MAE IS AN EXHIBITION PROMOTING African American & Latin American Fine Artists:

James Clarke III Keith Ramsey Jose Lorenzo Jamil Smith

William H. Clarke Hamilton Glass “Ham?”

Sukenya Best

MINORITY ART EXHIBITION

SEPT. 30 – OCT. 3, 2010METRO SPACE GALLERY 119 Broad St. Richmond, VA

OCT. 8, 2010THE WHITLEY GALLERY 29 N. 17th St. Richmond, VA

MINORITY ARTEXHIBITIONThe Minority Art Exhibition (MAE) is an exploration

and celebration of the vitality of fine art created

by African American and Latin American artists.

The mission is to engage viewers, promote cross-

cultural dialogue, and cultivate a community of

art enthusiasts. MAE features a broad survey of

visual art, artist talks and workshops structured for

artists, art buyers, and the general public. Along

with providing exceptional works of art, MAE raises

funds to support a local non-profit organization.

The exhibition will be a key source for

art enthusiasts and collectors to find and

purchase exquisite, museum-quality artwork.

It will feature an exclusive selection of art

by cutting-edge newcomers and acclaimed

artists working in all media and disciplines.WE

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MINORITY ART EXHIBITION 2010 T

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THURSDAY SEPT. 30TH @ METRO SPAcE GALLERY

5PM - 8:30PM OPENING RECEPTION ART 180 Presents: A showcase of works created by ART 180 students. Sukenya Best presents a special performance art piece. Cash Wine Bar supporting ART 180

FRIDAY OcT. 1ST @ METRO SPAcE GALLERY

6:30 PM - 10 PM MAE Exhibition (in conjunction with First Friday Art Walk). Featuring a special musical performance by P.M. Cash Wine Bar supporting ART 180

SATURDAY OcT. 2ND @ METRO SPAcE GALLERY

NOON – 8PM GALLERY OPEN FOR VIEWING2PM “Gallery Talk” with Featured Artists4PM – 5PM “ A Custodian of Art” – Derrick Johnson, art collector

and former President of VMFA Friends for African & African American Art

6PM – 7PM “Spoken Word Performance” – Trokon Freeman

SUNDAY OcT. 3RD @ METRO SPAcE GALLERY

NOON – 4PM GALLERY OPEN FOR VIEWING1PM – 2PM “ Fundamentals of Contractual Agreements

for Artists” – Emilia Lanwher, Whitley Gallery2:15PM – 3PM “ Branding Your Art Career”– Tracy Baylor,

Clarke Art Consulting

FRIDAY OcT. 8TH @ THE WHITLEY GALLERY

6PM – 9PM OPENING RECEPTION for “Creative Freedom” – A collaborative art installation by street artist Hamilton “Ham?” Glass and Richmond City Jail inmate artists Tracy Franklin and Mark Carter

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Black art has always existed. It just hasn’t been looked for in the right places. — Romare Bearden

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New Yorker Sukenya Best currently resides in Richmond, Virginia, and has a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Master of Fine Arts in Printmaking from the University of Tennessee. As a performance artist she

is best known for her rhythmic flag making, where her creative process is propelled by music, dance, shapes, color and ink. She allows these elements to take her on a journey of human rhythm, connecting her to dancers and musicians. The result is a fluid, collaborative work of art that captures the movement of dancers and the pulse in the music. Best’s performances have fascinated viewers in numerous exhibitions including: Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Kansas City Art Institute, Corcoran School of Arts, and the Cultural Art Center at Glen Allen (Virginia). Additionally, Best is a one of the many talented art instructed of ART 180.

Sukenya Best

Born in Nottoway County, Virginia, William H. Clarke is a noted Folk artist whose works narrate his rural African American heritage. He paints poignant and joyful scenes of tobacco farming, old country stores, riverside baptisms, funerals and daily life, and his honest depictions have earned him a

strong national following. You can find Clarke’s work in numerous private and museum collections throughout the United States.

William H. Clarke

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Hamilton Glass is a prolific Street artist better know by his pseudonym “Ham?” Originally from Philadelphia, he has always had a passion for art, though after graduating from Hampton University he went on to work in several architecture design firms. It was only with his journey to Richmond that allowed him to explore and share his interest in Street Art. Glass synthesizes memories of

the vibe and grit of the city streets in his hometown with his formal architectural training to create his unique, graffiti style art. Expressing his personal ideologies through the use of unpredictable raw mediums, bold colors and striking images, his art ranges from small works on canvas to dynamic indoor and outdoor murals, and the work adorns the walls of numerous buildings and galleries throughout the east coast.

Hamilton “Ham?” Glass

At the age of seventeen, artist Jose Lorenzo fled the oppression of his native homeland Cuba, swam to the U.S., and was eventually granted U.S. citizenship as an asylum seeker. He

brought with him vivid memories of his Caribbean homeland, which is reflected in his art. He paints bold, colorful exotic images, along with symbolic folkloric themes that depict everyday Cuban life. Lorenzo’s work illustrates his fascination with the relationship between nature and the spherical systems of our universe.

José Lorenzo

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Emerging photographer Jamil Smith is a native of Richmond, Virginia, who currently lives in Brooklyn, New York. Formerly a financial analyst, Smith searched for a new way to express himself after deciding to end in investment

banking. He began documenting his overseas travels with a camera and soon realized he took more than just snapshots, but rather created vivid memoirs of his travels. At that point, Smith became passionate about learning photography. He began experimenting with both digital and 35mm cameras and an array of subject matters, which resulted in a photographic style that redefined beauty and grace. He uses the camera to capture the rhythm and color of nature, the essence of people and quiet moments on a city street.

Jamil Smith

As a child, James Clarke was recognized for his artistic gifts. As an artist coming of age during the civil rights storms of the 1950’s and 60’s, Clarke strove to bring center-stage the sufferings of a frustrated Black America.

Within the abstract expressionism of his art, his subjects widely exhibited both the humiliation of racism and the distress

of poverty. Likewise, many of his works were influenced by the civil injustices being experienced by Black Americans. Clarke himself became renowned for stylized figures. His works would have large eyes, distorted body limbs, and enlarged hands and feet. Oversized eyes were portals for viewing the souls of his subjects, while mis-shapened limbs symbolized the broken state of their spirits. Clarke also drew attention to his subjects’ search for a spiritual peace amid human calamity.

James Clarke III

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The provocative employment of shadow, light, and color that leads the viewer into envisioning him or herself within his paintings, is the mark of Keith Ramsey. Keith’s art is sculpted by the influences of his own experiences, his introspective thought, and even social politics

His works can be characterized by the geometric shapes, piercing highlights, and wandering figures that he constructs to evoke a perception of mystery. Keith’s media include canvas, wood panel, and paper. As a widely collected artist, he has enjoyed having his works exhibited

extensively throughout Virginia , in both group and solo shows. Keith holds a degree in Fine Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Keith Ramsey

Guest Speaker Derrick JohnsonThis year MAE’s guest speaker is Derrick G. Johnson, an executive with Phillip Morris. In his free time, Johnson is an art collector, but he sees himself as more of an art custodian or caretaker. Johnson began collecting in the 1980’s, but in his move from Kentucky to Richmond in 1995, he lost most of his pieces to theft and vandalism. With just a few pieces of art left unharmed, Johnson began collecting again and now has over 200 pieces in his collection. The pieces range in price from $25 to the thousands, and their age is just as varied with pieces as old as three hundred years mixed in with brand new works.

Johnson’s diverse collection contains many pieces of African-American Art, but most of the works have little in common because he does not seek out specific artists, mediums or themes. His collection includes work by Maurice Evans, William Tolliver, and local artist Norman Wyatt of Prince George County to name a few. Johnson enjoys filling his Chesterfield County home with beautiful artwork and has no intention of reselling the art he buys. Johnson is active in the Richmond art community, serving Art 180 as a board member. He is also involved with Friends of African and African-American Art of the VMFA. In the past, Johnson has opened his home to share his extensive collection with tours to raise money for organizations like the Sacred Heart Center.

MAE IN THE COMMUNITYWe are honored to partner with ART 180, this year’s

non-profit beneficiary. ART 180 creates and provides

art-related programs for young people in the Richmond

area, living in challenging circumstances, encouraging

personal community change through self-expression.

Through their programs, youth discover ways they can

positively engage in and influence their surroundings. A

percentage of the event proceeds will go to ART 180.

For more information visit www.art180.org

When you support MAE, you support ART 180.

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Clarke Art Consulting and The Whitley Gallery presents an exhibit in conjunction to MAE titled Creative Freedom, an innovative between street artist Hamilton “Ham?” Glass and Richmond City Jail inmate artists Tracy Franklin and Mark Carter.

Inmates Franklin and Carter participate in The Whitley Gallery’s city jail art program which provides them an opportunity creatively express their emotions, hopes, and dreams, while building up their self-confidence and determination. Franklin, who has Cerebral Palsy, is incarcerated at Lunenburg Correctional Center in Victoria, VA. Carter is incarcerated at Nottoway Correctional Center and is serving two life sentences.

Creative Freedom will serve as a reminder that through creating art inmates have opportunities to explore their inner potential and alternative interests, improve their communication abilities, and learn to appreciate their own and others’ ideas. Creativity is an outlet through which individuals can find their own personal freedom not fully afforded to them while being incarcerated. Additionally by exhibiting these pieces we want to remind those who are imprisoned that they are not forgotten; they do matter and society has not given up on them.

Curated by Tracy Baylor and Emilia A. Lanwehr | www.inmateart.org

Creative FreedomBY HAM?MARK CARTERTRACY FRANKLIN

ON EXHIBIT AT WHITLEY GALLERY OCT. 8TH 2010

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Clarke Art Consulting Would Like To Thank Our Sponsors and Partners

Metro Space Gallery The Whitley Gallery

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Notes:

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Notes:

ART INSTALLATION Matt Lively

GRAPHIC DESIGN Clarke Creative

MUSIC P.M. Alan Parker

PLANNING & ADVISORY Nisha Grant, Development Manager, ART 180

Kate Horne, Gallery Manager, Metro Space Gallery

Sheila Johnson, Thinking of You Creations

Emilia Lanwher, Gallery Manager, The Whitley Gallery

Folake Omotola, Omotola& Associates

Marlene Paul, Executive Director, ART 180

WRITER & EDITOR Jon Sealy, Jon Sealy Communications

SPOKEN WORD PERFORMANCE Trokon Freeman

VOLUNTEERS Ardonus Baylor JaQuan Baul Jovanna Braxton William Clarke IV Lauren Cronan Tanisha Givens Rachel Hutchenson Elizabeth Lukens Alease Mitchell Angela Tornello Sunday White

Clarke Art Consulting Would Like To Thank Our Contributors And Supporters

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