Community Opening: Venturing Out of the Heart of Darkness

February: Black History Month – Performance and Identity, How The Arts Are Used To Explore Identity, History and Culture.

Explore our new exhibition, Venturing Out of the Heart of Darkness and examine and join for a series of events exploring the impact of colonialism on identity. Participate in a conversation with curator Rehema Barber and exhibiting artists Andrea Chung, Heather Hart, and Serge Alain Nitegeka; see the film “Some Kind of Funny Porto Rican” and experience dance that serve as contemporary examples of the Post-colonial experience.

Schedule

Time	Event/Activity
11:00 AM	Venturing Out of the Heart of Darkness: A Walkthrough Join exhibition curator Rehema Barber for a dynamic walkthrough of the new exhibition, Venturing Out of the Heart of Darkness. Hear her perspectives, and meet exhibiting artists Andrea Chung, Heather Hart, Leonardo Benzant and Serge Alain Nitegeka.
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM	Family First Open Studio - Drop In Workshop: Assemblage Be inspired by Venturing Out of the Heart of Darkness artists Renee Stout, Willie Cole, and Sean Johnson, and create your own work of art out of found objects. Tell a story, or explore the abstract depths of your imagination! This open workshop is for kids of all ages. We’ll supply the materials, you bring your creativity.
12:30 PM	Film Screening Some Kind of Funny Porto Rican: A Cape Verdean American Story Discussion following screening with: Serena Silva, Vice-President of Cape Verdeans of the Carolinas Association, Leslie Gutierrez, Instructor of Spanish at Johnson C. Smith University and expert on African Diaspora themes and Rehema Barber, Independent Curator, Venturing Out of the Heart of Darkness. Some Kind of Funny Porto Rican is the untold tragedy and scandal of what happened to a vibrant community of immigrants from the Cape Verde Islands in the Fox Point section of Providence, Rhode Island. Forcibly displaced by urban renewal, this community was destroyed to make way for quaint shops and elegantly restored houses. This film explores the history of Cape Verdeans, the influence of the Portuguese on their identity, and the post-emigration experience of one community in America. Following the screening, Serena Silva, Vice-President of Cape Verdeans of the Carolinas Association, Leslie Gutierrez, Instructor of Spanish at Johnson C. Smith University and expert on African Diaspora themes, and artist will lead a discussion in response to the film. Presented in partnership with the Cape Verdeans of the Carolinas Association.