March 14: Experience the horrors and hopes facing child soldiers in Africa

An activist, a legal scholar, and a former child soldier show films and discuss “From Conscription to Justice and Reintegration: Child Soldiers in Africa”

When: Wednesday, March 14, 7:00 – 9:00 pm

Where: The Old Centrum 520 E. 12th Street Indianapolis 46202

Citizens for Global Solutions presents Bukeni Waruzi Beck, Executive Director of AJEDIKa/Projet Enfants Soldats, and Madeleine, a former girl soldier from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), for a public discussion and screening on child soldiers and the work of Mr. Beck’s organization. A light reception will follow.

The systematic and widespread use of children—the most vulnerable members of the population—in armed conflict is not new. The plight of these children continues to shock the conscience and demands immediate and urgent action.

Created to provide justice and accountability to victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has commenced its first landmark case against a Congolese warlord accused of forcibly recruiting and conscripting tens of thousands of child soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

In a recent visit to the ICC, Citizens for Global Solutions’ Legal Analyst, Golzar Kheiltash, met with a remarkable man fighting on the frontlines on behalf of child soldiers in Africa. Mr. Bukeni T. Waruzi Beck is an activist and filmmaker who has dedicated his life to not only revealing the plight of child soldiers, but to giving these children a second chance. Mr. Beck documents the stories of hundreds of child soldiers on film, revealing a stark and systematic cycle of recruitment and conscription, narrated by the children and their families in their own words. His films powerfully demonstrate the difficulties of many children who want to reintegrate into their communities after leaving the camps. This is especially true of girl soldiers who have suffered the added brutality of rape and sexual violence at the hands of their commanders.

Through his NGO, AJEDI-Ka/Projet Enfants Soldats, Mr. Beck combines the power of film with the power of hope: a dedicated staff of eight works tirelessly to demobilize and reintegrate girl and boy soldiers and maintain long-term follow up on the welfare of these children. In the words of Mr. Beck, “we at AJEDIKa/Projet Enfants Soldats devote our efforts to protecting the rights of children and the promotion of justice in their cause.”

Through their Connecting Global to Local initiative, Citizens for Global Solutions highlights Beck’s extraordinary work and provides those of us in Indianapolis with a unique opportunity to engage him on this critical issue.

• From the North: Take Central Avenue south to the intersection of 12th Street and Central Avenue. The Old Centrum will be on your left.


• From the South: Take Delaware Street north to 13th Street. Go east (right turn) on 13th Street to Central Avenue. Go south (right turn) on Central Avenue. The Old Centrum will be immediately on your left.


• From the West: Take 16th Street east to Central Avenue. Go south (right turn) on Central Avenue to the intersection of 12th Street and Central Avenue. The Old Centrum will be on your left.


• From the East: Take Washington Street west to Delaware Street. Go north on Delaware (right turn) to 13th Street. Turn east (right turn) on 13th Street to Central Avenue. Go south (right turn) on Central Avenue. The Old Centrum will be on your left.


• Parking: The Old Centrum parking lot is on the east side of Central Avenue, just north of the Old Centrum building. There is also free parking along Central Avenue, as well as 12th Street.

For a clip of Bekeni Beck, go here.

If you like this event, make sure you see Bukeni, Madelaine, and Golzar when they discuss the International Criminal Court on March 13.

January 14: Discuss race, law, and civil rights with legal scholar and activist Christopher Edley

One of the country's most important thinkers about race, law and culture speaks to the IU School of Law Indianapolis 37th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dinner

When: Sunday, January 14 6:00 PM
Where: the Downtown Marriott Ballroom

Christopher Edley, Jr., Dean and Professor of Law at Boalt Hall, University of California, Berkeley, will deliver a talk about "Building Success Through Unity” for the IU Indianapolis Law School's 37th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dinner.

Prof. Edley combines academic expertise in public policy and civil rights law with an impressive record of hands-on public policy work in the White House, on Capitol Hill and on the campaign trail. A veteran of two tours of White House service and twice that many presidential campaigns, Edley has played a central role in the high-stakes world of national politics for nearly 30 years. A former professor at Harvard Law School, where he taught for two decades and co-founded its Civil Rights Project, Edley became Dean of Law at Boalt in 2004. As special counsel to President Clinton, he led the White House review of affirmative action programs and helped develop Clinton’s "Mend it, don’t end it" position on affirmative action; at the Office of Management and Budget he oversaw one-quarter of the federal budget. In the Carter administration he served as assistant director of the White House domestic policy staff, where his responsibilities included welfare reform, social security and a variety of anti-poverty measures. Edley has served on numerous boards and commissions including the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, the Carter-Ford National Commission on Federal Election Reform, and the Council on Foreign Relations.

The dinner is co-sponsored by Indiana Black Expo, the IUPUI Black Student Union, the IUPUI Office of Campus and Community Life and the IU School of Law-Indianapolis. Tickets are $40.00 and are available until January 7, through the IUPUI Office of Campus and Community Life, 317-274-3931.

If this event sounds interesting, you should check out Edley's colleague at Boalt Hall, John Yoo, on March 2. What a contrast! A couple of other discussions of civil rights and African Americans should touch on the same themes Edley will address: journalist Tavis Smiley on February 2, and public intellectuals Henry Louis Gates and John Hope Franklin April 5. Some of the same themes will be addressed by Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on March 8.

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January 15: Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with your family at IHS

Family-friendly festivities to honor Martin Luther King

When: Monday January 15, 10 AM to 5 PM
Where: Indiana Historical Society, 450 West Ohio St. ∙ Indianapolis, 46202

If you would rather not take your kids to hear Christopher Edley, head over to the Sharing the Dream: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Indiana," an exhibit opening at IHS January 6. King had many ties to Indiana profoundly shaped the 1960s civil rights movement in the state. In the Lacy Gallery from January 6 through March 31, "Sharing the Dream" will feature documents, letters and images from the IHS collections, including rare photos of Robert Kennedy’s speech in Indianapolis where he shared the news of King’s assassination with the crowd. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech will be available as an audio component of the exhibition.

Monday, January 15, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., in celebration of King’s birthday with special family activities, performances and more that commemorate his work. Visitors can watch a short documentary on King, children can create crafts related to the civil rights movement, participate in a scavenger hunt and enjoy music and dance performances by Asante Children’s Theatre, Kenyatta Dance Company and more.

All free.

If this event sounds interesting, you should bring your family back to IHS on January 26 to explore Madame CJ Walker's "Treasured Collections" with an impersonator of Madame Walker.

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January 19: Explore the roots of racial confrontation and discontent in France with Didier Gondola

Prof. Didier Gondola of IUPUI helps explain the roots of ethnic identity and conflict in Africa

When: Friday, January 19 4:30 PM
Where: IUPUI Cavanaugh Hall room 508

As part of IUPUI's School of Liberal Arts Sabbatical Speakers Series, Prof. Didier Gondola will give a talk on “Transient Citizenship: The Othering and Indigenization of Blacks and Beurs within the French Republique” Here's Prof. Gondola's description:

Riots in 2005 wreaked havoc in several French banlieues [French suburbs that feel more like inner city slums than US suburbs such as Carmel]. This led some black and beur [second and third generation French who roots are in North Africa and other parts of the former French Empire] civic organizations — including “les Indigènes de la République” — have attributed the anger fueling the riots to the persistence of colonial relations between France and its population of African descent, the so-called français issus de l’immigration (first- and second-generation French) as opposed to Français de souche (“native” French). Needless to say, most French pundits and scholars quickly dismissed such an explanation not only as flawed but dangerous as well, a cipher likely to drive a wedge into French society. Instead, these pundits have turned the table on the rioters by putting forth arguments that range from the breakdown of African families living in France, to polygamy, rap music, and more generally their unwillingness or inability to assimilate as more accurate explanations for their marginalization.

Prof. Didier Gondola is a highly
regarded professor of history at IUPUI. Born the Congo and raised in Paris, Prof. Gondola is the author of The History of the Congo. For more information, contact: Annette Hill, 317-278-1839.

If this event sounds interesting, you should check out a couple of films at the IMA about the African experience elsewhere: from Brazil see "Favela Rising" February 8; from Mexico see "African Blood" February 22. For a sense of why Algerians might not be happy with the French, see the classic film Battle of Algiers March 22.

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January 26: Explore Madame C.J. Walker's "Treasured Collections" at IHS

Explore Madame C.J. Walker, an essential part of Indianapolis and African American history, with Wilma Moore

When: Friday January 26 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Where: Indiana History Center

Focusing on the Madam C.J. Walker Collection, this program will explore the life of America’s first African American female millionaire. Wilma Moore, senior archivist, African American history, will lead this program by examining Walker’s business and personal records, correspondence, photographs and other Society holdings related to Walker, Ransom Place, the Senate Avenue YMCA, the Indianapolis Recorder and other exciting black history materials. Learn more about this amazing entrepreneur by investigating her own materials and meeting a Madam C. J. Walker reenactor. (Ages 12+.)

Cost to attend is $20; $16 IHS Members; $12 students under 18. Registration is required by February 19. To register call (317) 232-1882.

If this event sounds interesting, you should check out some of the other discussions of African Americans in Hoosier History such as April 13 conference on African religions and the Great Migration. Another view of women in history could be sought in a talk about the impact of child-rearing literature February 16.

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January 27: Hear the country's leading Lincoln scholar at IHS

Harold Holzer, foremost Lincoln scholar, discusses the Lincoln Collection at the Indiana Historical Society ... plusfree films!

When: Saturday January 27, 2:00 PM
Where: Indiana Historical Society

History Makers: IHS Distinguished Speakers Series featuring Harold Holzer, author or editor of several dozen books about Abraham Lincoln. Holzer will discuss "Abraham Lincoln Portrayed in the Collections of the Indiana Historical Society," his new book from the IHS Press. Following the presentation, Holzer will sign copies of his book at a cookies-and-punch reception. Guests will have the opportunity to watch the Society's new Civil War film "Well Done, Indiana" and the documentary "Young Lincoln," both of which were produced by Emmy Award-winner Todd Gould from WFYI television. It's free but come early, seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.

While you have your Lincoln thing on, you should head to the Indianapolis Museum of Art to see a copy of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, signed by Abraham Lincoln, 33 U.S. senators and 114 U.S. representatives. The 13th Amendment was passed by the House of Representatives on February 1, 1865, ending slavery and involuntary servitude except as punishment for criminals. After passage, a few souvenir copies of the amendment were circulated. One of these copies belonged to abolitionist Charles Sumner, who presented it to James Wormley, an employee of his household. This copy of the 13th Amendment was passed down in the Wormley family before its sale to J. K. Lilly Jr. Also on view: a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation, signed by Lincoln in 1863. The Charles Sumner–James Wormley Copy of the 13th Amendment & The Emancipation Proclamation will be displayed January 15 through February 25 all day at the IMA's Lilly House and is Free.

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February 2: Find out what happened to the Balts who went back

IUPUI sociologist Ain Haas ponders the complexities of recently liberated Latvia and Estonia's returning diaspora

When: Friday February 2 4:30 PM
Where: IUPUI, Cavanaugh Hall 508

In this iteration of the IU School of Liberal Arts Sabbatical Speaker Series, “Return Migration to Post-Soviet Estonia and Latvia” IUPUI Professor of Sociology Ain Haas examines the experiences of first-, second-, and third-generation exiles/emigrants of Estonian and Latvian heritage (primarily political refugees and their descendants), who returned to their ancestral lands when the Soviet regime collapsed. The talk is based on personal interviews with some 130 returnees covered their reasons for moving, adjustment to life in the Baltic countries, and comparisons with their old life in the West. It is a topic close to Ain's heart since he himself is of Estonian descent.

It's topic I find fascinating ever since working in the three Baltic countries in the early 1990s. The 2nd and 3rd generation Latvians and Estonians resembled Jews emigrating to Israel in the 1940s more than émigrés returning to the other newly democratic East European countries. They had been born in the US or Canada or Sweden, had attended language classes every weekend, and Latvian camp in Michigan the summer (I don't know if the Estonians had a similar summar camp), and the annual song festivals around the world. They had been inculcated form the time they could talk with a mission: the Soviets are wiping out our people at home, you are the sole hope of preserving our language and culture. So when Latvia and Estonia became independent, it was almost instinctual for a lot of these kids to take their freshly minted BAs from Indiana University to Riga or Tallinn, and to offer generously to run the countries. The Latvians and Estoians who had remained in the homeland during the Soviet occupation received these kids -- filled with naive idealism I think more than opportunism -- with mixed feelings. (And the Russians who'd moved to the Baltic republics during the half century of incorporation in the USSR wanted nothing to do with these often nationalistic outsiders.) Fascinating to watch, very different from the situation at the same time in Lithuania.

Ain Haas is also a member of my favorite local band, "The Hedgehogs," which plays heartrendingly beautiful music from the Baltic countries.

More information can be obtained from: Annette Hill, 317-278-1839

If this event sounds interesting, you should check out others examining crossing of borders. Compare the experiences of returning Balts to the situation of global migration patterns on February 14 and February 27.

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February 5: Join a reading by poets María Meléndez and Francisco Aragón

María Meléndez and Francisco Aragón, two promising young poets, read and talk as part of Butler University's Visiting Writers Series

When: Monday February 5 7:30 PM
Where: Butler University Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall

María Meléndez has published several volumes of poetry, including How Long She'll Last in This World.

Francisco Aragón teaches and directs Letras Latinas, the literary unit at the Institute for Latino Studies at the University of Notre Dame. His most recent book of poems is "Puerta del Sol."

Their appearance is co-sponsored by the Consulate of Mexico and the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library.

If this event sounds interesting, you should check out the poetry reading by Martín Espada April 27. Compare the poetry inspired in part by being Hispanic in the US with the Affrilachian Poets' poetry inspired by being African American in Appalachia.

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February 2: Spend an Evening with NPR superstar Tavis Smiley

WFYI welcomes Tavis Smiley back to Indianapolis for an exclusive evening with the Indiana native, author, PRI and PBS host

When: Friday February 2, 5:30 pm Dinner & Reception with Tavis Smiley; 8:00 pm Lecture
Where: Madame Walker Theatre 617 Indiana Ave Indianapolis, 46202

Tavis Smiley was raised in north central Indiana and educated on the Bloomington campus of IU. Today he is at the center of a news and philanthropic empire. Smiley hosts the late night television talk show, Tavis Smiley on PBS, and his radio show The Tavis Smiley Show on public radio is distributed by PRI, Public Radio International. (Smiley is the first American ever to simultaneously host signature talk shows on both public television and public radio. )

In 2004, Texas Southern University honored Smiley with the opening of The Tavis Smiley School of Communications and The Tavis Smiley Center for Professional Media Studies, making him the youngest African American to ever have a professional school and center named after him on a college or university campus. Smiley cemented his commitment to TSU with a $1million gift to the Center. The mission of his nonprofit organization–Tavis Smiley Foundation–is to enlighten, encourage and empower Black youth. Tavis Smiley Presents, a subsidiary of The Smiley Group, Inc., brings ideas and people together through symposiums, seminars, forums and town hall meetings.

Smiley is author of many books, including the newly published What I Know for Sure: My Story of Growing Up in America.

Click here to order tickets.

If this event sounds interesting, you should check out some of the other African American public intellectuals and policymakers coming to Indianapolis in the spring: Christopher Edley January 14, Henry Louis Gates and John Hope Franklin April 5, and Colin Powell March 12. Tavis Smiley's programs provide an alternative to the simplistic and divisive DC media culture dissected by Stefan Halper February 21.

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February 8: Get charged by a reading by The Affrilachian Poets

IUPUI's 2006-2007 Rufus and Louise Reiberg Reading Series present the Affrilachian Poets, poets addressing their rural roots, racism, and identity

When: Thursday February 8, 7:30 PM
Where: IUPUI University Library, Lilly Auditorium

The Affrilachian Poets are an electrifying ensemble of African-American writers who challenge notions of an all-white Appalachian culture while drawing on traditions of the Harlem Renaissance, the Black Arts Movement, and experiences of the African diaspora. They celebrate their heritage and rural roots while addressing themes of racism and Black identity. This reading will feature performances by Ricardo Nazario Colon, Kelly Norman Ellis, Asha French, Parneshia Jones, Frank X. Walker, and Mitchell Douglas, a new assistant professor in creative writing at IUPUI. The Affrilachian Poets were the subject of the 2001 PBS documentary Coal Black Voices.

Presented by IUPUI School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI and University Library

If this event sounds interesting, you should check out some other examples of the cultural cross-fertilization of Africans in the Americas. You can groove to Sancocho's explorations of African music in Latin America February 9 at IMA, or hear about the centuries of complex relations between Indigenous and African Americans at the Eiteljorg February 24.

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February 8: Go to IMA to watch the Brazilian film "Favela Rising"

IMA's fascinating "Africa in the Americas" film series presents "Favel Rising"

When: Thursday February 8 7:00 PM
Where: Indianapolis Museum of Art DeBoest Lecture Hall

"Favela Rising" documents a man, a movement, a city divided and a favela – a Brazilian squatter settlement – united. Haunted by the murders of his family and many of his friends, Anderson Sá is a former drug trafficker who turns social revolutionary in Rio de Janeiro’s most feared slum. Through hip-hop music, the rhythms of the street and Afro-Brazilian dance, he rallies his community to counteract the violent oppression enforced by teenage drug armies and sustained by corrupt police. At the dawn of liberation, just as collective mobility is overcoming all odds and Anderson’s grassroots Afro-reggae movement is at the height of its success, a tragic accident threatens to silence the movement forever. Favela Rising has received thirteen national and international film festival awards.

It's free!

If this event sounds interesting, you should check out some of the other films the IMA is showing about African culture in the Americas: RIZE on February 15 looks at a life-affirming adaptation of African dance to the hard streets of South LA; "African Blood" about African-Mexicans shows February 22; and you will very much want to attend the Indianapolis International Film Festival April 25 to May 4.

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February 15: Rize to the occasion by viewing the "krump" film "RIZE" at IMA

Part of IMA's "Africa in the Americas" Film Series, "RIZE" documents the rise of new hip-hop dances and fashions drawing from African tribal rituals

When: Thursday February 15 7:00 PM
Where: Indianapolis Museum of Art 7:00 pm DeBoest Lecture Hall Free

"Rize" reveals a groundbreaking dance phenomenon that’s exploding on the streets of South Central, Los Angeles. Taking advantage of unprecedented access, this documentary film brings to first light a revolutionary form of artistic expression borne from oppression. The aggressive and visually stunning dance modernizes moves indigenous to African tribal rituals and features mind-blowing, athletic movement sped up to impossible speeds. “Rize” tracks the fascinating evolution of the dance: we meet Tommy Johnson (Tommy the Clown), who first created the style as a response to the 1992 Rodney King riots and named it “Clowning”, as well as the kids who developed the movement into what they now call Krumping. The kids use dance as an alternative to gangs and hustling: they form their own troupes and paint their faces like warriors, meeting to outperform rival gangs of dancers or just to hone their skills. For the dancers, Krumping becomes a way of life – and, because it’s authentic expression (in complete opposition to the bling-bling hip-hop culture), the dance becomes a vital part of who they are.

The film will be introduced at IMA by Larry, one of the dancers featured in the film. Earlier in the day, Larry will lead a presentation for students at the Madame Walker Theatre Center. Both events are presented by IMA and the Madame Walker Theatre Center.

If this event sounds interesting, you should check out another film at IMA about African music and culture in evolving the Americas, the Brazilian "Favela Rising" on February 8. Get live performances by Sancocho February 9 and the Urban Drum Emsemble April 26.

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February 15: Spend a wholesome day at the 18th annual Joseph Taylor Symposium on "Urban Universities/Urban Communities: Partners in Social Justice"

The 2007 Joseph Taylor Symposium on "Urban Universities/Urban Communities: Partners in Social Justice," emphasizes IUPUI's commitment to civic engagement

When: Thursday February 15 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Where: IUPUI University Place Conference Center and Hotel

The Joseph Taylor Symposium honors the legacy of Dr. Joseph Taylor, the first dean of the School of Liberal Arts, and addresses issues of interest to urban communities. The 2007 event, "Urban Universities/Urban Communities: Partners in Social Justice," reflects IUPUI’s focus on civic engagement while also recognizing the complexities that emerge when bridging boundaries between academic institutions and their communities.

Some of the topics of panel discussions at the Symposium:

• Education and Social Justice: Critical Connections Between IUPUI and P-12
• Achieving Social Justice in Health: Closing the Gap in Access to Health Promotion
• History as Social Justice: Memory and Public Heritage in the Near-Westside
  

The program showcases existing collaborations, features keynote speakers Professor Edward Curtis (Religious Studies) on "University and Community Partnerships: Crossing Bridges, Confronting Walls" and Professor Dana-Ain Davis (Anthropology, SUNY-Purchase College) on "Knowledge in the Vision of Service: Politically Engaged Scholarship." It will provide ample opportunity for audience participation. [ Additional Information/Registration ] [ Symposium Brochure ] More information

If this event sounds interesting, you should check out a parallel discussion of Hoosiers' civic engagement in Kenya on January 26.

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February 23 - March 1: You HAVE to see the film "Iraq in Fragments"

Iraq in Fragments, an extremely well received highly awarded film makes its Indianapolis debut

When: Feburary 23-March 1
Where: Key Cinemas 4044 South Keystone Avenue Indianapolis

If you like a good story, you’re in for three of them. Iraq in Fragments (the title itself evokes images of a war-torn country tainted by religious strife) examines the life of an 11-year old Sunni boy in Baghdad, follows sympathizers of the Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr, and also focuses intimately on a tiny village located among the Kurdish populace in northern Iraq. The film and its director, James Longley, have already received numerous international and national honors, including Sundance awards for Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Editing.

This is Longley’s second acclaimed documentary to hit the silver screen. The success of his first film, Gaza Strip, which captures the quotidian life of Palestinians, may have been the impetus for a second Middle East- based film. Most likely, though, it was his need to tell another good story. During the process of filming and editing, he spent three years in Iraq, living both alone and also with translators and journalists, in Baghdad and in the more stable North. It was his wish to expose as much of the country as possible, within the limits of safety. Longley asserts, “It is important to me that this film presents many layers and points of view-reflecting the diversity I found.” In his director’s statement (which, along with the production notes, is highly recommended pre-viewing reading) he goes on to say that it was his aim to show “not only the divisions, but also the unifying forces that tie it together.”

Your interest and attendance is important for two reasons. First and most evidently, it is good to witness coverage in Iraq through a different lens and from several different angles. Second (and equally as important), your attendance will directly affect Indianapolis’s growing ability to access important films that, all too often, silently pass us by.

Read more about the film, including background, notes and critical responses here: www.iraqinfragments.com

February 22: Learn about Africans in Mexico with the film "AFRICAN BLOOD" at IMA

As part of its "Africans in the Americas" series, IMA shows "African Blood," a documentary by Roberto Olivares featuring testimonies, reflections, and powerful cultural expressions made by contemporary Afro-Mestizos who live in the Costa Chica region, in the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Guerrero.

When: Thursday February 22 7:00 PM
Where: Indianapolis Museum of Art DeBoest Lecture Hall (Free)

Mexican identity is often assumed to be a fusion between Indigenous and European cultures. This documentary gives voice to the people of the Costa Chica region in the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero of Mexico. They carry a little-known legacy: Afro-Mestizo, or Afro-Mexican culture. Roberto Olivares's film features displays of African traditions: men in masks and costumes resembling West African bush devils to dance on All Saints' Day. An elderly woman reminisces about growing up in a redondo, a round mud house with a thatched roof similar to those found in Africa. A musician plays an instrument made from a pumpkin that mimics a tiger's roar. Women carry items on their heads. Through testimonies, reflections and powerful cultural expressions, we witness their struggle to strengthen and claim their own identity and their African roots. In Spanish with English subtitles. Free!

If this event sounds interesting, you should check out some other films shown at IMA about Africans in America: "Favela Rising" on February 8, and RIZE February 15.

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February 24: Celebrate Black History Month by exploring relations between African and Native Americans

Tiya Miles discusses the interconnections between African Americans and Native Americans as the Eiteljorg's Black History Month Lecture

When: Saturday February 24 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Where: Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art

Tiya Miles is Assistant Professor in American Culture and at the Center for Afroamerican and African Studies at the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on the interrelated and comparative histories of African Americans and Native Americans. In addition, she is interested in African American women's history and literature and the history, literature, and feminist thought and activism of women of color. Her recently released book, Ties That Bind: The Story of an Afro-Cherokee Family in Slavery and Freedom, is about an enslaved black woman, her Cherokee owner and “husband,” and the challenges experienced by their mixed-race children in nineteenth-century Georgia and Oklahoma.

If this event sounds interesting, you should check out other examinations of the interactions between African Americans and marginal groups. The Affrilachian Poets on February 8 are a good example. A good contrast might be the African minority in Mexico, shown in the film "African Blood" February 22.

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February 24: Experience performance art by María Magdalena Campos-Pons

A World Premiere Performance of María Magdalena Campos-Pons: Regalos/Gifts

When: February 24 3:00 PM
Where: Indianapolis Museum of Art Pulliam Great Hall

February 25: Get your Cuban groove on at the opening of three Cuban-oriented exhibitions

Opening Night at the Indianapolis Museum of Art for three important Cuban-related exhibitions

February 25

AfroCuba: Works on Paper, 1968-2003 -- This groundbreaking exhibition includes 56 prints and drawings by 26 artists from Havana and Santiago de Cuba. The artists represent a cross section of Cuban society, and their works exhibit a diverse range of subject matter, style and techniques.

Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons: Everything is Separated by Water -- Organized by the IMA, Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons: Everything Is Separated by Water will be the first touring mid-career retrospective of this important Afro-Cuban artist’s work, comprising approximately 40 objects produced over the past 20 years. From her earliest relief paintings to her recent room-sized mixed-media installations and large-format Polaroid photographs, Campos-Pons has built a dynamic model of inventive identity. Using art to comment on her imagined displacement from Africa, her actual exile from Cuba, and her experience as a black Cuban woman living in North America, Campos-Pons has re-assembled fragments, symbols and memories of personal and collective history, religion, mythology and art. Many of her works deploy the female body—in its entirety or fragmented—to address the challenges inherent in building a coherent identity in the modern world.

February 25: Talk about "AfroCuba Through the Artist’s Lens"

Judith Bettelheim, professor of art history at San Francisco State University and leading expert on the art of Cuba, gives a talk about "AfroCuba: Through the Artist’s Lens " at the IMA

When: Sunday February 25 1:30 PM
Where: Indianapolis Museum of Art DeBoest Lecture Hall (Free)

The kaleidoscope of the contemporary Cuban experience--rife with satire, politics, and religion--becomes vivid in the Forefront exhibition, AfroCuba: Works on Paper, 1968-2003. Dr. Judith Bettelheim, professor of art history at San Francisco State University curated this thirty-five year chronicle of prints and drawings in many styles and techniques by twenty-six artists from Havana and Santiago de Cuba. In this talk, Dr. Bettelheim will provide context for viewing these diverse artworks that present the complexity of Cuba’s military and religious ties to Africa and offer vibrant critiques of contemporary race and social relations.

Judith Bettelheim has been doing fieldwork in the Caribbean consistently since 1975, focusing on Afro-Caribbean culture and festivals. Her doctoral work was on the Afro-Jamaican Jonkonnu festival. Since 1985 she has been doing fieldwork in Cuba. In preparation for the exhibition "Caribbean Festival Arts", Bettelheim visited six different Caribbean countries. She co-curated and co-authored Caribbean Festival Arts, (University of Washington Press: 1988) with John Nunley of the Saint Louis Art Museum. She received an American Council of Learned Societies fellowship for research on Carnaval in Santiago de Cuba in 1989-90 and has returned to Cuba many times, recently leading tours to the Havana Biennial and the Fiesta del Fuego in Santiago de Cuba. Her publications include Cuban Festivals: A Century of Afro-Cuban Culture, 2001 (Ian Randle Press) and AFROCUBA: Works on Paper 1968-2003, published by San Francisco State and the U of Washington Press, 2005.

For a preview, see this nice production about "AfroCuba: Works on Paper"

If this event sounds interesting, you should check out a couple of the discussions of the work of María Magdalena Campos-Pons on March 20, or April 26.

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February 25 – July 15: Dig the African roots of Cuba with Bill Rasdell at IMA

William Rasdell: African Roots in Cuban Soil

When: Opening February 25, through July 15
Where: Indianapolis Museum of Art, Star Studio

Indianapolis artist William Rasdell's exhibition in Star Studio will feature digitally altered photographs, video, and sculptures made in response to visits to Callejon de Hamel, an alley in Havana that is the site of Afro-Cuban murals and sculptures by Cuban artist Salvador Gonzalez Escalona. Callejon de Hamel is an active artist community and the site of a weekly Rumba where musicians, dancers, locals, and tourists from around the globe pack the alley. Rasdell has been inspired by the work of Salvador Gonzalez Escalona and by the sights, sounds, and energy of this unique part of Havana. Visitors will be able to explore some of the elements of a Rumba by playing musical instruments, experimenting with hands-on materials and exploring art making processes related to Rasdell's work. In 1996 Bill first ventured to Cuba as a musician researching Afro-Cuban percussion and folklore at the University of Matanzas. Bill regularly utilizes digital technology in the enhancement of his photographs. Working in Adobe Photoshop, he is exploring new areas of creativity producing giclee prints of his work on the finest quality hand made papers.

If this event sounds interesting, you should check out the retrospective of Bill Rasdell's work at University of Indianapolis through February 9. You can attend a reception with the artist January 19 from 6:00-8:00 PM.

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