The Strivers Art Circuit

Discovering Arts in Harlem

Harlem has always been a source of specialized shopping such as for African textiles at Yara Fabrics at Fifth Avenue and 125th Street. This weekend The Strivers Art Circuit gave me a new discovery---Arts in Harlem. SAC is a self guided walking tour through artists studios and galleries surrounding the famed Strivers Row Historic district of Harlem, New York, New York. A contributing sponsor was the Harlem Arts Alliance’s Arts Advocacy Week. Postcards and posters mapped the location of thirteen spots to visit the week-end of October 9 and 10, 2010 to discover arts in Harlem.
Although geographically challenged finding the first gallery, Hamilton Landmark Gallery 647 West 144th Street was easily on the #101 bus line. The curator of this group exhibit “Trash to Treasure" was Aleathia Brown, a collage painter. The artists are from local neighborhoods and upstate New York organizations--- Harlem Arts Alliance and Black Dimension in Art. Taking recycling to a robust level these artists constructed fine art from ‘trash.’ A 12”X24” 3D piece by Catherine Reaves included plastic bags and embroidery thread that depicted flowers mounted on burlap. The piece by Patricia Murray was entitled "Over my Head I hear Music in the Air": fabric, yarn and earrings. A vintage wall hanging by Laura Gadson 42”X35” included square silk patches pieced and tied in a myriad of browns. For the wall hanging “Dazzling Star” Tina W. Raggio used cotton fabric. A 3D sculpture by Aleathia Brown was acrylic paint covering a shoe collage. The Albany photographer VR Grant exhibited black and white compositions that were not taken with his childhood Kodak box camera. The locations of these photographs included Topsail, North Carolina, “Fishing Pier;" Albany, NY ”Empire Place;" and “Boy” taken thirty years ago in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A nature construction by Slanwyck Cromwell included ½ inch tree branches amid starkly painted colors:12”X36”.
Searching for the second gallery on Hamilton Terrace found me lost in Harlem on Hamilton Place. Sunday was a warm and sunny afternoon for a walking tour. Pedestrians faithfully directed me to 62 Hamilton Place; this was not The Children’s Art Carnival, this was not 62 Hamilton Terrace. Retracing my steps to find Hamilton Terrace there were colorful balloons at the entrance to The Chirldren's Art Carnival. One of the fiber artists was Shaunda Halloway. She was exhibiting a variety of accessories decorated with hand dyed fabrics inspired by the Ibo of Nigeria. Bold, colorful graphics adorned handbags, belts and revamped T-shirts. Other works on the walls were pastels, ink drawings and vibrantly washed watercolors. The pottery in the rear was created by the young people educated at The Children's Art Carnival.
Strolling down unfamiliar tree lined streets acorns crushed underfoot. The towering old trees had roots pushing the sidewalk upward. The brownstones and occasional apartment buildings were quiet until the Terrace dead ended. The turn of a corner found me on Rev.Dr. John W. Saunders Place where the Bx #19 bus stops at 145th Street. Look at that a Bronx bus in the heart of Manhattan!
Shimoda, the jeweler provided the most hospitable home studio. http://www.shimoda-accessories.com/ Her upstairs studio space on Frederick Douglas Boulevard showcased her extravagant line of beads, bangles and bling. With mirrors all around we were enticed to imagine ourselves courageous enough to be so adorned. All the walls including the snack-filled kitchen demonstrated her expanse of creativity where jewelry becomes a three dimensional sculpture. Shimoda hosted two visual artists from Dallas, Texas: Frank Sowells, Jr. and Randy Leger.
The photographic essay at Strivers Gardens Gallery by Kwame Brathwaite is entitled “Gone: But Not Forgotten.” This is a segment of the photographer's massive collection of photographs of musical legends. The performance shots of Michael Jackson, Miles Davis and Betty Carter to name a few presented a walk down memory lane. If you never saw James Brown at the Apollo Theater how can you call yourself a music lover?
At the law office of Jayne M. Dennis;230 West 135th Street Beatrice Lebreton exhibited paintings that will be shown later this month at the Harlem Arts Alliance Office Gallery. The paintings of women are realistic yet framed by symbols and designs of color:"Femmes/Fragments." On the craft side Beatrice Lebreton has assembled prints of her original watercolors into a desk calendar. A large sheet contains two inch crops of prints of butterfly wings on a black background. Ibou Ndoye, paints on glass, sometimes broken glass. Then takes a digital image of this original for smaller prints matted in white. Next Ibou Ndoye He is is currently exhibiting at the Distrillery Gallery, Jersey City, New Jersey. “Mapping Race” http://www.destinationjerseycity.com/events/428
At the Harlem Arts Alliance Office Gallery the painter Eric Engles is showing neon paintings from the past few years in a showcase entitled “Phoenix” Most of the paintings are two feet by two feet in contemporary frames suitable for exhibiting under a black light. The colors are florescent hues from poster paints that swerve to dance and splatter as in “Pig Pen.” The layering of flowing streaks and brush strokes of fuchsia and chartreuse presents a dizzying moment.
The Gadson Gallery/Laura R. Gadson is a quilt lovers delight. Her work is large and small, traditional and contemporary, home decorous and museum quality. The traditional quilts with squares and rectangles use soft colored cotton fabrics blended by neat circular quilting stitches. The finishing edge, the binding is not limited to repeating the quilt’s motif but has an expression of independence. The masterful blue and white quilt shows giant snowflakes that seem to float aloft. It is hard for a mere photograph or a Banner hanging on 125th Street to capture the texture of quilting. Laura R. Gadson has a unique mobile hanging system for her wall hangings. These small story quilts are complemented with noir. And ah the fabric portraits! Billie Holiday and Noel Pointer has solo characters or small groups like Grandma with child come alive on a landscaped background. Her work exemplifies ”that fine art look that we are trying to impose on viewers.”