Annette John-Hall: Still family celebrates 141st reunion in Lawnside Read more

Cruising down Oak Avenue into the historic borough of Lawnside, it didn’t take long to spot the sign. 141st Still Family Reunion: An American First Family. Can’t argue with the first-family part. The Still family tree may have had its roots in slavery, but has managed to produce quintessential American achievers – abolitionists, preachers, doctors, …

Does the black church keep black women single?

(CNN) — Legs covered in skin-toned stockings, her skirt crisp to the knee, Patty Davis slips on the black heels she has shined for the day. “Got to look good in the Lord’s house,” she says as she spritzes her neck with White Diamonds perfume and exits her black Lincoln Town Car. Davis, 46, of …

Struggling for the American Soul at Ground Zero

By Edward E. Curtis IV Like Gettysburg, the National Mall, and other historic sites, Ground Zero is a place whose symbolic importance extends well beyond local zoning disputes and real estate deals. The recent controversy over a proposal to build a Muslim community center two blocks away from the former World Trade Center shows it …

The Art of the Negro: (Study) – Hale Woodruff

Hale A. Woodruff 1900-1980 Located in the: Detroit Institute of Arts The General Motors Center for African American Art 5200 Woodward Avenue Detroit, Michigan 48202 Main Line: 313.833.7900 Date 1950/1951 Medium Oil on canvas Dimensions Canvas: 23 x 21 in. (58.4 x 53.3 cm) Framed: 29 1/2 x 27 9/16 x 2 9/16 in. ( …

Art for Public’s Sake

The painted pianos that have popped up in public places around the region as part of Cincinnati Public Radio’s Play Me, I’m Yours project have struck a chord with residents, the latest example of a public art project that has sparked conversation and helped shape cultural life in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Rather than …

Whimsical art teaches multiculturalism in the land of Oz

Demographically, Oz was a multicultural society, with creatures of various kinds living in harmony. Like Dorothy, visitors to the exhibition “Over the Rainbow I and II,” whose title was inspired by the song from the 1939 musical “The Wizard of Oz,” at the Sungkok Art Museum in Jongno District, central Seoul, are invited to explore …

Forget the Beaches, Trolley Tour Allows Art Lovers to do the Harlem Shuffle

They had a trolley good time. Forget the double-decker buses that wind through the crowded streets of midtown. The best way to sightsee in one of the city’s most culturally rich neighborhoods Saturday afternoon was via the ArtCrawl Harlem trolley. About 100 people ignored the lure of the beach, the park or a casino, opting …

Iraqi-American Unites Washington with Poetry, Food, Art

Washington – Iraqi-American Anas ‘Andy’ Shallal’s inspiration for uniting communities started when he moved to Washington as an illegal immigrant at age 10. He left the Arab world during a time of revolution and upheaval – he witnessed the televised killing of his president and the Baath regime takeover – only to enter a country …

Stephanie Redcross Brings Vegan to the Mainstream Since

Since I first went vegan in 1995, I’ve witnessed a sea change. What once felt like fringe is now creeping into the global collective consciousness. This has not been an accident, of course. Dedicated activists and green entrepreneurs have been tirelessly toiling to promote plant-based living. One such advocate is Stephanie Redcross, a dedicated vegan …

Naomi Campbell, Nelson Mandela and War Criminals

Naomi Campbell’s testimony at the Special Court for Sierra Leone was the culmination of a decade-long exercise in vulgarity. How the British supermodel ended up in the trial of Charles Taylor, a warlord accused of 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, troubles me for a plethora of reasons. This is not about …

After Broadway, Obamas Turn to Washington Theater

Having shined a White House spotlight on Broadway over the last year, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are turning their attentions to theater closer to home. Arena Stage, the 60-year-old theatrical company in Washington, announced Thursday that the Obamas would be the honorary chairpeople for its inaugural 2010-11 season at its new home, …

Cops aim to sniff out art vandals

SALEM — Doggone it! Works of art displayed at a dog-friendly park last week were vandalized or stolen. Salem State College art professor Ken Reker reported the crimes to police yesterday. Police are still investigating. Budding artists created the works of art, following a week long intensive art course, specifically for Leslie’s Retreat Park, a …

‘Art on the BeltLine’

“Art on the BeltLine,” Atlanta’s largest exhibition of temporary art, christens a new public space in the best possible way: with a wide-ranging display of works by a broad swath of Atlanta artists, supported by numerous volunteers and institutions. The project, which includes performances scheduled throughout its five-month run, was conceived to lure the public …

Work of Art unveiled in a City Cemetery

SALEM, MA — Not all art is in museums. In fact, you can find art in the strangest places. Take, for example, the huge mural on the side of the maintenance building in Greenlawn Cemetery. The colorful painting of a cemetery angel and Celtic cross was completed a few days ago by Richie Martineau, who …

The Healing Power of Art

Photographs by Wadson Labrousse Courtesy the government of the Republic of Haiti”> n January 12, 2010, Haiti was hit by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, which turned out to be the worst humanitarian disaster of modern times with the death toll reaching 300,000 people, another 250,000 wounded and 1,800,000 people in need of shelter. The children …