. are not in my opinion the thing that is poetry--that is fl eet- ing, and slippery and disappearing and moving at every second. Dance is an attempt at poetry. The poem... is the swing of the back.” Thomas Sayers Ellis reading from The Maverick Room at the Studio Museum Books + Authors program 2.11.05 47 / from the collection Studio / Spring 05 48 / 3 questions Studio / Spring 05 Dr. Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) These Few Favorite Things Composer Musician / www.dbrmusic.com

my work since I moved here in 03 January 1997. In Harlem, we walk RB: What are your infl uences? differently than anyone else that I have known or seen. We walk with DBR: My infl uences are as open pride and a sense of place and pur- and varied as any country or pose. We walk as though we know any place that I have been to or where we are going and where we hope to travel to. I could easily have been. We walk with an infi nite list several names that might give sense of direction. In this, as meaning to this question but a composer, Harlem has given my a list can’t convey the feeling of a music that same sense of pace, wonderful, fluid conversation; direction, and trajectory. My music the warm chill of mutual attrac- isn’t just faster or funkier—it has tion; the instant recognition of a form and clarity that was missing an elder’s prophetic words; the before I lived in Harlem. simple beauty of pedestrian movement; the fi rst time you hear that 02 new album or see that new video RB: What do see as the connection by an old favorite; the necessity of Photo: Courtesy of the Artist a substantive conversation; and ice- between the visual art and music? cream, chocolate and sugar smacks DBR: Both require a frame. Both at midnight. These few favorite 01 things, and everything more, infl u- Rashida Bumbray: What is the have lines. Both acquire a captive audience. Both refl ect and record ence me and the music. infl uence of Harlem on your work Rashida Bumbray, curatorial assistant and practice? history. Both have meaning beyond words. The visual arts and music Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) has been commis- Daniel Bernard Roumain: Har- are both immediate and require time sioned to compose a sound work for the lobby of the and attention to be appreciated. Studio Museum. This sonic experience can be heard lem’s history, rhythms and spirit throughout the exhibition season. have informed and infl uenced Both change and can change you.

DEFINED (so you know)

afro af·ro: Perfectly round, lopsided partially braided, tightly curled or loose, the afro gained widespred popularity in the 1970s. For some it was simply a fashion statement, while for others it was an expression of cultural identity.

folk art fo¯k ärt: A term originally used to categorize works of art made by artists or artisans without formal or academic training in ﬁ ne art; pertaining to the aesthetics of early 20th-century art for or about one’s community. Words such as untrained, outsider, folk and naïve are often improperly used to deﬁ ne these artists or their work.

modernism mod·ern·ism: An art movement of the late 19th and early 20th cen- turies associated with artists who made conscious decisions to depart from tradi- tional forms and practices of art-making by exploring innovative uses of materials and forms of expression.

Shanta Scott, Museum Educator/Internship Cordinator Mickalene Thomas, Mama Bush triptych (detail), 2003 Robert Colescott Courtesy of the artist Auver-sur-Oise / 1982 Gift of Raymond J. Learsy and Gabriella DeFerrari, New York 88.5 49 / harlem: where we’re at Studio / Spring 05 50 / harlem: where we’re at Studio / Spring 05 the Exclusive Eight Social Club (8 number runners), which threw some of the best dances in Harlem along with the top-notch acts of the time, including King Curtis while his hit song, Soul Twist, was on the radio. “I bought the Lenox Lounge in 1988 out of a commitment to Harlem—a commitment to my upbringing in Harlem. I also had the insight to know that Harlem was going to come back. My goal was not money. My goal was to keep history alive—to keep the experience alive and create opportunities for people to meet people. These things are what make memories. This year has great signiﬁ cance for Mr. Reed and for the Lenox Lounge—both turn 65 and both look better than ever.

The Art in Commerce By John T. Reddick There are few establishments in Harlem that rival the distinctive facade and graphic signage of the Lenox Lounge, located at 288 Lenox Avenue just south of 125th Street. Constructed in 1939, its exterior and interior design are hallmarks examples of the Mod- erne style, and owe much to the streamlining theories of designer Raymond Loewy and the design currents Photo by Michael Queenland of 1939, which ranged from the architecture of the New York World’s Fair to Cedric Gibbons’ sets for the Coming Of Age: “Emerald City” in the fi lm The Wizard of Oz. The Lenox Lounge and its The white neon letters of LENOX LOUNGE sign are set Owner Turn 65 against panels of chrome and maroon, a trendy combina- tion that was seen in classic Cadillacs and, Studebakers. More than likely, anyone who visits Harlem, regularly The durable panels and their glossy baked enamel fi nish will spend a few hours at the legendary Lenox Lounge. are borrowed from automobile and diner construction Whenever I visit this historic bar, I make it my busi- technologies of the era. The interior light columns that ness to talk to its Harlemite Mr. Alvin Reed. I confess, frame the lounge bar and banquettes are composed of my motivation is selfi sh—I love stories – but, Mr. Reed frosted glass fi ns that conduct light from a hidden source is one of the most engaging urban griots around. to their glowing. From dancing at some of the most influential nightclubs The lounge’s music and dining area, dubbed the Zebra in Harlem’s history and listening to some of the best jazz Room offered a certain brazen chic when the lounge musicians play live, to posing for Harlem’s preeminent pho- “appropriated” a distinctive zebra pattern wallpaper remi- tographer, James VanDerZee, Mr. Reed has life long love niscent of the famed downtown club, El Morocco. The pat- affair with the streets of Harlem, and a lot to say about it. tern was such a signature backdrop in countless newspaper photos of socialites and celebrities that El Morocco sued to Mr. Reed has incredible memories such as joining the prevent its use. service just to get an ID that can make anyone stay at the John T. Reddick works on architectural preservation, planning and public art in Lenox Lounge for hours on end. As I walked down memory New York City. He serves on Community Board #9 in Manhattan and is the Direc- lane with Mr. Reed his recounted his days as a member of tor of the Central Park Conservancy’s Cityscape Program.

Staff Picks There comes a time in every- Walking into Aunt Meriam’s one’s life when they take diffi - 435 West 125th Street / Makeba G. Dixon-Hill / Education and cult but necessary steps: from 212.531.0322 transports me to Public Programs Coordinator mom and dad’s house to dorm a time of handmade petticoats room to best friend’s couch and donning your Sunday’s best and fi nally to your fi rst apart- ment! Now that I have theo- to go to the movies. This vintage retically checked that off my thrift store offers a unique selec- “now you’re grown” list, was tion of goods that range from a for me to explore my neigh- signed Purlie handbill, hand- borhood. Since I work, play stitched linen handkerchiefs and and eat in Harlem, I am all too 60s-era cameras to metal keep- aware of its charm and abili- sake boxes, gold charm bracelets ty to merge hustle with seren- and crystal decanters. ity, extravagance with bar- gains, North with South and old with new. 51 / harlem: where we’re at Studio / Spring 05 52 / harlem: where we’re at Studio / Spring 05

Photos: John T. Reddick

The recent opening at Harlem merous options can leave you Seventh Avenue/ 212.690.2166 / And while we’re speaking of se- Vintage 2235 / Frederick overwhelmed. But before beads jolinda-nyc.tripod.com/jolinda. cret ingredients...the Louisi- Douglass Boulevard/ 212.866. of sweat set up shop on your html / jolinda-nyc.tripod.com/ ana Bean Soup at (Soupman WINE / www.harlemvintage. brow, the helpful and friendly jolinda.html offers many an- Café 2046 Seventh Avenue/ com signaled a shift in what staff will answer all your ques- swers to the one question every 212.666.7551) will have you could be a successful business tions, and make fi ne recommen- woman has: what should I wear? coming back for morelong af- in Harlem. And successful it is! dations—cheers! While, Hats By Bunn 2283 Sev- ter you’ve left smiling from the This wine shop, which bills it- enth Avenue / 212.694.3590 / bright décor, lighthearted con- self “Harlem’s wine experience,” Whether looking for the right www.hatsbybunn.com gives the versation and cornbread that’ll not only offers a varied selection outfi t for a night on the town or secret ingredient that will shift make you want to...well you of libations appropriate for that that hot item to make your dai- your look from blah to ahh with know the rest. celebratory dinner or quiet eve- ly uniform of shirt and pants creatively chic creations that ning at home, but also, and more funky, all roads lead to Seventh will get your friends (and admir- importantly several of the wines Avenue! With feminine dresses ers) talking. come from black-owned vine- in bold colors and one-of-a-kind yards. Be far warned: the nu- handbags, Montgomery 2312 Photos by Ray Llanos Ray by Photos 53 / from the collection Studio / Spring 05 54 / shop! Studio / Spring 05 Museum Store Looking to create the defi nitive collection of volumes about artists of African Descent? Visit the Studio Museum in Harlem Store! Jamie Glover, our store manager, and his team keep on top of all the new titles. Stop in often to see what’s new.

e ines th m the t exam s – fro onﬂ ic n year and C ing te e end adition spann n to th Tr ages hingto epth cant im n Was n in-d signiﬁ arch o vides a ntal M d pro litics nume m – an rary po mo Vietna tempo ar in of con of the w pact f the im artists ount o erican acc of Am works on the We end! omm Rec

William Pope. L Black People are the Tie that Binds / 2004 - 2005 Courtesy of Projectile, New York 55 / shop! Studio / Spring 05 56 / beneﬁ t Studio / Spring 05 Folk Art Spring Beneﬁ t 2005

The 2005 Contemporary Friends Spring Beneﬁ t is just around the corner. Have you reserved your tickets yet?

Every spring the Contemporary Friends SMH’s Bill Traylor Item# 3305 young professional membership group host an Price: $ 48.00 Members: $ 40.80 Souls Grown Deep Vol.1 Souls Grown Deep Vol.2 annual Spring Beneﬁ t to raise awareness of the Sister Gertrude Morgan Dox Thrash Item# 1924 Item# 1434 Item# 3596 Studio Museum in Harlem and funds to support the Item: 1445 Price: $ 100.00 Members: $ 85.00 Price: 100.00 Members: $85.00 Price: $35.00 Members: $ 29.95 Price: $ 50.00 Members: $ 42.50 Museum’s education and public programs.

Don’t miss out on this see and be seen evening of dancing and lounging at New York City’s newest Comtemporary African Photography hot-spot, BED New York! This year’s Honorary guests are Tracy Reese and Hill Harper and Beneﬁ t co- Chairs include Corey Baylor and Racquel Chevre- mont Baylor, Marsha Guess, Idris Mignott and Holly Phillips and Jose Tavarez.

As of April 1, 2005 our sponsors include Uptown Magazine, Mercedes Benz, Fendi, Katrina Parris Flowers and W Hotel.

To purchase tickets for this event or for information Malik Sidibe: Photographs about joining Contemporary Friends, Item# 3542 Samuel Fosso Journey Of The Spirit Price: $ 70.00 Members: $ 59.50 Item# 3559 please contact us at 212.864.4500 x221 or Item# 3976 Flash Afrique Price: $ 39.95 Members: $ 33.95 Item# 2793 Price: $ 22.00 Members: $ 18.70 [email protected]. Insight: African Photographers Price: $ 19.95 Members: $ 16.95 Item# 3021 Price: $ 35.00 Members: $ 29.75

Photos by Ray Llanos Hip Hop

Ask the Doreen A. Malliet Ann Jackson Ask a A visitor once told me I have a good voice The Studio Museum in The Studio Museum’s Volunteers: Museum for radio. Harlem represents the exhibitions, Artists-in- Guard: arena in which black art- Residence Program, If you could organize an exhibition, what would Christopher Beck ists in America and actu- school programs, lectures, Norris Robinson it be? As a contemporary artist, ally throughout the world acclaim recognitions, I feel the unique con- are given a center stage social nights enrich not What’s been your favorite Jacob Lawrence with nection that the Studio and not just a corner, a only the lives of thoses exhibition since you’ve William H. Johnson All City: been at the Museum? The Book About Taking Space Museum has with living wall, or a room. The Mu- living in the Harlem Com- Item# 3659 artists. The artist-in-resi- seum is about black art munity, but those living in Challenge of the Modern: Price: $ 18.59 Members: $ 15.80 VX: 10 Years of Photography Where’d You Get Those Item# 3155 Hip Hop Files dence program provides a – the interpretation of our the community at large. African-American Artists Item# 3152 Auto Graf Item# 3631 Price: $ 40.00 Members $ 36.00 Item# 3882 fantastic opportunity and world view. As a Studio 1925-1945 Price: $ 35.00 Members: $ 29.95 Price: $ 39.95 Members: $ 33.95 Serving as a volunteer at Price: $ 29.95 Members: $ 25.45 foundation in the develop- Museum in Harlem vol- The Studio Museum in What’s the most inter- ment of up and coming unteer, I get to enjoy the Harlem has contributed esting thing someone artists. has said to you at the art as well as the people in a large measure, to my Museum? behind the scenes who life long interest in and pull it all together. knowledge of art.

Yes Yes Y’all Item# 4021 Price: $ 29.95 Members: $ 25.45 Subway Art Item# 3592 And It Don’t Stop: Hip-Hop The Art Of Getting Over Price:$ 22.00 Members: $ 18.70 Journalism of The Last Item# 3591 Back in The Days Item# 3899 Price: $ 29.95 Members: $ 25.45 Item# 1512 Price: $ 16.00 Members: $ 13.60 Price: $ 35.00 Members: $ 29.95 Spring/Summer 2005 Donors General Special Visitor Museum Hours Yes! I want to be a Membership Wednesday–Friday, 12–6pm Membership Groups Information Saturday, 10am–6pm Special Thanks member of Sunday, 12–6pm Individual $50 Members of the Director’s Circle Address The Museum is closed on Monday, The Studio Museum in Harlem thanks the following funders (Fully tax deductible) and Curator’s Circle are the high- 144 West 125th Street Tuesday and major holidays. for their generous support during the last two quarters. • Free admission to SMH for one. est level of Individual membership The Studio Museum in New York, New York (Gifts of $1,000 and above only). • 5% discount on all Museum Store and the starting point for people Admission purchases. with increased interest in access 10027(between Malcolm Suggested donation: Harlem for: • Members’ only discount shopping to artists and the art world. These X and Adam C. Powell, Jr. days. exclusive membership groups have $7 (adults), $3 (seniors and $100,000 and above $4,999 to $1,000 Blvds.) • Members’ discount on select been instrumental in contributing students). Free for members to the success of SMH and pro- Altria Group, Inc. New York City Daniel & Judia Black education and public programs. General Info and children (12 and under). • Invitations to opening reception of vide vital support for the Museum’s Department of Cultural Affairs New York phone: 212 864.4500 1st Saturdays are FREE! Lee C. Bollinger exhibitions. exhibitions and programs. State Council on the Arts fax: 212 864.4800 Mary & George Campbell, Jr. • New! Discounts at select Harlem The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation Director’s Circle $2,500 www.studiomuseum.org Consulate General of the restaurants. 1 year renewal gift ($2,135 tax deductible) Netherlands, New York Media Contact $99,000 to $50,000 Family/Partner $75 • Visits to private collectors’ homes Gordon & Peggy Davis 212.864.4500 x213 (Fully tax deductible) and/or viewings of their collec- Public funds from the New York State Anne B. Ehrenkrantz [email protected] All the preceding benefi ts, plus: tions. NAME OF MEMBERSHIP HOLDER Offi ce of Parks, Recreation & Historic Madeleine & William Johnson • Free admission for two adults at • Behind-the-scenes tours and talks with art connoisseurs and curators. Public Programs Info Preservation made available by the offi ce Nancy L. Lane the same address and children Senator David A. Paterson NAME OF ADDITIONAL MEMBER (FAMILY/PARTNER LEVEL MEMBERS AND ABOVE) • Annual dinner with SMH Executive 212 864.4500 x264 The Leonard & Evelyn Lauder Foundation under eighteen years of age. Peter Jay Sharp Foundation Director. Jane K. Leonard Supporter $100 • Advanced announcement of 2004/2005 Exhibition Fund ADDRESS Dr. Michael L. Lomax ($70 tax deductible) special travel programs organized by SMH. $49,999 to $25,000 Merrill Lynch Matching Gift Program All the preceding benefi ts, plus: CIT Y STATE ZIP • One complimentary ticket to an • Invitations to unique events for Gregory R. Miller Melva Bucksbaum & Raymond Learsy education or public program. Director’s Victoria Sanders & Associates LLC Circle only. Directions Elaine Dannheisser Foundation WORK PHONE HOME PHONE Associate $250 Warsh-Mott Funds Curator’s Circle $1,500 MetLife Foundation ($200 tax deductible) subway: Public funds from the New York State National Endowment for the Arts EMAIL ADDRESS All the preceding benefi ts, plus: ($1,285 tax deductible) Offi ce of Parks, Recreation & Historic • A visit to private collector’s home A C B D New York Times Company Foundation Preservation made available by the • Special SMH gift. and/or tour. offi ce of Assemblyman Keith L. Wright • Free admission for one guest when 4 Joel and Anne Ehrenkranz/ Werblow • Behind-the-scenes tours and talks 2 3 5 6 Foundation Anonymous Special Membership Groups accompanied by an SMH member. with art connoisseurs and curators. to125TH Street. J.P. Morgan Chase Director’s Circle $2,500 Curator’s Circle $1,500 Donor $500 • Annual dinner with SMH Chief Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence ($425 tax deductible) Curator. All the preceding benefi ts, plus: • Advanced announcement of bus: Richard J. Schwartz Corporation Contemporary Friends • One complimentary copy of an special travel programs organized M-2, M-7, M-10, M-100, M-102, or BX-15. TishmanSpeyer Properties Couple $300 Individual $200 SMH by SMH. Wachovia Foundation catalogue. Contemporary Friends Parking is available at the Municipal Garage at 126th St General Membership Groups • Four guest passes for friends and $24,999 to $10,000 families. (ages 21–40) Contemporary between Malcolm X and Adam C. Powell, Jr. Blvds. Benefactor $1,000 Family/Partner $75 • Annual invitation to a behind-the- Friends is a dynamic membership The Center for Arts Education group of young professionals who Donor $500 Individual $50 scenes Citigroup Foundation tour of an SMH exhibition led by a contribute to many new and exciting Associate $250 Student $20 initiatives at SMH. The Contempo- Jerome Foundation Museum Curator. Supporter $100 rary Friends represent the future in LEF Foundation Benefactor $1,000 charitable giving at the Museum. Nathan Manilow Foundation ($835 tax deductible) Members host an annual spring ben- Payment Method efi t to raise funds to support SMH’s 135TH ST Mondriaan Foundation, Amsterdam All the preceding benefi ts, plus: I have enclosed my check • Special invitations to Benefactors education and public programs. In Corine Pettey return for their support, Contem- (make check payable to The Studio Museum in Harlem) behind-the-scenes tour of SMH Pfi zer, Inc. exhibitions led by the show’s cura- porary Friends receive Individual Helena Rubinstein Foundation Please bill my tor. members benefi ts, plus: • Discount tickets to Contemporary CONVENT AVE Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation American Express MasterCard Visa • One complimentary catalogue from a major SMH exhibition. Friends Spring Benefi t $9,999 to $5,000 • Two complimentary tickets to an • Guided galleries tours education or public program. • An exclusive program of activities and special events.

Kathryn C. Chenault • Free admission for two guests FREDERICK DOUGLASS BLVD NAME OF CARDHOLDER • Behind-the-scenes tours of SMH Pippa Cohen when accompanied by an SMH member. exhibitions. ADAM CLAYTON POWELL JR. BLVD Ehrenkranz Family Foundation ADDRESS Individual $200 Marty & Rebecca Eisenberg Student $20 A 2 4 (Fully tax deductible) ($175 tax deductible) Eileen Harris Norton and the C 3 125TH ST 5 CIT Y STATE ZIP A copy of valid student ID must Peter Norton Family Foundation Couple/Partner $300 be submitted with membership B 6 Holly Phillips & Jose Tavares ($250 tax deductible) WORK PHONE HOME PHONE application of renewal. (For two people at the same D Barbara Shuster • Free admission to SMH for one. address) • 15% discount on all Museum ST Joyce A. Wein CARD NUMBER E XP. DATE Store Matching Gifts N I Young & Rubicam CH purchases. Do you work for a company that OLAS Milton & Nancy Washington SIGNATURE • Members’ only discount shopping has a matching gift program? If so,

Jide J. Zeitlin days. you can increase your gift to The AV • Members’ discount on select Studio Museum by simply request- E AVE

Thank you for your support and welcome to The Studio TH

education and public programs. ing a matching gift program form MALCOLM X BLVD 5 MADISON AVE PARK AVE LEXINGTON AVE Museum in Harlem! • Invitations to opening reception of from your employer. exhibitions. For gifts of stock or other contribu- The Studio Museum in Harlem offers the best way to tions, please call the Development explore African American culture and the latest trends in con- ofﬁ ce at 212.864.4500 x223. temporary art! James Van Der Zee At the Beach, 1920s courtesy Donna Mussenden Van Der Zee