Exhibition Opening
This exhibition of documentary photographs and original, mixed media pieces, commemorates the 100th year of James Baldwin’s birth.
The show embraces the images already on the walls as part of the exhibition by South African-born photojournalist, Alon Skuy: The Beautiful Struggle: A Journey Through Post-Apartheid Realities. Together the two exhibitions create a symphony of hope amidst the constant noise of daily despair.
The show, curated by Carl-Philippe Juste, owner of IPC ArtSpace and Rebecca Friedman, PhD, of Florida International University, highlights the deep connection between the written word and the visual language.
Inclusive of words and images, Bold. Black. Baldwin. pairs Baldwin’s quotations from the arc of his oeuvre with visual images – including documentary photographs and mixed-media art – made by our award-winning iWitness Fellows and a series of artists from Miami, NYC and New Orleans. Together, the words and the images celebrate Baldwin and inspire audiences to meditate not only on his individual genius, but also on how the past occupies the present and portends the future in Baldwin’s words and work.
The show too embraces place. A particular emphasis is placed on Baldwin’s influence on—and understandings of—notions of Blackness, Queerness and global liberation movements across Latin America, the Caribbean and its global diasporas.
Bold. Black. Baldwin. insists that from memoir to fiction through political treatise and poetry, Baldwin continues to show us how decency and humanity prevail amidst the persistent scourge of racism and inequality. Bold. Black. Baldwin. ultimately allows us to (re)imagine such fundamental notions such as home and humanity.
Bold. Black. Baldwin. February Weekend Celebrating Black History Month
(Feb 20) Thursday: A conversation with Nate Dee and FIU's National Hellenic Council at IPC ArtSpace.
(Feb 21) Friday @ iWitness Lunch Break: During February's iWitness Lunch Break we reflected on the life and legacy of James Baldwin through the experiences of those who stood strong in Memphis in 1968. Together we honored the courageous men who went on strike, advocating of their rights and envisioning a better future for all. Our gathering was a call to action, reaffirming our commitment to dignity and humanity in the present and beyond. We stand united against any attempts at intimidating, insisting on respect and justice in both our words and actions. We had a conversation between Dr. Rebecca Friedman and Dr. Shawn Christian. We featured the renowned Jazz pianist Danny Mixon. Together, we journeyed through evocative imagines, stirring words, and captivating melodies that celebrated Black Excellence and the intrinsic humanity we all share.
(Feb 22): We had thought-provoking conversations between Carl Juste and Edouard Duval Carrier at IPC ArtSpace. We celebrated Bold. Black. Baldwin. with performances from the Florida Grand Opera.
Legacy of Urban Renewal
In March, we had an afternoon of conversation and music as we meditated on Baldwin, lift every voice and discuss the history of urban renewal across Miami, from Overtown to Coconut Grove. We heard from experts on the topic including Nicole Crooks, Overtown Champions/Catalyst Miami, Dr. Aarti Mehta-Kroll, WPHL-FIU, Dr. Okezi Otovo, History Department/AADS-FIU, and Irvans Augustin, Urban Impact Lab. The afternoon ended with the powerful voice of Inez Barlatier.
CreARTE funded by Perez Family Foundation and Miami Foundation.