Who are some of the country’s most influential African American artists and what inspired them to create their masterpieces? What were the eight stages of the progression towards genocide in Rwanda and how can human tragedy on a mass scale be prevented? Who are the soul legends of the Disco era? The answers to these questions and more will be presented at Queensborough during Black History Month, the national, annual celebration of important people that have had a significant impact on African American culture.
African American Artists Documentary Film Series: The QCC Art Gallery will present a series of films on Wednesdays, 1:00-3:00PM, and Thursday evenings at 5:30PM, throughout the month of February regarding the following renowned African American artists: Jean-Michel Basquiat: a rare interview with the brilliant, mercurial 1970’s graffiti artist in his Manhattan studio; Benny Andrews, who grew up in the 1930’s in a sharecropper’s family, shines a sensitive light on these ‘invisible’ people through collages, paintings and drawings; Aaron Douglas, a painter and important figure in the Harlem Renaissance art movement, whose murals are featured at Fisk University in Nashville, and the Harlem YMCA in New York; and Kara Walker, whose work depicts the American pre-Civil War south, combining fact, fiction and fantasy so that viewers must unscramble the ‘official’ history of African Americans.
“We have a collection of wonderful films that offer a rare glimpse into the psyches and life stories of some of the nation’s most revered African American artists,” says Faustino Quintanilla, Director and Curator, the QCC Art Gallery.
The QCC Art Gallery’s next major exhibit (to open March 20, 2010) will feature African American artist Danny Simmons, known for his abstract, expressionist paintings.
The Predictability of Genocide: The Case of Rwanda: The Kupferberg Holocaust Resource Center will present a video, based on a recent event featuring Dr. Cynthia Kamikazi, Human Rights Officer at the Permanent Mission of Rwanda to the United Nations on Wednesday, February 17, from 1:00-3:00PM. The video presentation will be followed by a student panel discussion on Rwanda.
“Dr. Kamikazi—a powerful and distinguished speaker—helped us to further our mission to educate visitors about the ramifications of prejudice in all cultures, as exemplified by the Holocaust,” comments Dr. Arthur Flug, Executive Director, Kupferberg Holocaust Resource & Archives.
Also, disco royalty Sister Sledge and Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes will perform their classics at the Queensborough Performing Arts Center (QPAC) at Queensborough Community College on January 30, 2010 at 8:00PM.
“This show is the perfect kick- off to the second half of Queensborough’s 50th Anniversary celebration. The evening will be a star-studded, high-energy occasion for disco and rhythm & blues fans!” declares Susan Agin, Artistic Director of Queensborough’s Performing Arts Center. There will also be a live disc jockey and dancing after the concert for audience members. For more information about this event, visit the box office online at www.visitqpac.org. Tickets are $35 and $40.
Learn more about these exciting upcoming events at www.qcc.cuny.edu, or by contacting The Kupferberg Holocaust Center at 718.281.5770, and the QCC Art Gallery at 718.631.6396.
Queensborough Community College, a College of The City University of New York, is celebrating its 50th Anniversary during the 2009-10 academic year, along with the launch of the Freshman Academies and the opening of the new Kupferberg Holocaust Resource Center. Queensborough, located on a picturesque 37-acre site in Bayside, Queens, offers a rich liberal arts and science curriculum, as well as career and pre-professional courses. Over half of the faculty holds doctorates compared with 21% of faculty in other community colleges nationwide. Comprising one of the most diverse populations of any college in the U.S., over 15,000 students pursue an Associate degree or Certificate program and another 10,000 students of all ages attend continuing education programs. Among the campus’s prized resources are the Kupferberg Holocaust Resource Center, the QCC Art Gallery, and the Queensborough Performing Arts Center (QPAC), created to stimulate ideas and intellectual curiosity while exposing students and the public to culture and the arts. Please visit our website at qcc.cuny.edu.
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