CAAM Museum Notes - October 2013

Phoebe Beasley, Carmen de Lavallade, Geoffrey Holder, and Leon T. Garr At this year’s Gala, An Artful Evening at CAAM, we will honor visual artist and arts advocate Phoebe Beasley with our Lifetime Achievement Award, and bestow our Tom Bradley Unsung Hero Award upon Leon T. Garr, who successfully acquired and managed Founders National Bank––now named One United Bank. We will also honor artist, dancer, choreographer, and designer Geoffrey Holder and dancer, choreographer and esteemed professor Carmen de Lavallade. This husband and wife team will share a Lifetime Achievement Award for their respective and collective contributions to African American visual and performing arts. Our 2013 Honorees are icons of achievement and each represents greatness. We thank each of you for your commitment to be present at An Artful Evening at CAAM Gala this year.

Donations to CAAM may be made online at www.caamuseum.org or mail contributions to Friends, the Foundation of the California African American Museum 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, Los Angeles, CA 90037

The California African American Museum is immensely grateful to the following grant-making organizations and private donors for their financial support of CAAM’s varied events, exhibitions, and programming. They include The Department of Cultural Affairs City of Los Angeles; The Getty Foundation; The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History; the LA County Arts Commission; the Ray Charles Foundation; the Mitch Schneider Organization; Union Pacific Foundation; and the University of Southern California.

The California African American Museum is a State-supported agency, Jerry Brown, Governor. CAAM partners with and is further supported by Friends, the Foundation of the California African American Museum. CAAM is located in Exposition Park at 600 State Drive in Los Angeles. CAAM is open Tuesday – Saturday 10am – 5pm, and Sundays 11am - 5pm. Admission is FREE. Parking at 39th and Figueroa Streets is $10 per vehicle. Tel 213.744.7432. Fax 213.744.2050. Email: info@caamuseum.org. Facebook/twitter@caaminla.

Website: www.caamuseum.org. Museum Notes is published quarterly by the California African American Museum. Executive Editor, Charmaine Jefferson. Editor/Writer, Denise L. McIver. Design, Susan Dworski/The Blue One. Except as otherwise noted, photographs provided to CAAM by Marty Cotwright.

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Help CAAM remain free and open to the public, and we will forever be your place to tell your stories and bear witness to your miracles.

charmaine jefferson, executive director

From left: Geoffrey Cowan, USC Annenberg School of Communications; Robert C. Farrell, former City Councilman and Freedom Rider; Pastor James Lawson, former pastor, Holman United Methodist Church; John Mack, former president, Los Angeles Urban League; Reverend Cecil Murray, former pastor, F.A.M.E; Charmaine Jefferson, Executive Director, CAAM.

Zna Portlock Houston Rev. Cecil L. Murray Joseph C. Phillips Paul F. Roye Vera B. Stewart Dr. Francille Rusan Wilson

caam commemorates the 50th anniversary of the march on washington for jobs and freedom

Bravo to Our 2013 Honorees

As we link generations of African American success, I am reminded of Phoebe Beasley’s artwork entitled Emancipation #2. This painting, which will come into our collection later this year, depicts the gathering of the formerly enslaved finding a road toward freedom, and lifting each other up along the way. In 2013, the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation converged. This unique moment in time has caused me to question the concept of “emancipation” in all its varied manifestations. For African Americans, exposing the known and unknown historical truths behind the Emancipation Proclamation is a quest not yet complete. On one hand, we can humanize and celebrate through an exhibition of photographic portraits the unnamed African American soldiers who served in the Civil War and fought for freedom. But, celebrating the signing and implementation of the Emancipation Proclamation is awkward; going too far gives power to an intentional act of oppression that shackled our bodies. The true miracle was that it never chained our spirits, and that we continue to march toward a “freedom” that others never had a right to take away. On the occasion of this convergence of generational experiences and remembrances, we should make new miracles, and find a deeper meaning for the concept of being emancipated. I urge us all to exercise our freedom of choice in a manner that serves your individual growth, benefits our larger community, and allows us to lift up someone else along the way.

David A. Ford Eric Lawrence Frazier Kimberly Freeman Todd Hawkins Asa Heath Raphael Henderson

CAAM is pleased to present an off-site exhibition that opens in tandem with the Los Angeles premiere of the play the road weeps, the well runs dry, a richly-nuanced play that tells the story of freedmen confronted by their former enslavers who are determined to return them to bondage. By special arrangement, current CAAM members will receive a 50% discount for a maximum of two tickets for the performance on Sunday, October 27, 2013 at 3 pm. There will be a pre-matinee dialogue between playwright Marcus Gardley and director Shirley Jo Finney at 1pm. To receive the discount code and to make your required RSVP, please call 213.744.2024.

Susan Cole Hill, President Renee C. Bizer, Vice President Dr. Monet L. Daniels, Secretary Ellis Gordon Jr., Treasurer Keith A. Drake Shawn Farrar

OFF-SITE EXHIBITion AT LOS ANGELES THEATRE CENTER & SPECIAL DISCOUNT TICKET OFFER FOR CURRENT CAAM MEMBERS FOR OCTOBER 27TH PERFORMANCE

We are also proud to toast another generation of four outstanding individuals who have each made invaluable contributions to business, art and education. Their efforts have lifted our nation, our communities and our culture. Join us at our October 12th Artful Evening at CAAM gala to celebrate treasured honorees Leon T. Garr, Phoebe Beasley, Carmen de Lavallade and Geoffrey Holder. Your gala contributions will be used to support our Young Docents and all of our “Mentoring Generations” programs, and ensure your partnership in paving the way for one generation to be lifted by the next

Friends, the Foundation of the California African American Museum Board

StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit project whose mission is to honor and celebrate the lives of everyday Americans by listening to their stories. These stories are then archived in the Library of Congress. This year StoryCorps turns 10 years old, and to celebrate they’ve chosen CAAM as the Los Angeles site for their 2013 MobileTour. Recordings are scheduled from October 23rd through November 16th. This is StoryCorps’ second visit to CAAM. In 2011, CAAM hosted their Griot Project Tour. For more information about StoryCorps, please visit www.storycorps.org.

Dr. Francille Rusan Wilson, President Kimberly Freeman, Vice President Eric Lawrence Frazier Todd Hawkins Zna Portlock Houston Rev. Cecil L. Murray, Joseph C. Phillips

STORYCORPS SELECTS CAAM AS THE SITE FOR ITS 2013 MOBILETOUR

Then there is the joy we had sharing our summer days with a most dynamic group of high school students training in our Young Docents program. Hailing from every background and ethnicity, this was one of the finest classes of students we have ever had and not even a reduction in funding could bring this important year-round program to its knees. Our Young Docents, those who will continue with us throughout the year and those who have gone on to college, each made us proud. They evidenced for our guests that our efforts to mentor the next generation is as valuable to our mission as the art we collect.

CAAM State Board of Directors

Every December CAAM, along with our Exposition Park neighbors, hosts hundreds of schoolage children for an across-the-park “Day of Learning.” If you are interested in having your group participate, please call 213.744.7432.

s our hard-working CAAM family proudly steps onto the path of the last quarter of 2013, we celebrate having seven exciting exhibitions on display for your simultaneous viewing pleasure. Yes, we have seized opportunities and made miracles out of thin air!

Saturday, October 12, 2013

holiday give back

A

An Artful Evening at CAAM

CAAM’s annual Exposition Park-wide food drive, benefiting the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, kicks off in November. Bring your canned or boxed goods to CAAM to help fight hunger.

Friends, the Foundation of the California African American Museum 600 State Drive, Exposition Park . Los Angeles, CA 90037 T (213) 744-7432 . F (213) 744-2050 . www.caamuseum.or Open T–Sat 10 am–5 pm, Sun 11 am-5 pm. Admission is FREE. Parking $10 at 39th & Figueroa Streets.

Leave your car at home and take the Expo Line which stops at Exposition Park adjacent to USC and the Rose Garden. Good for you and it’s good for our planet.

we can help fight hunger: contribute to the food drive

from the director

NON PROFIT ORG US Postage Paid Permit No. 1619 Los Angeles, CA

caam in the community

Museum Notes CALIFORNIA AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM

October - December 2013

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exhibitions A MEMOIR IN FOUR MOVEMENTS: CARMEN DE LAVALLADE & GEOFFREY HOLDER November 21, 2013 - May 5, 2014

CAAM proudly presents A Memoir in Four Movements: Carmen de Lavallade & Geoffrey Holder, a survey exhibition devoted to the four “movements” of Theatre, Art, Dance and Design that comprise the prodigious artistic output of Carmen de Lavallade and Geoffrey Holder as actors, dancers, choreographers, teachers and designers.

This exhibition of paintings, sculptures, photographs, costumes, books, and designs provides an intimate look at their artistic legacy, and highlights the many significant contributions they have made, and continue to make, to American culture both as individual artists and collaborators. This exhibition was originally curated by the DuSable Museum and has been reorganized for presentation at CAAM. Photograph by Kenn Duncan© (detail), 1985.

Billy Rose Theater Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts

Things that Cannot Be Seen Any Other Way: The Art of Manuel Mendive A multi-faceted exploration of Manuel Mendive’s visual and performance work, this exhibition delves into the themes of religion, nationalism, and memory. Things That Cannot Be Seen Any Other Way: The Art of Manuel Mendive is a career-retrospective of the artist’s drawings, paintings, sculptures, and video performances from the early 1960s to the present with a special emphasis on his mature work. This exhibition has been curated by Dr. Bárbaro Martínez-Ruíz, a Cuban-born art historian with expertise in African and Caribbean artistic, visual, and religious practice.

Grateful thanks to our lenders: American Folk Art Museum, High Museum of Art, House of Blues Collection, Gordon W. Bailey Collection, Blanchard–Hill Collection, Gilbert Collection, and Melinda J. Newman Collection.

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Gallery installation featuring a sculpture, De la Serie Energías Vitales, 2010, Manuel Mendive. Mixed media.

Courtesy of the artist

Seated African American Army Sergeant, 1863-1865, Enoch Long.

Hand-colored tintype

This exhibition is a project originally conceived by The Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs in association with The California African American Museum, The Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum at Florida International University, and Fundación Amistad

Afrodescendientes was originally mounted by celebrated Cuban photographer and documentarian Roberto Chile in Madrid’s Casa de América. This visual journey illustrates the sublime beauty of certain aspects of Afro-Cuban culture while inviting you into the emotional intimacy of daily life.

Diverted Destruction 6 June 29, 2013 - January 19, 2014 (extended at CAAM) June 29, 2013 - October 8, 2013 (extended at The Loft at Liz’s)

African Pride, 2013, Derrick Maddox.

Found objects, acrylic paint, oil stick, handmade paper, wood. Courtesy of the artist

This collaboratively created exhibition of assemblages, made from cast-off objects, is presented simultaneously at CAAM and at The Loft at Liz’s at 453 South La Brea Avenue.

Artists on display include Dennis Blevins, CHEBY, Dale Brockman Davis, Charles Dickson, Max Finkelstein, Derrick Maddox, Matjames Metson, Rosalyn Myles, Joseph Sims, Teresa Tolliver, Richard Turner, Doug Pearsall, and Timothy Washington. Our thanks to the L.A. County Arts Commission for

their support of the on-site installation of this exhibition at CAAM.

THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON: A Tribute, 50 Years Later August 27, 2013 – February 23, 2014

Bayard Rustin and Cleveland Robinson standing on either side of a ‘March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom’ sandwich sign. August 7, 1963. ©Corbis Images

It is estimated that 250,000 men and women, black and white, young and old, traveled significant distances to converge on the mall of Washington, DC to raise their voices in unity to demand jobs, freedom, and equality for all Americans. The August 28, 1963, March on Washington became one of many watershed moments in the struggle for Civil Rights. CAAM celebrates this historical event with an exhibition featuring borrowed photos, artifacts and other ephemera from CAAM’s History Collection in tribute to the thousands of “foot soldiers” who made a tangible difference in the lives of future generations, impacting our society for the better.

Extended by popular demand, this exhibition commemorates the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War, capturing the courage of mostly unknown African American soldiers and sailors. It also serves as a stunning reminder of the pride, determination, and sense of destiny that filled these men who, at enormous personal sacrifice, sought their rightful place in the fabric of this nation for an entire people. Reproduced in large format from the original hand-sized photographs, these images are from the Liljenquist Family Collection of Civil War Photographs and the Gladstone Collection of African American Photographs, both at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

the legacy of the golden state mutual life insurance company: more than a business April 4, 2012 - December 29, 2013

When Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company built its new corporate headquarters, designed by renowned architect Paul R. Williams, it commissioned two extraordinary murals by Charles Alston and Hale Woodruff. Eventually, GSM amassed one of the largest corporate collections of African American art in the U.S.

March 28, 2013 - October 13, 2013

October 3, 2013 – April 6, 2014

Cover: Blues Men, c. 1980s, Purvis Young.

Mixed media on wood.

Gordon W. Bailey Collection

July 24, 2013 - December 29, 2013

AFRODESCENDIENTES: Photographer Roberto Chile in Guanabacoa – CubA

Soul Stirring: African American Self-taught Artists from the South

Peace, c. 1978, Nellie Mae Rowe. Mixed media on paper. High Museum of Art Collection

from the Library of Congress Collections

April 26, 2013 – October 20, 2013

Afrodescendientes, 2010-11, Roberto Chile. Photograph. Courtesy of the artist

The late, renowned, self-taught artists honored in this important exhibition created stirring artworks with a variety of media. Leroy Almon imbued his carvings with devout faith; Sam Doyle painted Gullah history on castoff roofing tin; Roy Ferdinand illustrated graphic urban tableaux on posterboard; Clementine Hunter rendered rich biographical paintings in oil; Sister Gertrude Morgan painted inspired testaments on recycled paper; Nellie Mae Rowe added delightful titles to her colorfilled works; Herbert Singleton carved socio-politically themed wood bas reliefs; and the indomitable Purvis Young artfully renewed his neighborhood. The absence of formal training and lack of funds did not stifle our honorees’ creative spirits or diminish their commitments to their communities. The originality and intensity of their artworks vividly establishes their indelible contributions to American art.

aFRICAN AMERICAN MILITARY PORTRAITS FROM THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR: Selected Images

Alpha and Omega Shield, AKA Symbols, 1975, Melonee Blocker.

Courtesy Golden State Mutual

This exhibition has been made possible due in part to the support we initially received from The Getty Foundation and Bank of America for Places of Validation, Art & Progression as part of The Getty’s initiative Pacific Standard Time: Art in LA: 1945-1980. Loaned items for this exhibition came from the UCLA Library Special Collections; the California State Insurance Commissioner; Alden Kimbrough, William Pajaud, and others who graciously shared histories, art and artifacts to make this tribute possible.

programs Saturday, October 5, 2013, 2pm | CURATORIAL WALK-THROUGH A Soul Stirring Tour Join us for a guided tour of the newly-mounted exhibition, SOUL STIRRING: African American Self-Taught Artists from the South, led by CAAM’s Visual Arts Curator Mar Hollingsworth. Light refreshments to follow.

RSVP preferred 213.744.2056.

Sunday, October 6, 2013, 1pm–5pm | LIVE PERFORMANCE & ART WORKSHOP TARGET SUNDAYS AT CAAM - IN WORDS AND MUSIC: PLUG INTO THE ARTS! A wonderful mix of theatrical and musical performances is the foundation of this Target Sunday event.

Saturday, October 12, 2013, 6:30pm–12 midnight | ANNUAL FUNDRAISING GALA AN ARTFUL EVENING AT CAAM This year CAAM and Friends, the Foundation of the California African American Museum, will honor four luminaries: assemblage artist, Phoebe Beasley (Lifetime Achievement Award); real estate entrepreneur and philanthropist, Leon T. Garr (Tom Bradley Unsung Hero Award); and actors/writers/artists/dancers & choreographers Carmen de Lavallade and Geoffrey Holder (Lifetime Achievement Awards) for their myriad achievements and contributions. Proceeds from An Artful Evening at CAAM will directly benefit our Friends Foundation and our Mentoring Generations Programs. For ticket information, please call our Gala hotline 213.744.2060 or visit our website www.caamuseum.org.

Saturday, October 19, 2013, 2pm | DOCUMENTARY FILM SCREENING Black and Cuba (2013, 83 min.) Director/writer Robin J. Hayes’ documentary is an intimate travel diary of minority students from an Ivy League institution who band together and travel to Cuba to see if revolution is truly possible. RSVP preferred 213.744.2024.

Saturday, November 2, 2pm | LECTURE & DISCUSSION SPECIAL PRESENTATION - HISTORIAN EDWIN TINGSTROM The Medal of Honor, created during the Civil War, is the highest military decoration given to a member of the Armed Forces. There have been 88 African American recipients. Edwin Tingstrom, a self-taught historian, has compiled their stories into a book, Courage and Valor, Above and Beyond. Mr. Tingstrom will discusss these brave men and their heroism, who laid down their lives at the beginning of the Civil War, when little value was given for their sacrifices. RSVP required 213.744.2024.

Sunday, November 3, 2013, 1pm – 5pm | LIVE PERFORMANCE & ART WORKSHOP TARGET SUNDAYS AT CAAM & CAAM’S ANNUAL FOOD DRIVE Defending Liberty - Our Ancestors and Veterans We pay homage to and lift our voices in spoken word, song, storytelling, music, and dance in celebration of the contributions and sacrifices made by our ancestors and veterans in defending our American liberties.

This Target Sunday kicks off our food drive and we encourage you to bring donations of canned goods so that we can do our part in the fight against hunger and support the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. CAAM’s food drive closes December 18, 2013.

Thursday, November 7, 2013, 7pm | FILM SCREENING FILMS AT CAAM – CELEBRATING FRESH VOICES Big Words (2013, 93 min.) Members of a once promising hip-hop group, now in their late thirties, struggle with regret, disappointment and change on the eve of President Barack Obama’s historical election. Directed by Neil Drumming. RSVP preferred 213.744.2024.

Friday, November 8, 2013, 9am - 2pm | FILM SCREENING & DISCUSSION YOUNG VOICES AT CAAM - HIGH SCHOOL SYMPOSIa With a grant awarded by The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and the National Endowment for the Humanities, CAAM presents the documentary film, Slavery by Another Name, the first of a threefilm series under the umbrella of Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle. Other films scheduled include Freedom Riders (January 2014) and The Loving Story (May 2014). After screening, assembled high school students will be immersed in a day of dialogue and engagement using the films as their point of reference.

Teachers interested in participating in the November, February or May symposiums, please call 213.744.7536.

Sunday, November 10, 2013, 2pm | DRAMATIC READINGS & DISCUSSION Civil War Letters - Written Sentiments To and From the Battlefields In recognition of Veterans’ Day and in conjunction with our popular exhibition, African American Military Portraits from the American Civil War: Selected Images from the Library of Congress Collections, letters written during the Civil War by African Americans on the battlefield and elsewhere will serve as the basis of dramatic readings. Come listen to the eloquence, humor, and romance displayed in these touching letters that provide moving accounts of life during the ‘War between the States’. RSVP required 213-744-2024.

Thursday, November 14, 2013, 7pm | FILM SCREENING FILMS AT CAAM - Celebrating Fresh Voices Better Mus Come (2010, 104 min.) Warring political factions in the 1970s in Jamaica enlist gangs to advance their policies and political agendas. Directed by Storm Saulter. RSVP preferred 213.744.2024.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013, 7pm | FILM SCREENING FILMS AT CAAM - Celebrating Fresh Voices Middle of Nowhere (2012, 97 min.) A devoted wife puts her dreams on hold while awaiting the release of her incarcerated husband. After four years she embarks upon a path to her own self-empowerment. Directed and written by Ava DuVernay. RSVP preferred 213.744.2024.

Sunday, December 1, 2013, 1pm – 5pm | LIVE PERFORMANCE & ART WORKSHOP TARGET SUNDAYS AT CAAM - It’s A Kwanzaa Bonanza In keeping with the seven principles of Kwanzaa, we gather together for a special celebration in the spirit of giving, unity, and community. Music, spoken word, and seasonal revelry will herald the holidays as we bring closure to another year. It’s also an opportunity to find the perfect gift for someone at our Holiday Marketplace, or choose to create something of your own with a personal touch at our art workshop.

Sunday, December 8, 2013, 2pm | ART WORKSHOP Southern Wind Chimes The sounds and sights of a variety of wind chimes are familiar throughout the American South. In this tradition, participants will make their own wind chimes. Facilitated by visual artist Lili Bernard. RSVP preferred 213.744.2024.

Rey, c. 1970s, Sam Doyle.

Housepaint on metal.

Gordon W. Bailey Collection

Additional special thanks.

CAAM thanks Corbis Images, Magnum Photo Agency, and private collectors Robert McDonald and Brenda Tyson for loans of images and artifacts presented in CAAM’s commemorative exhibition The March on Washington: A Tribute, 50 Years Later.

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