Last Friday, the State House looked much less stoic than
usual—drummers, dancers, and artists joined State Representatives, Veterans,
and students to fill the Grand Staircase in celebration of Black History Month!
AFH teens and staff were part of the mix—after being commissioned by the Tri-Ad
Veterans League to create paintings of influential African-American leaders and
veterans last fall, the teens in our painting studio were invited to the formal reception showcasing the work. The art exhibit and
reception, entitled “African Americans in the Military” featured 13 paintings made by nine
AFH teens: David Johnson, Takii Samuels, Kitauna Parker, Jerome Shelton,
Reginald Pinckney, Juanita Grim, Wilton Tejeda, Kim Nguyen, and Toni Jonas
Silver. Working closely with two mentors, Genaro Ortega, and Stephen Hamilton,
the artists created paintings that portrayed some crucial figures in Black
History.
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| State Representative Gloria L. Fox welcomes the crowd. |
Some
of the subjects painted were Benjamin O. Davis, a Tuskegee airman and the most
decorated black officer in the American military, William Harvey Carney, a
medal of honor recipient, and the soldiers in the 54th volunteer regiment, who
are honored as a whole in one of the pieces.
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| AFH teens and mentors are thanked! |
AFH
wasn’t the only creative group at the State House; the program also included
music by the JahJah Drummers and two performances by the One Love Dance Company.
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| One Love Dance Company! |
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| The JahJah Drummers! |
The
show will be up at the foot of the Grand Staircase at the State House until the
end of the month—so be sure to stop by and check out the inspiring pieces!
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| One Love Dance Company, AFH, and guest speakers Nimo and Tayo Stuppard pose on the Grand Staircase with Representative Fox |
Tired
of missing out on AFH exhibits, projects, and parties? Then check out our
facebook page here to stay in the loop!
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