Attendees interact with an installation by artist Ann Johnson during an exhibition opening reception at the Community Folk Art Center on Feb. 3.
The (CFAC), a unit of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Department of African American Studies in the , is celebrating Black History Month with an array of cultural programming open to the 黑料不打烊 and greater 黑料不打烊 communities.
The celebration kicked off with an R&B concert on Jan. 26 and accelerated on Feb. 3, with a large crowd attending the opening reception for 鈥淚, too, am America: A Song of Race and Language,鈥 an exhibition of the impact of various visual languages and media on cultural conversations. The exhibition features the works of artists Jamaal Barber, Ann 鈥淪ole Sister鈥 Johnson, Kleaver Cruz/The Black Joy Project and Spencer Stultz, a senior in the . All of the artists participated in a panel held on Feb. 4.
鈥淭his exhibition, curated by Jaime Ransome, is phenomenally complex and provocative. We were delighted to have large and diverse crowds at both the opening reception and the artist panel,鈥 says Kal Alston, interim executive director of CFAC and professor in the and College of Arts and Sciences. 鈥淭he artists demonstrated the textured connection in their work between visual and oral expression about the Black experience.鈥
The exhibition runs through March 25 at CFAC, 805 E. Genesee St., 黑料不打烊. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Upcoming CFAC Black History Month events include:
Thursday, Feb. 16, at 5:30 p.m.鈥擟FAC鈥檚 Journey through Music of the African Diaspora series will feature a performance by TANKSLEY (local singer-songwriter Justin Tanksley), featuring Billy Harrison and Tre Reid. The event is free and open to the public; donations will be accepted for future programming. Tanksley has performed at venues throughout Central New York. He is a former student of jazz great Ronnie Leigh and is now being mentored by Carlos Alomar, who was David Bowie鈥檚 guitarist, arranger and collaborator for decades.
Thursday, Feb. 23-Sunday, Feb. 26鈥擟FAC will host its annual Caribbean Cinematic Film Festival. This event will highlight cultural contributions and address polarizing issues in the Caribbean and the Caribbean Diaspora. This exploration will happen through film, dance, post-film discussion, spoken word and food. Visit for the festival schedule and for more information.
Saturday, March 4鈥擳he concluding celebration of Black History Month at CFAC will be a dance party featuring rhythm and blues music of the 鈥60s, 鈥70s and 鈥80s. The party will begin at 9 p.m. and is open to the public. Tickets鈥$10 in advance and $15 at the door鈥攁re available at CFAC and on the CFAC website.
In addition to the current and upcoming events, CFAC鈥檚 Creative Arts Academy has limited spots open for its tuition-free programs in visual arts, dance and drama for students in grades four through seven. Auditions are required for acceptance into the program. For more information on this or any CFAC programs, call 315.443.2230.
