https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/2023/05/22/dallas-artist-niki-dionne-uses-wool-whimsy-to-spotlight-black-women/ 

April 7 – May 27 | Opening Reception: Friday, April 7 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. | South Dallas Cultural Center

Actual Footage of Me is a vibrant and playful collection that features some of the most beloved artworks by Dallas-based Illustrator and Fiber Artist Niki Dionne. The exhibition showcases Niki’s unique artistic vision and explores themes of self-discovery and identity as a black woman.

As visitors enter the show, they will be immediately drawn into Niki’s world, where they will encounter a variety of faceless black women brought to life through different mediums such as fiber, oil pastels, and digital illustration. The exhibition space will be filled with Niki’s signature illustration style and textures that create a captivating visual experience.

This exhibition is free and open for public viewing from April 7 – May 27, 2023. An opening reception will be held Friday, April 7 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the South Dallas Cultural Center.

In 1966, Dr. Maulana Karenga, the Chair and Advisor of Africana Studies at California State University – Long Beach, created Kwanzaa during the aftermath of the Watts Riots. His goal was to “give Blacks an alternative to the existing holiday and give Blacks an opportunity to celebrate themselves and their history, rather than simply imitate the practice of the dominant society.”

Now 54 years later, Kwanzaa is still celebrated in communities across the country though not as prevalent as in the initial years of its creation. But in a year etched in history as one of social and political chaos, the very essence of Kwanzaa may be more relevant now than ever. So, we thought we would offer a guide to celebrating the seven-day festival that is all about unity within the family, community, and culture. 

Learn more about the history of Kwanzaa and how to celebrate Nguzu Saba – it’s seven principles.

Revolutionary by Wadsworth Jarrell, 1971

Historian, curator, and Black Art in America Scholar in Residence, Dr. Kelli Morgan, examines a few of her favorite protest art and the role of black artists during political unrest throughout American history. Watch the full video for a look at works like Revolutionary by Wadworth Jarrell and Injustice Case by David Hammons.

The views, information, or opinions expressed during “A Look at Protest Art with Dr. Kelli Morgan” are solely those of the individual recorded and do not necessarily represent those of the South Dallas Cultural Center and its employees.

Scene from Compensation, 1999

Michael Ray Charles is a painter whose work investigates the legacy of historic racial stereotypes of Black Americans. Caricatures and stereotypes once used in American advertisements such as Sambo, Aunt Jemima, pickaninnies, and Uncle Tom are employed to deconstruct and subvert images of blackness.

While Charles’ work has been the center of controversy, he has had a successful career as an artist and art educator. He is the Hugh Roy and Lillie Franz Cullen Distinguished Professor of Painting at the University of Houston, and his work has been displayed in institutions throughout world. In 2000, he served as a consultant on Spike Lee’s satirical film, Bamboozled.

Filmed in his Texas home, Consumption is a look at Charles’ creative process and approach to depicting provocative racial figures.

South Dallas Cultural Center presents A Window In: A look at Contemporary Art of the African Diaspora. Each week, SDCC will feature a curated list of videos from ART 21: Art in the Twenty First Century that highlight artists of the African Diaspora. From topics of Power and Truth to Love and Loss, these artists explore and expand the bounds of what art is and could be.

“No be ganado mi libertad sobre las espaldas”, Chesley Antoinette, 2018

Conceptual artist and educator, Chesley Antoinette, debuted her striking exhibition, Tignon, at the South Dallas Cultural Center in Fall 2018. Through fashion photography and wearable sculptural turbans, the artist examines the experiences of women of African descent during the 18th century. Now the entire exhibition can be viewed virtually, courtesy of the Duluth Art Institute, where the show is scheduled to open in 2021.

The tour features images of the artwork and audio of all essays referenced in the show. Explore the beautiful exhibition here.

Antoinette was a recent guest on the SDCC series, In the Studio. Watch to learn more about the artist’s evolution as a fiber artist and the significance of historical research to her work.

Morpheus by Kehinde Wiley, 2008

But are artists really thinking about our times and reflecting that in the work? Why aren’t artists making art that is representative of the lifestyles we live? And why are we longing for times that weren’t any better than today? Shouldn’t we be creating new narratives?”

“How Poignant Are the Pictures That Portraits Paint?”, Shantay Robinson

It’s an interesting assessment of a long-standing art form that has been dominated by artists such as Kehinde Wiley, Barkley Hendricks, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, and Amy Sherald. While Robinson is not saying portraiture is a dead, she does ask if contemporary artists are creating works that are provide context for the experiences black folks are experiencing now.

Read the full article here.

Politics of the plains. Julie Mehertu asks the question “What does it mean to paint a landscape and be an artist in this political moment?” From Native peoples to gentrification, colonization has and still does effect the landscape. Experience Julie’s art as she explores these ideas here.

Julie Mehretu was born in 1970 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She studied at University Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar (1990–91), earned a BA from Kalamazoo College, Michigan (1992), and an MFA from Rhode Island School of Design, Providence (1997). She was a resident of the CORE Program, Glassell School of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (1997–98) and the Artist-in-Residence Program at the Studio Museum in Harlem (2001).

South Dallas Cultural Center presents A Window In: A look at Contemporary Art of the African Diaspora. Each week, SDCC will feature a curated list of videos from ART 21: Art in the Twenty First Century that highlight artists of the African Diaspora. From topics of Power and Truth to Love and Loss, these artists explore and expand the bounds of what art is and could be.

Rashid Johnson discusses writing his work in the “bigger history of art”. As a young photographer Johnson expressed the confidence to approach a gallery and get his work into a show he was not initially invited to participate. That single ct helped launch his career. Here him discuss that and his conceptual installation work using materials like shea butter and black soap here.

Rashid Johnson was born in 1977 in Chicago, Illinois, and lives and works in New York. Johnson, who got his start as a photographer, works across media—including video, sculpture, painting, and installation—using a wide variety of materials to address issues of African American identity and history. 

South Dallas Cultural Center presents A Window In: A look at Contemporary Art of the African Diaspora. Each week, SDCC will feature a curated list of videos from ART 21: Art in the Twenty First Century that highlight artists of the African Diaspora. From topics of Power and Truth to Love and Loss, these artists explore and expand the bounds of what art is and could be.

South Dallas Cultural Center introduces its new series In the Studio: a series of conversations with artists and their work. General Manager John Spriggins will discuss process, inspiration, and education with artists in the visual and performing arts. 

This week we present a JD Moore a local visual artist whose work as a tattoo artist, painter, muralist, and photographer presents a unique perspective an approach to image making. JD’s has recently been commissioned to several murals around Dallas, and more specifically orchestrated the BLACK LIVE MATTER mural at Dallas City Hall. Watch the conversation here.