To celebrate Black History Month, the Town of Miami Lakes and its Cultural Affairs Committee is presenting “Obsidian Art Legacy...Uncover...Discover...,” a virtual exhibit of nine artworks.
It features lithographs, watercolor paintings and batik prints displayed in Town Hall.
The works are on loan from the collection of Christopher Norwood, curator and owner of the Historic Ward Rooming House Gallery -- Hampton Art Lovers, in Overtown.
“The images these artists are displaying are Black history,” Norwood said on Feb. 1. “The artwork connects with people to show the commonality between different people. Many can identify with these images.”
Norwood, shown in the photo above, lives in town and is a former chair of the Youth Activities Task Force.
Some of the artists’ works are included in the collections of major museums and The White House as well as private collections.
One of the artists, Henry Tanner, was chosen by the U.S. Postal Service to be on a stamp.
The show includes two pieces by Elizabeth Catlett from 1975: “Zebra Batik” and “Giraffe Batik;” Henry Tanner’s 1915 “Dock of the Bay;” Charles Alston’s “Harlem,” from 1956; John Biggers’ “Jubilee: Ghana Harvest Festival,” 1957 and 1995; Gerald Williams’ “My Parents,” from 1975; Palmer Hayden,
“Landscape,” circa 1940 and Lois Mailou Jones, an undated French landscape.
A work by Ernie Barnes from 2001, “In Remembrance,” depicts homeless people in downtown New York City mourning the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Formal recognition of the contributions of
African-Americans to America began in February 1926, when Black historian
Carter G. Woodson established Black History Week.
In 1976, President Gerald R. Ford extended the celebration of Black Americans to a full month.
The town exhibit may be viewed online on the Town of Miami Lakes website at this link, https://bit.ly/3rEUx2J as well as on its Facebook and YouTube pages.
“In Remembrance,” a painting by Ernie Barnes, is part of a virtual art exhibit at Miami Lakes Town Hall. Photos by Megan Jacobo.