NEWS
‘Unveiling History’: Local art gallery recognizes black history through exhibit
Source: WCTV.tv Photo: Artwork featuring four African American artists is on display until May 18th. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – A art local gallery is honoring black history and women’s history month with a new exhibit. Director of Anderson Brickler Gallery, Karen Vargus said she is driven to share untold stories of people who shaped history. The current exhibit is called “Reflections and Reckoning: Brown V Board of Education at 70.” “Sometimes I feel that we’re taking a step back instead of a step forward and I think an exhibit like this brings attention to what we really need to be and what we need to strive for,” Vargus said. The Brown V Board case decision made segregating schools illegal in the 1950s. Linda Brown became prominent during the case and she should be highlighted, according to Vargus. “She had to walk a very long way to get to the school bus to get to the school that was for black children,” Vargus said. “She grew up to also be an activist for the civil rights movement.” A handful of women viewed the exhibit Sunday afternoon and participated in a discussion featuring Tallahassee preservationist and historian, Gerldine Seay. “You can really see how much black women have contributed to the culture, how far they’ve brought people along, how they have carried the burden a lot of times,” Seay said. Vargus said she hosted the woman lead discussion because she strives to share history from the perspective of women. “Sometimes women don’t have much of a voice and I know that there is a lot of women out there and they do have a perspective,” Vargus said. The conversation was centered around the black history of Tallahassee and the work to preserve the Lake Hall School House which is a historically black one room school in the Capital City. The Lake Hall School House is featured in the exhibit as well as art work by four African American artists that show the impact of Brown V Board. The exhibit will be open until May 18th.
Anderson Brickler Gallery Presents ‘Her Blood Runs Through My Veins’
Source: FSUNews.com Dulce Ordonez, Staff Writer Young, Gifted, and Black by Joe Roache on display at Anderson Brickler Gallery The Anderson Brickler Gallery is displaying “Her Blood Runs Through My Veins,” an exhibition that focuses on the deep spiritual connections between three artists and the women in their lives. The gallery, founded by Dr. Celeste Hart in 2017, is one of Tallahassee’s best hidden gems. It holds history within itself, as the founder’s father and grandfather practiced medicine in the building before it was turned into a place for Tallahassee’s finest artists. Located on S. Adams Street, the gallery is easily accessible to FSU and FAMU students. Although the gallery is small, it is deeply welcoming and friendly. Displaying works by well-known Tallahassee artists Paul Houzell, Joseph Pearson and Joe Roache, the exhibition’s large paintings and the calm atmosphere of the gallery immerse the viewer in the pieces; the women deeply personal to the artists now become part of the viewer too. ABG emphasizes the importance of communities embracing cultural identities, especially those of African-Americans, and offers free admission to all. In Houzell’s artist statement, he says that he is “inspired by the events of [his life], personally, collectively and politically.” The lineage of African spiritualism as a global influence is evident in Houzell’s work. It is not often that art by a group of all black men is portrayed all at once. The Anderson Brickler Gallery focuses on portraying art by POC artists, and the current exhibition does just that. Through thought-provoking visuals, the gallery, in its carefully curated glory, brings together various communities held together by art and a common hunger for understanding various other cultures. The intimate portrayal of women further helps connect the viewer with not only the women shown in the pieces but also with the women in their own lives. The gallery offers seating, inviting visitors to sit, linger and fully familiarize themselves with the pieces. This full experience transforms the space into something that big galleries dream of accomplishing. Though the African-American experience in its many forms is portrayed through the artworks, the focus on one sex elevates the exhibition. Women being the artistic corner point uplifts the presentation and brings forth resilience and a strong disposition. Women in the exhibition are presented as the backbone of culture and the human experience. Pearson does an extraordinary job of portraying this point by showcasing a woman as a dreamer in his piece “The Dreamer,” where a woman is surrounded by clouds and a single red rose hangs from above. His other works, such as “I’ve Known Pain and Sorrow” and “She-Warrior,” plant seeds in the visitor’s mind and further push historical reflection by presenting women in a contemporary way with titles that represent much more. The pieces present women in day-to-day activities, lying on park benches, braiding each other’s hair and much more. However, they also present women as warriors, and experts in their field, as seen by Houzell’s portrayal of former tennis player, Serena Williams. Gallery Director Karen Vargas is always ready to help a visitor learn more about the personal connections of the artists and their work. A piece by Joe Roache, “Young, Gifted and Black,” portrays a young girl painted in black and white and surrounded by vivid color and what appears to be a schoolhouse. Vargas said that the girl in the picture is one of Roache’s relatives. Roache is an artist whom Tallahassee is deeply familiar with. Roache completed his undergraduate studies at FAMU and was commissioned in 1991 by collectors Bernard and Shirley Kinsey to produce a large mural that now sits atop the lobby of the School of Business and Industry at FAMU. Anderson Brickler Gallery is a key piece in maintaining the rich history that Tallahassee is widely known for. The gallery helps uplift Black voices through art and serves as an inspiration to the local community. The exhibition will run until Dec. 30.
Anderson Brickler Gallery readies for 6th anniversary with new exhibit
Marina Brown Special to the Tallahassee Democrat Published 5:06 a.m. ET Sept. 14, 2023 Updated 5:06 a.m. ET Sept. 14, 2023 Just because you were gifted with talents in science and math does not mean you were short-changed in the arts and cultural department. Indeed, for endocrinologist, Dr. Celeste Brickler Hart, part of the storied Brickler family of African American physicians who have so positively impacted Tallahassee for generations, her belief is that both a “STEM” mentality and a love of the arts grow from the same source. “I have been interested in art since high school,” she says. “And when I was at Howard University in Washington, D.C., I found that museums, galleries — art in general was everywhere around me — and filled with pieces at the time when the Black Arts Movement was peaking.” Hart never lost her love of art and when she had returned to open her practice in Tallahassee and the perfect space became available in 2017, she, with the assistance of Senior Curator, Kabuya Owens-Saffo, opened the Anderson Brickler Gallery. “This year, in October, we celebrate our sixth anniversary,” says Hart. “And we’re doing it with a wonderful exhibition by three Black male artists whom Tallahassee knows well: Joe Roache, Paul Houzell, and Joseph Pearson.” Hart explains that, “The idea for this exhibit evolved spontaneously as we sat talking in the gallery and I began to muse about the influences and relationships that African American men experience with the women in their lives. Whether romantic, a mentoring, as collaborators, or as teachers, I wondered how these three artists would depict in portraits or figurative form those experiences. And thus, was born, ‘“’Her Blood Runs Through My Veins,’ which is to say that the image of that woman truly became a part of you.” Joe Roache was a long-time professor at FAMU and has taught in the School of Journalism and Graphic Design. His work hangs in private collections and museums around the country. 11/1/23, 12:55 PM Tallahassee’s Anderson Brickler Gallery opens ‘Her Blood’ exhibit Paul Houzell is the current artist in residence at the ABG and is known for his interest in arts education. Joseph Pearson’s work is in galleries and collections across Noth Carolina. There are over 20 paintings in the exhibition depicting women in poetic, revered, or dynamic forms, each work filled with color and movement in several media representations. In oil, watercolor, pastel, and graphic design, each of the artists demonstrates a catholic skill-set, able to paint in a vernacular style, a highly realistic rendering, or in the case of Roache, his blend of digital and painted canvases. The large exhibition feels as if there are more than three master painters on display! The opening reception is from 5-8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15. The show will run through December. Hart invites attendees to try the provided Bourbon cake and carrot cake direct from Bill’s Sweetz of Charlotte, North Carolina. If you go What: New painting exhibition: “Her Blood Runs Through My Veins.” Where: Anderson Brickler Gallery, 1747 S. Adams St. When: 5-8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15
Dr. Brickler Hart brings art to the community
Source: TheFAMUANOnline.com Photo: A painting in the “Her Blood Runs Through My Veins” exhibit by Joe Roache. Photo courtesy: Raina Smith The story of Dr. Celeste Brickler Hart and the Anderson Brickler Gallery is a full-circle journey that all begins on FAMU’s campus. Hart was born in Tallahassee, at what is now FAMU’s Foote-Hilyer administration building, once known as the Florida A&M College Hospital. Just across the street stood her grandfather’s building, where he and her father practiced medicine. Dr. Hart would later bring her practice to the same building, and the charming red brick structure next to it would become what is today the Anderson Brickler Gallery. “The FAMU campus was kind of a mecca for a very talented group of faculty members, and I grew up with a lot of their children,” Hart said. “We were particularly nurtured, loved, and well-educated. The group that I grew up with went on to do some pretty amazing things.” Hart didn’t always aspire to become a doctor. In fact, she graduated with a degree in mathematics. After graduation, she landed a full-time job at IBM, a multinational technology corporation. However, Hart soon realized that her job as a systems engineer did not fulfill her. She decided to further her education at Howard University’s College of Medicine in Washington, D.C., where she also gained her appreciation for art and began her art collection. During her time in D.C., she was influenced by the bold artistic atmosphere. Not only did she have the Smithsonian Museum just around the corner, but she also found herself in the midst of a thriving arts movement. “There was the Black arts movement that was very political. There was something called the D.C. Color School that was more abstract expressionism,” she said. “There was just so much going on; I just learned to appreciate [art] from that.” Hart’s medical path brought her back to Tallahassee, where she began her own practice, specializing in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism. Her art collection came with her. Her goal was to bring a little piece of what she acquired in D.C. back to her hometown for the local community to experience. “If you live in a big city you have access to this whole world of art that people who live in smaller towns just don’t get to see very often,” Hart said. In October 2017, the Anderson Brickler Gallery officially opened its doors. The gallery started out in the space below Hart’s practice, but as it evolved, she decided to relocate to the building next door. The walls of the Anderson Brickler Gallery have become an ever-changing display of arti works and a place for local artists to showcase their work. Hart successfully manages her gallery with the assistance of chief curator Kabuya Pamela Bowens-Saffo. Bowens-Saffo, an artist specializing in print-making traditions, has been collaborating with Hart even before the gallery’s opening. “The both of us like to think that our meeting each other was truly a godsend,” Bowens-Saffo said. “What we have accomplished is a place of purpose to be empowered and enjoyed through an uplifting experience in the arts in our everyday local south side community of Tallahassee.” The gallery’s current exhibit features works by Joseph Pearson, Paul Houzell and Joe Roache. According to Pearson, both Hart and her gallery continue to exceed expectations. “Being in her presence was an immense pleasure,” he said. “In terms of the gallery, [I] think it is a beautifully appointed space.” The exhibit, titled “Her Blood Runs Through My Veins,” explores the different relationships that African American males encounter with the women in their lives. “We appreciate the love and nurture that we receive from the women in our family, the women in our lives and in many cases, women in general, ” Pearson said. He hopes that visitors to the exhibit can relate the artwork to their own appreciation for the women in their lives. Although her practice and her patients remain her primary focus, Hart hopes to continue to bring art to the Tallahassee community. In fact, her next exhibit is in the works and prepped to launch just in time for Black History Month.
MAPPING: Valerie S. Goodman’s Illuminating Exhibition
Source: Arbus Magazine pg. 66 Reviewed by Yelena McLane “Mapping: The Work of a Textile Artist by Valerie S. Goodman” is an exhibition at the Anderson Brickler Gallery founded by Dr. Celeste B. Hart and located in Tallahassee, Florida. The exhibition of 25 works was curated by Kabuya P. Bowens-Saffo, the chief curator of the gallery. Through the selected works presented in the show, artist-architext Valerie Goodman explores her quilt-making journey, both personally and geographically, which she began in 1998 and which took her in “many surprising and unexpected directions.” The retrospective of textile works is organized chronologically through several intimate gallery spaces, inviting visitors to explore up close Goodwin’s exquisitely crafted worlds integrating maps, landscapes, architectural drawings, and photographs…Read More
COCA Spotlight: Valerie S. Goodman
Source: COCA Tallahassee Arts Guide Dec 05, 2022 by Christy Rodriguez de Conte The Anderson Brickler Gallery has mapped out a space for artist Valerie Goodwin to show off the intricate labor of love that a unique perspective on quilting can bring in “Mapping: The Work of a Textile Artist” exhibit. Goodwin will give a talk about the retrospective on Dec. 10 and the exhibit through Dec. 28. Quilting and textile art have long been art fueled by necessity. The layering and sewing together of different fabrics and materials created a source of protection from the elements. Over the years, this widely female artisan practice evolved into a complex art form. It is this complexity and detail-focused making that caught Valerie Goodwin’s eye. She has always been drawn to working with small parts because of her patience and joy of building. Yet, it was not until she began her educational journey at Yale University that she encountered an art form that would change her life. “I discovered architecture by accident,” admits Goodwin. “When I was at Yale, I always took an art class. Fortunately, the art and architecture was a large building, and it had architecture as well as art in it. And I was just roaming about the building, and I saw all these people in the midst of all these drawings, design ideas, model making. I mean, there was just a certain energy that I was drawn to, and I immediately decided to change my major… It was one of the best decisions I ever made. “ Goodwin’s tenure as an architecture professor at Florida A&M University began in 1994, during which time she perfected a process of artistry that combined the maps and lines of architectural structures with the tools used in traditional quilt and textile making. Her work has been shown across the country, from New York City and Washington D.C. to the hometown galleries of Tallahassee. Goodwin acknowledges that her knowledge of architecture had a significant influence on her artwork, with the symbiotic relationship shaping her understanding and experience as an artist. “Architecture is about the big picture, and with art, it becomes a more intimate space; however, you must know something about different disciplines that tie together the whole.” Any educator will proudly admit that they are continuously learning from their students. It keeps one fresh and relevant and, at times, may even affect one’s own artistry. In addition to her own private pursuit of quilting knowledge, Professor Valerie Goodwin speaks of her students as inspiration. “I was using architectural ideas about composition in my work. I found myself using some of the things my thesis students were studying. I sort of incorporated some of their ideas, mainly areas of art.” Goodwin continues, “I saw a way of applying it in my way of thinking about the design.” Goodwin does not work in traditional patchwork and instead relies on instinct and knowledge of the basic principles of design to improvise and think like a quilter. Her access to FAMU’s facilities over her career has provided Goodwin with the tools to establish a unique approach to textiles, primarily using a laser cutter to create intricate lace lines. Goodwin’s making process uses various mediums and practices like hand stitching, applique, and fusing. Goodwin will often fuse the small pieces depending on the desired goal and then sew on top of those pieces. These layers have become a signature style in her work.
ABG Celebrates Women’s History Month
Artist Shirley Woodson’s bold strokes There’s a lot going on in Shirley Woodson’s vivid paintings. And at 85, this artist and former schoolteacher is being celebrated with her first one-woman show at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Correspondent Rita Braver reports. Elana Meyers Taylor is most-decorated Black Winter Olympian The Douglasville, Georgia native won a Bronze in her final event in Beijing.
‘On top of the world’: Candace Allen’s exuberance on display in ‘A Dream in Color’
Amanda Sieradzki, Council on Culture & Arts Source: Tallahassee Democrat At the Anderson Brickler Gallery’s new exhibit, Candance Allen’s “We Go High” piece stands six feet tall. Eyes heavenward, the young woman at the center of Candace Allen’s “We Go High” piece stands six feet tall. Her box braids, carefully woven in dark navy and periwinkle, are windswept. She laughs at a sky buzzing with paper airplanes that cut through technicolor clouds. “It’s hyperbolic in the best kind of sense,” notes Allen. Her digital portrait is a centerpiece of her show “CandiiKismet: A Dream in Color” at the Anderson Brickler Gallery, on display now through May 14. Allen is the first and youngest female artist to have a solo show at the gallery. “We Go High” is surrounded by mobiles of paper airplanes, which Allen hopes will immerse viewers into these colorful landscapes. Her illustrations have been called magical realism, but Allen grounds her images in both fantastical and tangible worlds. “It’s real because you know this girl, she’s your best friend’s older sister who you always thought was cool or your substitute teacher or someone who works at your dentist office,” says Allen. “She’s tall and feels good about herself. She’s important and has her own agency and voice. She’s on top of the world. These paper planes are racing past and piercing these clouds around her, and as they do, they’re colored themselves. That’s a feeling. That’s a moment.” Candance Allen has a show “CandiiKismet: A Dream in Color,” at the Anderson Brickler Gallery, on display now through May 14. FAMU grad from Quincy Allen earned her degree in fine art with a focus in illustration and printmaking from Florida A&M University. While in school, she appreciated the push she received from professors like Dr. Pamela Kabuya Bowens-Saffo. A longtime lover of literature, Allen was energized by connections she made between printmaking and books. The pop art movement served as another source of inspiration, with its repeating colors and patterns. A native of Quincy, Allen grew up constantly drawing characters. Her favorite subject is Black women. Allen constructs amalgamations that borrow bits and pieces from the faces, bodies, and stances she sees in her community to create completely original works. Allen strives to capture the everyday through her unique lens. She appreciates artists like Norman Rockwell whose artistic approach elevated the everyday lives of people in his paintings. The subjects that Allen creates come from her own everyday encounters. Candance Allen has a show “CandiiKismet: A Dream in Color,” at the Anderson Brickler Gallery, on display now through May 14. The most beautiful people’ “I’m always looking at Black women and Black people because I think we’re the most diverse group of people in the world given the nature of our diaspora,” says Allen. “When I’m creating, I take from every person I’ve seen. It’s the barista’s eyes and the nurse’s lips and the mail lady’s hair. I look at the shape of their nostrils, the way they have this beauty gap that no doubt comes from West Africa. I think African Americans are the most beautiful people in the world.” When Allen sits down to capture a person, she considers not only what they’re doing, but how they feel about what they’re doing. While digital art can be intimidating given the multitude of computer programs available, Allen confesses that she only uses four of the brush tools on her computer to create her work, emphasizing the importance of simplicity and finding creative approaches that fit the artist. Ideas for drawings come from fleeting thoughts or moments in her day. Allen recently finished a drawing that came to her after seeing a nature documentary on flamingos. Imagination and ‘childlike nature’ The show reminded her that flamingos are pink because of the food they eat, which made her wonder what would happen if they were fed something different. A few hours later, she had drawn a little girl feeding a flock of flamingos Rubik’s cubes as their feathers transform into multi-colored checkerboards. “That’s the childlike nature in what I do,” laughs Allen. Beyond whimsy, Allen’s artistic contributions center on, and celebrate, Black women in hopes of promoting more widespread representation in the media. Included in the show are some of Allen’s medical illustrations that she creates for Beloved Birth Black Centering, a birth justice center in California. The organization is run by all Black midwives, doctors, and nurses, and the facility commissioned Allen to create artwork for their programming. Allen has created art for instructions on everything from swaddling a baby to mixing formula to best labor practices. These illustrations live side-by-side in Allen’s exhibit, which she hopes will not only inspire, but emotionally touch the gallery patrons who see the work in person. “I think the most rewarding thing is that people get to see themselves in my work,” says Allen. “The closer you get to my work, the more you realize it is you. I think it’s exciting, not just for young people, but it’s important and validating for me too.” Amanda Sieradzki is the feature writer for the Council on Culture & Arts. COCA is the capital area’s umbrella agency for arts and culture (www.tallahasseearts.org).
Works by Kabuya Pamela Bowens-Saffo on view at Essex Flowers
Source: ArtDaily.cc Artwork: Kabuya Pamela Bowens-Saffo, Reflections on Tracks & Bridges #3. Digital print on paper, 24 x 24 inches. 2021. Photo: Claire Watson. NEW YORK, NY.- Essex Flowers is presenting Tracks & Bridges, a series of digital prints and drawings with mixed media on paper by Kabuya Pamela Bowens-Saffo. Kabuya’s works in this series are homages to two major figures of the Harlem Renaissance, sculptor Augusta Savage and writer and civil rights activist James Weldon Johnson. Commissioned by the New York World’s Fair of 1939, and destroyed at its conclusion, Savage’s sculpture The Harp was inspired by the lyrics of the poem Lift Every Voice and Sing, by writer and civil rights activist James Weldon Johnson. “Tracks and Bridges is an ongoing theme focus in my work . . . to recognize human relations, defining purpose and progress in current moments. The select works for exhibition are tracks and bridges reflecting a journey of hardships since 2020, 2021 and beginning possibilities of choice to build better bridges for 2022.” ~ KPBS Kabuya Pamela Bowens-Saffo is a Florida-based artist specializing in printmaking and mixed media constructions. Her work explores aspects of everyday social and political human relations highlighting important references to acknowledge the history of African Americans. She is a BFA graduate of Howard University in Washington, DC and MFA studies at Tyler School of the Arts at Temple University in Philadelphia and Rome. Kabuya began her MFA studies at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York while working as a master printer with Robert Blackburn at the Printmaking Workshop. Bowens-Saffo is the chief curator at the Anderson Brickler Gallery, a globally inclusive and community-centered art gallery focusing on art created by persons of the African diaspora. The gallery is located in Tallahassee, Florida, where Bowens-Saffo was an Associate Professor of Printmaking at Florida State University and Visiting Professor at Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University. Bowens-Saffo is a recipient of awards from New York Foundation for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts Mid-Atlantic Grant, Bronx Council for the Arts, and Artist Residencies at the Zora Neale Hurston Museum, Salem-2Salem in Baden-Württemberg, Germany and the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica in Venice Italy. She is founder of THINKING CAP: Collaborative Arts Projects involving artists, architects, engineers and environmental scientists.