"Art Did All of This"

We've finally returned from the Houston weekender and truly, it was a whirlwind weekend! From the murals by John Biggers at Texas Southern University to our visits to Black Heritage Gallery, Project Rowhouses and the Houston Museum of African American Art and Culture, the entire experience was enriching.

Ellene did a great job of coordinating everything! We saw, learned and experienced so much. It was really an amazing experience! As I reflect upon all that happened, there is one statement that resonates deep inside of me, made by contemporary artist Nathaniel Dunnaae, during our visit to Project Rowhouses, and that is that "art did all of this."

Many things about art and creating art were deeply reinforced within my heart. Such as, art is inspiring, it touches and moves people on so many different levels, it propels people into action, it is a catalyst for change, it is a means of sharing what can't be expressed in words, it is an adhesive that holds communities together and that it is a very real and needed form of creativity that the world needs.

On the last day of the visit, as we sat in the reception cottage of the Rothko Chapel, we talked with the folks who'd joined us on this trip. I was most interested in what the experience meant to them and what they got out of it. So many thoughts and feelings were expressed. I was moved when one of the travelers expressed that for the first time art became "tangible." I completely understood this statement as I remembered looking at art from the outside as a student and wondering - "wow, what really is it? How is it done? What goes into it?" I will never forget witnessing one of our group members crying as she listened to us artists talk with passion about what we do. Again I realized that like music, people really truly need what we do. It is a form of communication that is a sort of release, a powerful antidote to life's ills. I am so happy to have experienced these few days and to see others enjoy "the other side" as much as we do.

Rarity, Quality and Uniqueness

Understanding the unique niche that M. Francis Gallery occupies has been a sort of journey for me. It’s kind of like when I first traveled abroad. Who knew? My worldview was forever changed. People, places, times- everything held a new meaning. It’s as if I’d been living in a bubble and suddenly it popped and a plethora of new colors emerged. It’s been almost the same experience with the gallery. Over the last year, the bubble has popped! I began to understand that right here in my own backyard; there is something rare, of great quality and uniqueness When thinking about rarity and uniqueness, I have to think about the artists whose works are in the gallery now, there is only one piece from each artist that documents this point and time in the history and evolution of African American art and culture in New Orleans. Each and every piece has a very important and significant element of rareness, uniqueness and quality. Learn more about these works of art www.mfrancisgallery.com

Free to Be!

Mardi Gras is here and there is soooo much excitement in the air. I remember when I was little, I really loved Mardi Gras because of all the colors and lights and sounds and people. Just everything about it. What I really remember the most was that as kids you could almost get away with anything. Grownups weren't always saying "stop, stop, stop." We Were free to be , I kids. Laugh, jump, flip, scream (to the top of your lungs) and it was all good. AND this went on for at least 2 weeks straight!
This year for Mardi Gras, I just feel like freedom is in the air, just to "be" And I'm taking advantage of it. I want to scream, laugh, jump up and down and even run. Yes, really I was running trying to catch up with one of my favorite bands. Nobody cares, nobody even thinks its odd. We're just having fun!

Mothers in Pain - A Cultural Epidemic

So needless to say, I was very impressed and proud as the other artist's showed up with their works. I would have to say that the night of the opening really opened my eyes. The space was totally transformed. Each piece was colorful and unique and each piece with a story to tell. I was very happy. As I sit and contemplate Carl Williams' piece, I am constantly drawn into its brilliance and the emotion that it evokes. It has this spiritual, almost dreamy feel to it. What touches me the most as I look at Carl's piece is the pain in the face of the mother holding her lifeless child. I just can't get away from it. I keep thinking about the large community of women in New Orleans who walk around with this deep-seated pain in their hearts behind losing their children to soon. The pain is bottled up inside, so deep. Maybe out of embarrassment and shame, maybe because it is still wholly unreal to them. I don't know. But its a sad and tragic saga within our age that no one talks about. It's the elephant in the community and its growing bigger by the day. How befitting that Carl would pay homage to the mothers of these senseless crimes. It's like an acknowledgement to them that they are not forgotten.

You can See "The Pieta" by Michaelangelo to get a real sense of the context from which Carl Williams has drawn. http://gardenofpraise.com/art50.htm

You can also see Carl Williams' piece "A Moment of Silence" http://www.mfrancisgallery.com/#!current-exhibition---in-black

Thoughts On the In Black Show leading up to the exhibit

When I first thought of the In Black exhibit, I was just thinking up a way to allow each artist to fully express their artistry without restrictions, as I know that often restrictions can push an artist into a corner and really not allow for a full expression of self. Although in some ways, having a "show title" does that in some ways as well, In Black was a theme that I thought would give a little bit of room to be interpreted however the artist wanted to interpret it. The artist could play with the words from a social standpoint or just focus on white as the opposite of black. It was a completely open topic. One thing I did tell the artists was to work big. For 2 reasons. The first reason was I believe that working big gives room for ideas. In art school I remember wanting to work small, but was always gently encouraged by my instructors to work big because it gives you "room" so to speak. The second reason was practical. Since there were only 8 of us, we needed to be able to fill the space without "filling" the space.
The weeks leading up to the exhibit, I periodically contacted each artist to get an idea for where they were going with their pieces. I was excited with the responses I was getting, no one had the same idea, and there were definitely a range of subjects. One thing I did notice however is that most of the guys wanted to talk about social and racial aspects of the term black. This really got me to thinking about how much such issues mess with their psyches so deeply. I felt a sense of relief that this experience would also lend them this outlet to get their messages and feelings "out and in the open."
As the artists began to drop off their work, I would get a jolt of happiness as I saw them. Ellene was the firs and her work greeted me one morning as I entered the gallery. I was so stunned I texted her immediately on a job well done. Kenneth's piece "Desired" was the second to make it to the gallery. I was so moved by his work that I could feel my heart racing. I even gave him a big hug and congratulated him on a job well done.

More to come ...