new exhibition at MoCADA

toronto-based artist specterart has created some interesting billboards in anticipation for the museum of contemporary afrcian disasporan art's current exhibition called The Gentrification of Brooklyn: The Pink Elephant Speaks (see below). the exhibit has been running since february 4th, and will up until may 16th of this year.

here's an exert from the press release:

This exhibition, guest curated by Dexter Wimberly, will examine how urban planning, eminent domain, and real estate development are affecting Brooklyn’s communities and how residents throughout the borough are responding. The exhibition will include the works of several Brooklyn-based artists, as well as those who have been forced to relocate as a result of gentrification. In addition to works of art featured at MoCADA, there will be a schedule of public programs taking place throughout Brooklyn.

i'm definitely visiting very soon. they're also supplementing the art with forums with community leaders and urban planners about gentrification and what it means for urban living. get excited!

i think these billboards are fun:

new hollywood has not a sprinkle of color?

word though?

apparently vanity fair's celebration of hollywood's fresh talent is limited to the lily white and rail thin? weren't some of the hugest films of 2009 starred by women of color? does vanity fair need a reminder about Precious? Avatar? or how about Slumdog Millionaire? i

then there are the small screen and tv young actresses of color like jurnee smollett of the great debaters, erica hubbard of lincoln heights, keke palmer of akeelah and the bee, afro-latina tessa thompson from veronica mars, monique coleman of high school musical, america fererra, selena gomez, frida pinto, and the list goes on and on...

my problem is sort of complicated. this exclusion makes me wonder if women of color in hollywood are overlooked, or if they are merely an afterthought? the former would mean that their talents and efforts are dismissed and disregarded, the latter implies that their talents are in fact acknowledged, but they will never be on par with the likes of kristen stewart and friends.

either way, if both are realities, i'm sort of nervous for my baby sister, and countless other actresses who have hopes of contributing to breaking seemingly unbreakable barriers in theatre and film...

quote of the day

"i'd rather be a small fish in a big pond with mad favor from God." - choklate moore

race, race, baby!

so, i really love talking about race, and deconstructing white psychology, stereotypes, myths, and straight up ignorance on various fronts. i think it's interesting how talking about race makes people feel super uncomfortable, but watching people's progression from discomfort to somewhat clarity from hearing a different perspective is why it's important to challenge each other.

i don't always get to discuss things from an anti-racist perspective without getting called everything under the sun. even today while volunteering at a training at one of nyc's whitest, most expensive, most prestigious universities, i had an encounter with someone who was made uncomfortable by something i said. the floor we occupied was decorated with oil paintings of former board of trustee presidents. when i joked about the intensity in the stare in one portrait, this is the conversation that ensued:

girl: yea, it's totally creepy that the one guy in that painting over there is staring directly at us
me: haha. it kind of makes me uncomfortable..
girl: (laughing) it's really bizarre that they're all old men and really rich looking
me: ...and white
girl: (shocked and clears throat uncomfortably)

her reaction intrigued me. it wasn't something i said to start trouble, it was me wondering aloud something i assumed was very obvious. but instead of acknowledging that one very obvious fact about the former presidents (and interestingly enough, the racial break down of that university), she reacted as though i had said something so perverse, offensive, and taboo. this is why i've started this component of my blog: i want break down and analyze these reactions as they occur, as well as more drawn out responses to inquiries regarding race...and class, gender, heteronormativity, etc in my personal life and in the media. i'm also learning and stumbling as i go along, so sometimes i'm going to straight up fail with my observations, so just bear with me and "let's talk about race, baby"!