Dandy Lion

All of my life I have known that Dandelion is a weed, a very important one in nature, but have you ever heard of a Dandy Lion?  Well, neither had I until today at the Lowe Art Museum. 

We had our regularly scheduled meeting, but to our surprise, we were given a sneak peek at the new exhibit, Dandy Lion. To add even more excitement to this preview, we had a tour of the exhibit by Shantrelle P. Lewis, the curator. 

What exactly is a Dandy?  A Dandy (per Wikepedia) is a man who dresses elegantly and fashionably, He exaggerates his manners, including the way he stands and moves, and the way he speaks. He promotes himself. This Dandy Lion exhibit "highlights young men in city-landscapes who defy stereotypical and monolithic understandings of Black masculinity by remixing Victorian-era fashion with traditional African sartorial sensibilities." It is a way of young black men to express their sense of fashion, individuality and creativity. Fashion has always been used by black men to rebel and stand out. These emerging photographers and film makers bring us the black man as an individual with style and artistry, no longer a thug with sagging pants as shown by the media. This pride in appearance, demands respect.

 

The exhibit makes you look at these beautiful creations, in far away and local places, as well as the Dandy as a day-to-day member of his community. Shantrelle P. Lewis is not only articulate and knowledgeable as she discusses the exhibit, but you leave wanting more. She is excited and passionate about this Dandy Lion project.

Here's a video for your enjoyment. Click HERE.

Moving by Design

I have recently been obsessed with patterns. I signed up for a class this summer so that I could learn to digitally design patterns. So when I received an email from the Lowe inviting me to a Moving by Design to create expressive pattern movement, I figured I must go. The Beaux Art Gallery at the Lowe Art Museum was set up with tables, paper and pencils.  The workshop leader was Carol Kaminsky, Dance Program Director at the Frost School of Music. What happened next was a total surprise!

Carol asked us to stand, turned on some jive music and asked us to move around the gallery, any which way, to loosen ourselves up.  We were then asked to partner with someone to work with at the tables. We were given paper and pencil. The papers were folded in half. We then were asked to just doodle away on the paper, no specific design. One person was to lead and the other would follow the person's design on their half. The designs were not quite the same, but interesting. We then turned the paper over and switched roles. Our designs were again quite different and it was almost obvious to tell who lead. 

We were then asked to stand in a circle, soft music was turned on and we each interpreted our design on the paper. Who knew that a paper design could create such beautiful moves? The gallery was then split in half, just like the drawing paper. The partners walked up each side of the divide expressing their drawings with their hands, feet and torso.  This is when the title of the workshop made sense. Interesting to experience creativity on paper and on the dance floor. Not exactly what I expected, but creative and expressive nonetheless. Different mediums of expression!

Lowe Art Museum - Family Day

Many of you know that I am a Docent at the Lowe Art Museum at the University of Miami. It is great fun to give tours to children from kindergarten all the way to seniors. It is a service that I give that also gives back to me. Hearing the views of different children and adults about the art during our discussions is very stimulating. I also get inspired each time I see the traveling exhibits. 

The museum not only offers tours, but also hands-on art activities for the children. These past few months I have concentrated my services to these activities. What fun to watch others create!

On Sunday, I volunteered to assist with the Family Art Day.  Although it was a cloudy, rainy day, there were lots of family/kids in attendance. 

We had three activities: 1) a shadow puppet show 2) printing designs on Greek vases, and 3) using the shadow puppets to tell a story. It was so much fun, the parents were even creating.

Make plans to attend our next fun Sunday at the Lowe. Our next family day will be on December 13th from 12-3 pm. The topic will be All About Me? Portraits!

FEC - Federacion de Estudiantes Cubanos

The FEC is an organization, founded in 1967,  at the University of Miami dedicated to keeping the Cuban culture alive in the UM community. My fellow Cuban artist, and MWS member, Marilyn Valiente, asked me to join their yearly event  "A Week of Cuban Culture". During the week from February 27th to March 5th,  the FEC invites the student body to enjoy Cuban food, music, and art. 

I am happy to represent my culture and speak to students that may want to find out more about my people, and more specifically my art.

Marilyn Valiente, Elizabet Chacon and I will be exhibiting on March 5th from 12 -3 pm. Join us at Carnaval Cubano, an explosion of Cuban flavor, with traditional food and Cuban art.

http://www.rosiebrowncreations.com/.

MWS - Annual Spring Exhibition

SAVE THE DATE!!!!

MWS - Annual Spring Exhibition 

CAS Gallery - University of Miami 

1210 Stanford Dr. 

Coral Gables, FL, 33146 

May 10 - 31st, 2014

Opening Reception: Saturday, May 17 

5 - 7 pm