WOW 2013 has come & gone!

     It's hard to believe 2013 has come and is nearly over!!!!! Wow, time flys when you spend your days doing things you love and working towards your goals.  Blk-Art, history & Culture has had a wonderful year.  We did the film screening of "Sisters of Selma" at the MLK Library and the week long "Adventures in African American Art" workshop for the Washington Park Library, we were on the PBS program Black Nouveau twice (Feb & June), once to promote our programing and once to promote the 30 Americans/Wisconsin 30 exhibition at the Milwaukee Art Museum.  I was honored to volunteer for the African American Art Alliance during the run of the exhibition!  We partnered with the Community Arts & Funk Festival, SDC and the ManPower Group  in March to offer the "Cultural Enrichment" segment  for the 2013 Black Knowledge Bowl.  What a wonderful time that was!  In July, Blk-Art, history & culture did the 3 week Summer Academy for the Pathways to College program.  We had an art filled time visiting an artist at work, some public art which included a tasty Mexican Restaurant, and Ms. Helen Baylor's beautiful Garden.  In October Blk-Art, history & culture partnered once again with the Community Arts & Funk Festival and Mount Mary University to put together a celebration honoring 25 African American women in the arts community, "Sisters of Creativity" was a beautiful night!  And most recently we traveled to Washington DC to visit the MLK Monument and enjoy some art at the Smithsonian.  Saw some fabulous African and Japanese art and saw a Kerry James Marshall exhibition at the national Gallery of Art.  I was blessed to be able to spend some Thanksgiving time with a very dear friend of 15 years, Cindy, who spoiled me rotten while I was there.
     There were some fabulous films to see and documentaries to watch this year as well.  The Butler, Fruitville Station, 12 Years a Slaves and of course the PBS special African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross. To name a few.  Blk-Art, history & Culture also continued the "Black Cinema Series" with the Washington Park Library on a monthly basis and it continues into 2014. Go to www.mpl.org to see the list of films.  Our next film is on Wednesday, December 18th @ 530 pm. we will be showing "Strange Fruit" which explores the lyrics to the song Billie Holiday made famous.  Our audience is growing and so is our menu!  For this film we will be serving my very own chili, hot apple cider and holiday treats.  I've also fallen in love with this CD "Pushing Against The Stone"  by Valerie June, love it.  You can go to www.valeriejune.com to listen to clips and buy the CD.  Another thing I am really proud of is the display Blk-Art, history & culture did at the African American Women's Center.  We displayed the colleges the participants of the 2012 & 2013 Black Knowledge Bowl made along with a huge Barack Obama instillation using much of the memorabilia I've been collecting over the years.  We also enjoyed the very informative Marquette University lecture of Craig Steven Wilder author of "Ebony & Ivy Race, Slavery and the Troubled History of America's Universities."  Another book I must have!!!!!
     On a personal note, I've returned to school and have been doing very well; however I've decided to shift gears and focus my studies in the more concentrated area of African American Studies.  So much to learn!!!!!  It's been a very busy, productive year and the plan is to keep moving forward.  You can always e mail me at blkart2005@aol.com if you have any questions or would like more information on the Blk-Art, history & culture program.  In the mean time stay warm, be thankful for your blessings and be a blessing to someone.  Donate food, time, money or warm clothing to shelters and please be kind to the homeless-remember to check on your elderly neighbors. Merry Christmas and Happy holidays!!!!!!