BLACK ARTSTORY MONTH KICKOFF: MEET ME AT THE GYM

This event is limited capacity. Please arrive early. Lineup is subject to change. RSVP is on our Eventbrite link: http://blackartstorykickoff.eventbrite.com/

BLACK ARTSTORY MONTH KICKOFF:
MEET ME AT THE GYM
A Night of Performance, Engagement & Art

During the Civil Rights Movement of the 50s & 1960s, movement leaders, organizers, protesters and community members gathered in churches, community centers and private dwellings to plan actions, to heal, to be motivated. At the same time, experimental artists began congregating for improvisational, ephemeral happenings.

The intention for these gatherings was to break down the traditional conventions of art making– removing the need to create a tangible object, moving art into everyday spaces, where the performance and the experience of viewing and engaging with the artists was the art.

Meet Me at the Gym, is a merger of the two. A night of equal parts artistic expression and community building. Tonight we aim to spark a flame–to assemble as a community to create and to be inspired.

Come open to engage, to participate, to speak, and to paint!

LIVE PERFORMANCES from 7:30-8:30 featuring (lineup times TBC):
1.Manifest
Manifest is a group of men from all walks of life who love, provide and protect their families, are stand-up individuals in their communities, and most of all who love and honor God. Manifest was originally assembled in 2006 by late founder Jonathan Hicks at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Clinton Hill. Since then Manifest has successfully completed 2 bodies of work, Highest Praise and A Manifest Christmas. Over the past 3 years, Manifest has sang in churches and different establishments in Compton California, St. Louis Missouri, Cleveland Ohio, and Washington D.C. Manifest is currently working on new material expected to release this year.
2. Sophia Dawson & her Roller Skating Crew
3. Victorious Dance Company (also performing during the Glass Eye/February 26th)
4. Open Mic for Attendees

ART ENGAGEMENTS All Night
(Workshops subject to change)
1. Live Painting throughout the night by Black Artstory Month Artist in Residence at Ingersoll, Ashton Agbomenou.
2. SONYA (South of the Navy Yard Artists) Collaborative Painting Session Join SONYA in the fabrication of murals featuring the faces of community members.
3. DIY Photo Booth – Take a photo to remember the night!
4.The Writing’s On the Wall- Write your thoughts, poems, words, songs in response to the performances and conversations you’ve experienced on banners around the gym.
5. Personal Motto/Anthem (Sign making) – During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, the song, “We Shall Overcome” became an anthem of the movement. In the 1970s, Marvin Gaye created his anthem, “What’s Going On” in response to the Vietman War. In 2013, Janelle Monae and Wondaland Records released the song “Hell You Talmbout” in reaction to the rampant cases of police brutality across the United States. These songs and titles were used as rally cries, unifiers of people, and a way to release society’s frustrations and confusion about the world around them. If you could create a motto or title for your personal anthem that motivates you to push forward, to inspire you to act, what would it be?
6. FILM SCREENING – Soundtrack for a Revolution (Hallway) 1hr 22min “SOUNDTRACK FOR A REVOLUTION tells the story of the American civil rights movement through its powerful music -the freedom songs protesters sang on picket lines, in mass meetings, in paddy wagons, and in jail cells as they fought for justice and equality.

Presented by the Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership in collaboration with Ingersoll Community Center, MEET ME AT THE GYM is part of Black Artstory Month 2016 titled, SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED. The series of FREE performances, talks, film screenings, and public art experiences celebrate the enduring influences and contributions that African Americans have made and are making within the visual and performing arts worlds. Coinciding with Black History Month, SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED will transform Myrtle Avenue into a cultural destination with window murals, art exhibits and events featuring the work of 50 artists.
http://www.myrtleavenue.org/blackartstory