The Arts Council of Indianapolis is pleased to partner with Asante Children’s Theatre, Freetown Village, Latino Youth Collective, Madame Walker Theatre Center, and Honorary Chair Amos Brown to present Art & Soul 2015: A Celebration of African American Art & Artists in Indiana at the Indianapolis Artsgarden. Since its inception in 1996 and through continued generous support from Lilly Endowment Inc., Art & Soul has become a highly anticipated annual tradition celebrating Black History Month.
Throughout the month of February, the Arts Council will commemorate the impact of the African Diaspora on Indiana arts and culture with free performances, featured artists, and a group exhibition at the Indianapolis Artsgarden. The diaspora are migration waves of communities throughout the world that are descended from the historic movement of peoples from Africa, predominately to the North and South Americas, as well as the Middle East.
“This February, we will celebrate how Africa and African culture has impacted people around the world for centuries, and how that cultural wave continues to impact Indiana today,” said Director of Grant Services Ernest Disney-Britton.
Starting with a kickoff celebration on January 31 at 12:15 pm, the month will feature weeklong journeys through a variety of geographies and art forms including vocal and instrumental music, dance, spoken word, and visual arts; featured artists; and a juried group exhibition at the Indianapolis Artsgarden.
In addition to the event’s powerful artistic performances and artwork, audiences will have the opportunity to donate to black cultural programs throughout the year at indyarts.org/power2give. These projects celebrate the vitality and diversity of program offerings across the city year-round.
ART & SOUL 2015 At The Indianapolis Artsgarden:
Located above the intersection of Washington and Illinois Streets. Events are free and open to the public.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 31 / 12:15 pm
Art & Soul Kickoff Event
Celebrate the African Diaspora with special guests including Honorary Chair Amos Brown from Radio One and performances by Griot Drum Ensemble. Enjoy African food and crafts, a juried group exhibition, African ancestry DNA testing kit giveaways, and a special power2give fundraising announcement. Meet Featured Artists: Mathew Davis, Zakk Knight, Kassim Norris, and Ronne Stone.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4 / 12:15 pm
Deborah Asante and Act a Foo Improv Crew – Spoken word from the African Motherland
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5 / 12:15 pm
Mathew Davis and Friends – Spoken word from the Afro-Latino culture
Featured Literary Artist, Mathew Davis
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6 / 12:15 pm
Devon Ginn and Friends – Spoken word from the Afro-Asian culture
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7 / 12:15 pm
Ben Rose and Lonnie Lester – Spoken word and Soul, Pop, and R&B
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11 / 12:15 pm
DANCE l Partners – Afro-Brazilian dance
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12 / 12:15 pm
Epiphany Dance Collective – African dance
Featured Dance Artist, Ronne Stone
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13 / 12:15 pm
North Star Capoeira – Afro-Brazilian dance
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14 / 12:15 pm
Iibada Dance Company – Historical African American dance
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18 / 12:15 pm
Bashiri Asad – Gospel, R&B, and Folk
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19 / 12:15 pm
Freetown Village – Traditional Folk songs and Negro spirituals
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20 / 12:15 pm
Zakk Knight – Acoustic Blues
Featured Music Artist, Zakk Knight
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21 / 12:15 pm
Sweet Poison Victim – Global and original Afro-beat sound
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25 / 12:15 pm
Rob Dixon Trio – Living the history of jazz on Indiana Avenue
SUNDAY, MARCH 1 / 3:15 pm
Closing celebration with special guest City-County Council President Maggie Lewis and performances by Asante Children’s Theatre
Meet the Art & Soul Featured Artists:
Mathew Davis: Literary Arts
Thursday, February 5 / 12:15 pm
Mathew Davis & Friends – Spoken word from the Afro-Latino culture
Mathew Davis is a local performing artist and community educator from Indianapolis. Mathew is skilled in various forms of art including spoken word poetry, storytelling, and improv comedy; though he is best known in the arts community as a spoken word artist and sought after host/emcee. His work is rooted in the importance of talking about social issues and realities that impact his community in ways that are relatable to a broad audience. Mathew has recently hosted TEDxIndianapolis and is also the host of Localmotion, a creative hub for performing artists in Indianapolis.
Find out more about Mathew Davis:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mathew.v.davis
Twitter: @MatD808
Zakk Knight: Music
Friday, February 20 / 12:15 pm
Zakk Knight – Acoustic Blues
Zakk Knight is becoming known as one of the premier blues guitarists in the industry. At age 15, he became the recipient of the Robert Johnson Blues Foundation New Generation Award. At the age of 18, he signed with companies such as Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, Dunlop Manufacturing, Inc., and Eminence Speakers. He has earned accolades from blues rock giants such as Joe Bonamassa. Zakk is currently working on his second EP entitled Taste that is scheduled for release on his 21st birthday on March 24, 2015.
Find out more about Zakk Knight: www.zakkknight.com
Kassim Norris: Visual
January 31 – March 1
Work selected for the 2015 Juried Art Exhibition
Kassim Norris is a film director, colorist, and composer with work that includes feature films, music videos, fashion and corporate commercials, and documentaries. He prides himself in remaining independent to ensure a high-quality product without the “industry” influence. Kassim was born and raised in Chicago and moved to Indianapolis during his teen years. His background began in music, which ultimately led him to film. His work is strongly influenced by his passion for quality and creativity. Kassim aspires to inspire others.
“I believe that a true artist is one who gets so deep in their work they become completely immersed until they’re rendered invisible. When this happens people don’t see the person anymore they only see what they created, their work. Unfortunately, we live in a society where it’s quite the opposite and people have become submerged in themselves hence the lack of originality and individuality. And while so many artists crave fame and seeing their own faces, I actually enjoy the dark side of the spotlight, which is where all the magic happens anyway!”
Find out more about Kassim Norris:
Ronne Stone: Dance
Thursday, February 12 / 12:15 pm
Epiphany Dance Collective – African dance
Ronne is a Florida native with a background in dance spanning over 20 years. Her earliest exposure to dance was at the Orlando School of Cultural Dance. She was also a company member of Kuumba in Tampa, Florida and Adefua Dance Company in Seattle, Washington. For the past 15 years, she has traveled extensively to study West African dance under the instruction of countless masters in this field. She has taught several classes at Indiana University and was a lead instructor for the African American Dance workshops at Indiana University in Bloomington for two years. Under the direction of visiting International Artist Michael Williams, she was the lead choreographer for Butler University’s production of “The Water Carriers” in 2014. She is the Director of Epiphany Dance Collective, an adult traditional West African dance company. Their performances have taken them all over the state and allowed them to open for a national recording artist. Ronne obtained a Fine Arts degree from Indiana University in 2010 and continues to work as a choreographer and instructor with various professional companies and nonprofit organizations. Currently, she is an Adjunct Professor at Butler University and a teaching artist with Arts for Learning Indiana. For the past 15 years she has supported and instructed at Iibada Dance Company.
Find out more about Ronne Stone:epiphanydancecollective.net.
For more information, visit indyarts.org. Art & Soul is hosted by the Arts Council of Indianapolis with generous support from Lilly Endowment Inc.
