Do You Hear What I Hear? - A Tribute

My education in the School of Business and Industry at Florida A & M University warned against mixing business with personal.  In the corporate world of an employee such a combination could lead to career implosion.  Art is personal.  It is also my business.  I’m ignoring FAMU’s warning.  Instead I’m encouraging an intimate love affair between personal and business.

My latest piece, “Do You Hear What I Hear” (2011), was completed on June 29^th – the day of my 15^th wedding anniversary.  “Do You Hear…” is my tribute to the man I embraced in marriage.  It is a testament to the man of faith he has become through every challenging obstacle we have faced together.  He is also a science lover.  His tribute must combine faith with science.  “Do You Hear What I Hear” shows science’s ability to explain some things and its limitation to fathom others.   

Science has proven sound travels in waves of varying frequencies.   Humans detect sound waves with their ears.  Receptors in the ear carry the waves to the brain.  The brain interprets the information from the ear and lets  us know what we are hearing.   Scientist have used MRI technology to study the brain’s reaction to different types of sounds.   The technology allows scientists to see which areas of the brain are most excited by the sound stimulus.  I believe emotion is measured through our level of excitement.  If you’re really emotional the MRI will reveal higher levels of brain activity. But an MRI cannot reveal human thought.

If an MRI could read the thoughts of my husband after receiving bad news, it would reveal something peculiar.    After hearing pronouncements of foreclosure, unemployment, and slow economy, his thought revealing MRI would see faith, hope, and opportunity.  How do I know?   Because I’ve stood by him and heard the pronouncements with him.   I’ve watched his actions and heard his words.  When the world - and his wife - marinated on seemingly impossible situations, he hung on to possibilities.  He turned each pronouncement of doom into a new beginning while all the time relying on the power of his great big God.

 My husband has always wanted to be a part of something scientific.  I plan to enter “Do You Hear What I Hear” in SAQA Il/WI’s Stitched Together, Art and Science exhibit to be held in the art gallery at  Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois.  When I told him about the exhibit he exclaimed, “Fermilab has the largest particle accelerator in the midwest!  I’ve always wanted to go there!”  Hopefully the art piece he inspired will one day be mounted on walls dripping with science. 

Martin Cornelius Lindsey thank you for being this Christian family’s man of faith.

Where Are We?

William "CJ" Cowherd Jr - 57th Street Art Fair Vendor, Chicago, IL

Attending art fairs and gallery openings  is my newest past time.  I’m meeting artists, observing new techniques, and experiencing different mediums. But I’m also discovering a recurring trend – the minuscule number of African-American artists at mainstream art fairs.  I find myself asking, where are we?  Why aren’t more of us in juried art fairs such as the 57^th Street, Gold Coast, and Old Town Art Fairs - all prominent Chicago art fairs?

Cheryl Toles - 57th Street Art Fair Vendor, Chicago, IL

My experience tells me there are thousands of talented, contemporary African-American and African Diaspora artist.  Even though an abundance of artistic talent exists in Chicago less than 2% of the approximately 200 artists at this year’s  57^th Street Art Fair in Chicago’s historic Hyde Park community were African-American.  Why is this happening? I don’t believe the reason is a lack of talent.  America has a well established system of privilege, but I don’t think this is the primary reason either.  I propose the primary reason is a lack of professional preparation.  

Several weeks ago, I presented some of my artwork to a prominent Chicago gallery owner.  After reviewing my work, he acknowledged my creativity and artistic talent then he succinctly stated my art wouldn’t work in his gallery.  In his opinion, my presentation lacked the polish to appeal to fine art collectors.  My pieces weren’t ready to hang in collector’s homes.    I mounted my art on the least expensive pre-stretched canvas available not realizing collectors and galleries have acceptable standards for unframed works.  My presentation didn’t meet those standards.  He likened my artistic presentation to a well designed car with missing wheels – it looks good but it can’t be driven.

Mainstream art fair jurors are concerned with presentation.  They expect the artist’s presentation to mimic a fine gallery transported to a neighborhood street.  The 57^th Street Art Fair runs concurrently with and adjacent to the Hyde Park Community Art Fair.  Both shows are juried, but are totally different.  The 57^th Street Fair seems to cater to high end fine art collectors while the Community Art Fair draws the casual art appreciator.   Another outstanding difference was large numbers of African-American vendors at the Community Art Fair even though the vendor fees for each fair were identical.   I asked my children if they noticed a difference between the two art fairs.  My middle school son responded, "The 57^th Street one is for professionals and the Community is for amateurs."  He explained further by saying that the professionals took time to come up with an interesting display.  

 

Do the jurors of mainstream shows see the same thing?  As African-American artists do we need to move from amateur to professional by investing  in  our  presentation? Are the photos we use to introduce our work to juries professional quality?  Do we need to educate ourselves on the expectations of collectors and galleries while maintaining our artistic creativity?  Are we operating like business owners who understand the expectations of its customers?  Are these the changes African-American artists need to make to increase our access to mainstream art fairs and galleries?  How would the fine art market change if more of us took these steps? What do you think?

Don’t Become an Isolated Griot!

Patricia Coleman Cobb & Ramona

Artists run the risk of isolation.  We can become trapped in our own creative minds and spaces.   Our studios are our sanctuaries, but sometimes they become our prisons.  We refuse to leave our safe creative space to venture into the world.  I heard an artist describe all artists as modern day griots.  Our art tells the story of a people, community, and nation.   But what good is a story if it is not heard?  What good is a griot who only tells stories to herself?

 

Patricia Cobb's fiber & clay dolls

We must open ourselves up to experience the creativity of other artists.  There are always art exhibits, openings and gatherings going on somewhere.  We must take the time to attend these events and talk to each other.  Online groups like Black Art in America  have helped begin this process.  As an art patron, I believed artists were reclusive, secretive, and mysterious.  I thought someone with such creativity couldn’t be easy to understand or befriend.  But then I realized, I was an artist and I’m none of those things.  In fact, I’m an open book with an ever changing story.  If this was my reality, then it must also be the same for other artists.

 

Danny Broadway & Ramona

At every art opening, street fair, or gallery show I’ve attended, I’ve encountered wonderful artists who fed my creativity with their energy.   A community grows as its members interact.  Sharing stories, asking questions, and cooperative dreaming is the fertilizer for its growth.  As a community of artists, we must seek out each other and challenge each other’s growth. We must not allow ourselves to become isolated islands.  Social networking is helping to bring us together but we must strive to expand our relationships into the real world.  

Life is a Big Bowl of Questions

Dana Todd Pope & Ramona D Lindsey

My eight year old daughter explained that, "Life is a big bowl of questions."  (Of course, this was her response to my asking why she has so many questions for mommy.) But this young philosopher was correct.  Life does revolve around questions and our search for the answers.  Questions were my reason for attending Sisters and Friends Afrocentric Fine Art Show in Bloomington-Normal, Illinoison May 21st-22nd.  As an emerging artist, leaving over a decade of service as  a public school educator, I have many questions about the life and responsibilities of a professional artist.  I've attended many fine art shows as a patron, but never as an artist.  Hence, my first question, "How do artists prepare for a fine art show?"  

Abstracts by Dana Todd Pope

My husband, a social media network guru, introduced me to my newest artist friend and painter, Dana Todd Pope.  Dana was a featured artist at the Sisters and Friends show.  In a quest to find answers to my question, I volunteered to travel with Dana to Bloomington-Normal, Illinois to help her set-up for the show.  She quickly accepted my offer.  I learned the work begins weeks before the show.  First, an artist must handle logistics such as travel arrangements, hotel rooms,  and securing display panels.  Weeks prior to the show she spent an untold number of hours creating new works insuring she had a consistent body of work.

More work by Dana Todd Pope

After arriving at the show, Dana became a curator.  She considered the flow of the room, her art's story, and lighting to decide the placement of her work.  Then she became a foreman directing the actions of her laborers to build panels, display walls, and remount art work disassembled for travel.  Finally, she donned her fancy dress, stilettos, and glamour girl make-up to become a premier promoter of her work.  She greeted art patrons, told her story, and closed business deals.

Watching and supporting Dana was the best answer to my simple question.   I learned things from one day of volunteer work that I could have never gotten from a book.  My mother always said, "Experience is the best teacher and there are no dumb questions."   I’m glad I heeded my mom's advice.   My art career will be so much better because I took the time to ask questions and seek answers.  What questions are you asking?

Sisters and Friends with a Passion for Art

What do you do when you are a professional, culturally inspired African-American woman in a community nearly void of cultural activities relevant to your ethnic experience? You simply call your sister friends.  This was the case in 1994 when 4 such women founded SisterFriends to introduce Bloomington-Normal, Illinois to culture relevant to the African Diaspora.  These 4 forward thinking women began hosting artist shows in their homes as a way to educate their community about artists of the African Diaspora and the impact of their art on the world.   

By 1999, SisterFriends evolved into a non-profit organization known as Sisters and Friends.  Their living room art shows transformed into an annual event  - The Afrocentric Fine Art Show - held at venues containing thousands of square feet to exhibit art works created by regional, national, and international artists. Sisters and Friends have partnered with numerous civic-minded and corporate entities to fulfill their mission which includes increasing awareness of African-American & African Diaspora art, enhance artist’s contributions to the community, advocate for youth expose to art, preserve the legacy of artists, and provide scholarships for African-American art students.

Bloomington-Normal, Illinois is home to the corporate headquarters of State Farm.  It is no surprise that this highly respected organization is a major supporter of Sisters and Friends’ Afrocentric Fine Art Show.  The weekend of May 21^st and 22^nd, 2011, marked the sixteenth year for the show.  It was formerly billed as Art Couture.  Art Couture featured such artists as Patricia Coleman-Cobb, Danny Broadway, Paul Branton, Joyce Lomax, and Dana Todd Pope. Gallery Guichard, a prominent Chicago gallery, also presented works from several of its highly talented artists. In the spirit of their mission, Sisters & Friends hosted each artist with the royal treatment, which included an invitation only dinner on the first night of the show.

Even though their numbers are small, their influence is far reaching.  Visitors to the sixteenth annual show came from locations throughout the Midwest, including St. Louis and Chicago.  These fearless, passionate, and devoted women are cultural leaders in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. By filling a void, they have transcended racial and ethnic barriers to unite a community around the beauty of art.  On behalf of artists everywhere, I salute your efforts.

Sisters and Friends Officers                                                      

Glenda Masingale Manson, President

Johnene Adams, Fund Development

Wilma Bates, Marketing Director/Scholarships

Carol Milling Cruz, Creative Director/Webmaster

Angela Davenport, Artist Events

Beverly Reid, Secretary/Treasurer

Stephanie Woodard, Volunteers

Ramona Dallum Lindsey Artist Portfolio

View more presentations from ramonadlindseyartist

How Am I Doing?

Embrace (2011) Art quilt with mixed-media collage

Embrace(2011) is my latest creation as a professional mixed media artist. It is a collaboration of my favorite mediums and techniques - collage, fabric, and sculpture.   I enjoy combining small bits of this and that to create something new and exciting.   Collage and quilting do just that.   As a youth, I enjoyed giving family and friends unique gifts from my heart and hands.  I always had little money for art supplies, but my mother was an elementary school teacher who always had construction paper, crayons, and glue.  I would raid her stash of old magazines, kitchen cabinets, and jewelry drawers for things I could use in my art creations.  These early exploits began my foray into the world of collage.  

Soft Sculpture saxophone detail

My mother was also an amateur seamstress.  She never let me on her sewing machine, but she gave me needle, thread, and fabric scraps.   I loved the feel of the needle passing through the fabric.  Working with the needle and thread was calming.  It allowed my mind to escape the cares of the world.  As I grew, I realized making clothes was not my thing.  Instead, I'd rather use fabric to create beauty I could hang on walls for all to see.  

Bas Relief Singer detail

After watching, Ghost, starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, and Whoopi Goldberg, I convinced my mother to buy me a mini-pottery wheel.  I never mastered that thing.  Even after taking classes, I really disliked throwing clay.  But someone suggested I try hand building.  Now, that was my speed.  I appreciated the feel of the clay and my ability to mold it into something special.  However working with clay is expensive.  So I reached back into my fabric stash and began experimenting with fabric sculpture.

Hand stitched ribbon detail

Embrace(2011) marks more than the beginning of a spirit led art career. It signifies the merging of all of my artistic passions into one piece. I randomly cut warm colored fabric shapes from repurposed clothes and curtains.  I used fabric fusing techniques to collage these pieces to create a vibrant art quilt focal point.   Then I used fabric sculpture techniques to mold a 3-D saxophone and bas relief singer.   The gold ribbons leaping from the instrument were hand stitched to the art quilt symbolizing music's embrace over every aspect of a community.  Next, I collaged a stretched canvas with layers of sheet music containing old jazz standards, acrylic paint, tulle, and gel medium.  I'm inspired by language and the sheet music represents the language of music.  Finally, I hand stitched the art quilt to the sheet music to complete the story.

 

Screen-printed homes detail

I am a self-taught artist transforming a creative hobby into a professional career. Many artists believe extraordinary art is determined by a work's design composition (balance, proportion, rhythm, emphasis, unity) and artistic elements (line, shape, form, space, color, value, texture).  As creative individuals, we can grow from each other's feedback.   How well do you think Embrace addresses design composition and artistic elements?  I would love to read your honest and informed comments to further my development as an artist.