Catch the Fire Catalog State Senate

About “Catch the Fire interprets hope, passion and purpose through a variety of mediums. It offers viewers an opportunity to reflect on the themes of Black History Month, African American Arts and the mediums used by black people to resist oppression while simultaneously producing beautiful art.”

- Deborah Hall Worcester Black History Project invited black artists to respond to the theme of Catch the Fire. Viewers will observe how each artist interpreted this theme. Additionally, it will offer viewers the opportunity to reflect on the theme of Black History Month 2024, African American in the Arts and the mediums used by black people to resist oppression while simultaneously producing beautiful art.

VARIOUS MEDIUMS

MIXED STORIES

The exhibition draws on the inspiring words of poet, activist, and educator, Sonia Sanchez.

It is a poem written to her community that both inspires Black folk to remember their history and the historical injustices they experienced.

I say where is your fire? Can’t you smell it coming out of your past, while reminding them to reclaim their beauty…Where is our beautiful fire that gave light to the world? The fire of pyramids; The fire that burned through the holes of slave ships and made us breathe… Ultimately, it encourages hope and living and loving joyously… Catch the fire and burn with eyes that see our souls: WALKING. Hey. Brother/Brotha. Sister/Sista.

Here is my hand. Catch the fire…and live.

THE ARTIS Jennifer Carey Jennifer Carey is a graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges with a degree in Psychology. She is the founding Executive Director of the Worcester Education Collaborative, a non-profit that aims to engage the community to ensure that each student in the Worcester Public Schools is prepared for college, career, and beyond. As an artist, Carey chooses to focus on creating both decorative and contemporary art pieces, with a particular interest in enameling.

She notes, “Enameling requires patience, precision, and surrender on the part of the artist. Both glass and metal, the key elements of this medium are, by nature, at times malleable and at times unyielding. The artist must continually recognize that the creation of a successful piece acknowledges and works with this dichotomy. While I have mastered many techniques, I will always be a student of this medium.”

TS Toby Sisson Toby Sisson earned her M.F.A. from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and is an Associate Professor and Director of the Studio Art Program at Clark University in Massachusetts. In addition to her studio practice in drawing, painting, and printmaking, Sisson’s areas of specialization incorporate community-based service learning, collaborative public art, and curatorial projects. Her creative research explores themes at the intersection of history and race in America.

She has exhibited widely, including at the Tianjin Art Museum in China, Provincetown Art Center and Museum, Hunterdon Museum of Art, the John D. O’Bryant African American Institute, Louisiana State University, Rhode Island College, and St. Thomas University. Her work is in numerous public and private collections, among them Brown University and the Worcester Art Museum.

Toby Sisson’s home and studio are located in Providence, Rhode Island.

THE ARTIS Jennessa Burks Jennessa Burks is an educator, activist, and self-taught artist based in Central Massachusetts.

She earned her Bachelor’s from Worcester State University in 2015 and later her Master’s from Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2019. Burks was named the Community Art Educator of the Year for 2024 by the Massachusetts Art Educators Association.

Outside her elementary school classroom, she immerses in a lifelong passion for the arts, emphasizing therapeutic benefits, forging community, and the power of public art. Through the use of acrylic paintings, mixed media pieces, and murals Jennessa expresses her emotion and amplifies not only her voice but the voices of her communities.

Many of her creations capture the beauty, strength, and resilience of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color). Too often Black and brown folx are missing from art spaces, reflective of their stories and truths being selectively muted throughout history. Jennessa aspires to bring joy to others who may experience the void of being unseen while bringing awareness to those who hold the privilege and fulfillment of being seen.

TS Emmanuel Manu Opoku Emmanuel Manu Opoku born in Ghana (1990) received his BFA in Painting from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and his MFA in Sculpture from the University of Florida. Opoku has had solo exhibitions in Palatka (FL), Gainesville (FL), Deland (FL), Wilmington (NC), and Santa Fe (NM) and his work has been featured in numerous group exhibitions in the US and internationally.

Opoku has participated in a touring video exhibition that features 60 artists living across the US. He is a recipient of the James J. Rizzi Studio Award, the Harold Garde Studio Art Award, the College of the Arts UF Dean's Award, the Outstanding Student Award, and the ArtsWorcester Juror’s Prize. Opoku is a former curator of 4Most Gallery and a former Adjunct Professor of Studio Art at the University of Florida, Gainesville.

He is currently an Adjunct Professor of Studio Art – Painting at Assumption University, Worcester, and an Adjunct Professor of Studio Art – Sculpture at Clark University, Worcester.

THE ARTIS Savonne Pickett Savonne Pickett also known as SON, is a 22 year- old artist from Worcester Massachusetts.

A painter who experiments with different art forms to evoke various thoughts in the viewer.

She briefly attended Lasell University in the beginning stages of her fashion education journey and graduated from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's College of Visual & Performing Arts where she pursued a degree in Fashion Design.

TS Belinda Lyons Zucker Belinda Lyons Zucker is a remarkable artist who created over 400 dolls and figures for galleries and by commission since 1998. An accomplished ceramic artist and painter, Belinda transforms her love of fabric and clay into characters of anthropomorphic quality.

In Belinda’s own words ``Drawing on African resources to inspire my work is a way of holding the connection to my ancestors. We Americans of African descent are a spiritual people. As we continue to assimilate into our Americanness, will our young ones lose their connection?

I hold this responsibility to stay connected to my ancestral origins by creating and teaching.” Her work has been shown in solo and juried exhibitions, most notably, “the grandMOTHERS” a solo exhibit at Northhampton Center for the Art, Northampton Massachusetts. Belinda’s work has also been seen in several publications of Art Doll Quarterly and Preview.

THE ARTIS Abu Mwenye If you asked Abu Mwenye about what inspires his many diverse paintings, the journey would begin in his native Tanzania. As a young child, Abu can remember being distracted from his homework by his Uncle, who loved to create pieces of art.

There were also members of Abu’s immediate family, his mother Rita, whose artistic talents also cultivated his interest.

Supported and encouraged by his family, Abu began to study and create art.

Kanga patterns, Masai warriors, chungu, and shanga (beads) are just some of the images that can be seen in Mwenye’s work. The deep connection the Artist feels to his homeland can be felt. At the same time, Mwenye can show viewers the deep connection to his new home.

TS

Christina Swaidan

Dr. Christina Swaidan is an Associate Professor of Art History. Her research explores the psychic duality or double consciousness experienced by African American artists and art historians.

Dr. Swaidan has served in a variety of leadership roles in higher education, including, Interim Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Art Department Chair.

She serves as the curriculum specialist for the Art History program and is credited with the rebirth of the Art History minor and concentration. Dr. Swaidan designed and implemented courses such as African American Art History, Islamic Art, Non-Western Art Traditions, and Art Criticism that greatly diversified the curriculum. Additionally, Dr. Swaidan developed Higher Ed/Higher Ground, an institution-wide educationalbased program aimed at creating safe spaces for difficult conversation and fostering community on campus. She is the cofounder of SANKOFA organization for staff and students of color. Since she arrived at Westfield State in 2005, Dr. Swaidan has demonstrated a commitment to diversity and equity that goes far beyond buzzwords.

A recipient of the 2017 Insight into Diversity Giving Back Award. Dr. Swaidan is a sought-after speaker and has delivered lectures and presentations at The National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (NCORE), the American Association of Schools and Colleges (AASCU), and as well as K-12 institutions. Her expertise in African American Art and culture along with her research on the impact of racism on the identity of Black Academics has made her a valuable voice in the Art community. Christina’s art centers on the beauty and grace of Black women as they bear the burdens of mothering, loss, and abuse.

THE ARTIS Sharinna Travieso Sharinna Travieso is an emerging mural artist whose love for community-based work began in 2016 when she worked on her first mural project, “Maiden Mother Crone” at the YWCA in Downtown Worcester. Since then she has worked on a variety of different projects that are inspired by her love of nature and her interest in climate justice. In addition to her mural work, she creates sustainable art made from recycled materials and is developing ways to incorporate climate justice education with local youth and adults. Her vision is to use art as a catalyst for community engagement, peacekeeping, and social transformation.

TS

Kimberly Love Radcliff Kimberly Love Radcliffe is a multifaceted, self-taught artist. Fiber art is her central focus. She sees each quilt as an opportunity to highlight African Americans' beauty, history, and culture.

Her process includes stitching abstract portraits embellished with repurposed items.

CATCH THE FIRE

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