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January 2020
Making Mammy: A Caricature of Black Womanhood, 1840–1940
One of the most pervasive stereotypes constructed during the post-Civil War era, and arguably the most enduring image from the days of Jim Crow, the mammy was a staple caricature in the romanticization of the Antebellum South. Popularized into the twentieth century by characters such as “Mammy” in MGM’s hit film Gone with the Wind (1939), this archetype of black domestic servitude was often depicted as good-natured, overweight, and loud. Presenting an ahistorical view of black womanhood within southern plantation…
LA Blacksmith
For decades black artists in Los Angeles have worked with metal for its historic and symbolic significance, as well as for other sociocultural, political, and practical considerations. LABlacksmith highlights this tradition, from historic Los Angeles metal sculpture that signifies the durability of West African metalsmithing aesthetics to contemporary explorations of iron and steel alloys, bronze, copper, tin, aluminum, and gold. Beginning with Beulah Woodard’s homages to African mask making, LABlacksmith examines how the Watts Rebellion and other political and aesthetic ideas…
William Grant Still Arts Center “Psychedollia,” 39th Annual Black Doll Show,
Los Angeles (November 27, 2018) –The William Grant Still Art Center is excited to announce it’s 39th Annual Black Doll Show, “Psychedollia” showcasing a movement in joy, through Black life, music, art, fashion and popular culture. The exhibition cites 1960’s soul and funk as a source of inspiration while also referencing flower power genres of the 1990’s hip hop and house/techno scenes, contemporary practices of futurism and transgression through delight and bliss. Psychedollia is a celebration of the monumental and small,…
Port of Los Angeles Lunar New Year
Join the Port of Los Angeles at the Aquarium for the fifth annual Lunar New Year Festival on the LA Waterfront. 2020 is the year of the rat!
Leimert Park Artwalk
Leimert Park Village has a long history of being the center of African American arts and culture. The village is inviting the public on the last Sunday of each month to share a day of art exhibitions, music, fashion, food, drumming, spoken word, and local shopping. Throughout the day, cultural spaces, artist studios, and storefronts will also have offerings ranging from free computer seminars and specialty vendors to film screenings, youth theater performances, and live bands.
The Bass Family and Friends Choir presents God’s Trombones by James Weldon Johnson featuring Dr. Jolie A. Rocke
The Bass Sisters honor their African American Heritage by presenting an afternoon of music and spoken word. The concert is based on author and songwriter James Weldon Johnson’s classic book of poetry “God’s Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse.”
February 2020
African American Heritage Month
African American History Month Programs Our Authors Study Club celebrates the African American History Month with an opening ceremony at City Hall, the Dr. Carter G. Woodson Scholarship and awards luncheon, an oratorical contest, and several church and community events.
Alhambra Lunar New Year Festival
Eat authentic Asian food, shop at 250 booths, watch lion dancers and colorful traditional dancers, and see Kung Fu demonstrations at Alhambra Lunar New Year Festival.