Opening Dedication for the National Museum of African American History and Culture - my thoughts

Saturday I attended the opening dedication for the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC. I was able to snag tickets to the museum for October 30 2016. I was told that as a contractor I am able to see the museum during the workday but by myself. Since I can't attend during the day and I want to experience the museum with my family I am going to wait.

For the opening, security was tight. There were many road blocks so the best route was by metro and by foot, which I took.

Advertisement from DC Metro Train

During the morning program there were several important people that spoke, which I missed, but heard their speeches were very inspiring and filled with a sense of pride. 

Here is a link to John Lewis's powerful speech http://on-ajc.com/2dpKSrG

Here you can hear President Obama's  inspiring speech: http://slate.me/2czDZlT

 I did have a misty eyed moment because my brother and Aunt died earlier this year and they would have loved to have seen all of the people, to know that I designed art for the museum, to be apart of something bigger than they and to experience history- again (our first black president) in DC!

 In different locations near the Washington Monument grounds there were stages set up for performers, singers, drummers and for storytellers. My husband and I stayed at the Freedom Sounds stage to see the musical performers. 

We heard the Liberty Brass Bands, who I filmed using Facebook live: you can see here: http://bit.ly/2dpLrl6  and Sweet Honey Rock, see here: http://bit.ly/2cAV9Va

-who I have never heard of but absolutely love now!

Target had a social media stage where you could take a photo and add a story of what the museum means to you, a 360 video that could be uploaded to any social media site and a place to write and send postcards about your experience. There were also vendors selling delicious soul food, barbecue and Caribbean food. I got the fried catfish and hushpuppies and let me tell you it was sooo good!

I am very excited about the museum.  I am excited to see the artifacts and to learn about people and events that I might not know of. I love that the museum will expose us to the truths that weren't taught in school, to allow us to cry because of the pain that comes with the history and will allow us to learn and to move forward. I am exciting that I am apart of it not only because I am African American or black American but because I helped create art that will forever have a place in the museum.

This history is my history, your history and America's history.  It needs to be told, understood and felt.

If you went, what where your favorite parts of the museum?

Peace,

Janelle

Cut Paper Art Silhouettes - Zora Neal Hurston

I am working on a paper cutting silhouette series that will include prominent black artists, writers, poets, speakers, leaders, etc. When I created the poets silhouettes (see here) I wasn't even thinking of doing a series. Over time I realized that people use quotes from famous people to encourage and to uplift them. This is what I want my art to do for people. I got a lot of interest in the first two, so I decided to design a couple more. 

My next two will be Zora Neal Hurston and Ralph Ellison. I am using the bold portion from Zora's essay:

AT CERTAIN TIMES I have no race, I am me. When I set my hat at a certain angle and saunter down Seventh Avenue, Harlem City, feeling as snooty as the lions in front of the Forty?Second Street Library, for instance. So far as my feelings are concerned, Peggy Hopkins Joyce on the Boule Mich with her gorgeous raiment, stately carriage, knees knocking together in a most aristocratic manner, has nothing on me. The cosmic Zora emerges. I belong to no race nor time. I am the eternal feminine with its string of beads.
I have no separate feeling about being an American citizen and colored. I am merely a fragment of the Great Soul that surges within the boundaries. My country, right or wrong.
Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It's beyond me.

 -Zora Neale Hurston, "How it Feels to Be Colored Me"

This essay speaks to me because I live in a time where black beauty is being shunned even more by the norm but there are movements on the rise that state #blacklivesmatter #blackgirlrock #blackoutday. These movement are necessary like when James Brown declared, "I am black and I am proud." It helped foster the winds of change for African Americans, to be proud of who they are and where they come from. If we as a people aren't proud, no one is going to proud for us. African Americans are still being greatly discriminated against but how Zora beautifully puts it... "It merely astonishes me. How can they deny themselves the pleasure of my company."

How can they?...

( I will update with pictures soon.)

Zora Neal Hurston

Paper Cut Art- Yoga Poses

My latest paper cut art is inspired from the beautiful poses of yoga. I don't participate in yoga but as an artist the poses are so perfect. Straight lines, feet pointed, arms steady.... Beautiful.

I had to do research on poses, names, and meanings since I don't take yoga classes. On Instagram I follow a group that creates hashtags for people to use to show off their yoga skills. The pictures are wonderful to view. The pictures give the viewer a intimate look into their homes, studios, relationship and lives.

For this paper cut art I sketched a couple of poses I liked. Then I scanned my sketches into Illustrator to clean them up and give them life. I knew I wanted to do a mirror image of the pose displaying the energy and power that the poses create by using shapes are connected to yoga.

I love how these turned out and I am working on prints, with watercolor added to the art.

Inspiration Tuesday- Do it now

I am currently preparing for a craft fair in Philadelphia in two weeks. Participating in art/craft fairs make me nervous. There are too many uncertainties and to sell you have to spend money. Right now my money is "short". 

Since I have a vivid imagination, in my mind I play out that I will sell well and have fun. I have learned over the past, what I see in my mind doesn't always come true.

The first fair I participated in I sold three items... and I felt they were pity sales... My art was well received but the people weren't convinced that they needed my art in their homes. 

I know I need to do these fairs. They will strengthen me as a sales person and as an artist. I will work on my "elevator art" pitch and smile more to strangers.

I also, know selling online (Etsy) in the summer sucks... Sales dry up like a California desert. I have put off doing outdoor fairs for two years saying that I didn't have enough inventory. Well, here I am with inventory and I need to do this now! I going to be brave and try to do at least three fairs this year. Tweaking my finances as I go.

I am brave. You can be too. Go and Do (whatever IT is for you) Now. We are not promised tomorrow and tomorrow may be one day to late.

First project for the year

I started on my first original paper cut art for the New Year and it is all about symbols- Adinkra Symbols and fabrics. I love symbols! They are secretive, original, and complex.

A symbol ... is a visual image or sign representing an idea -- a deeper indicator of a universal truth, according to the book of Sign and Symbols. To give you some background on Adinkra symbols we have to go back to Africa. Ghana to be more specific, to a group of people called the Akan’s. They used Adinkra symbols to represent concepts and aphorism. The symbols can be found on fabric, pottery, walls of homes, furniture and even gold weights. They are used to convey traditional wisdom and are linked with African proverbs. (Which I like to use in my art also.)

I started off with doing research on printed fabrics with Adinkra symbols for reference and picked the symbols that I like for meaning and the shape. I want my art to covey positive traits that a women can have or aspire to have and display. I also, want this art to be fun and bright. So after I cut the art out I will start on working on color ways that are on trend for the 2015 season.