Category: Sites Scenes & Words

  • A Harlem Renaissance Continued

    By Elizabeth McMillan

    The Studio Museum in Harlem has devoted over 30 years to bringing gifted emerging artists of African descent the resources and the recognition they deserve. Opened in 1968 as a studio and exhibition space on 125th street in New York City, the Museum has since evolved into an active and vital artistic institution offering a variety of valuable services to the community.

    The Museum has built an impressive permanent collection of more than 1,600 objects spanning all types of media by such artists as Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, and Faith Ringgold. And in celebration of their 30th anniversary, exhibiting through October 3, 1999 is Selected Works from the Permanent Collection showcasing the Museum’s impressive 20th century art collection and From the Studio: Artists-In-Residence, 1998-1999 featuring three installations by each of this year’s program artists.

    SMH has also played a significant role in the art community by serving as the primary training ground for African-American museum professionals and artists. But it’s their education and public programming that’s an essential component to their mission. The Cooperative School Program places professional artists in Harlem schools to serve as instructors, the Enhanced Access Program provides free and expanded hours to thousands of school children and economically disadvantaged families and the Vital Expressions in American Art series hosts a variety of family-oriented activities. Designed to coincide with each exhibit, these programs help to enhance the exploration of broader cultural and social themes.

    Whether you’re viewing the art or participating in their rich activities, The Studio Museum in Harlem gives everyone an opportunity to appreciate the culture that artists of African descent have brought to the world. For more information, visit the museum’s website at www.studiomuseuminharlem.org. M

    August 1999

  • A Harlem Renaissance Continued

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  • Art for Art’s Sake

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  • Dining at the Intersection of 42nd and Soul

    Soul Cafe
    444 West 42nd Street
    (Btwn 9th & 10th Aves)
    NY, NY 10036
    (212) 244-7685

    By Ramona L. Prioleau

    Since the Soul Café opened its doors in 1996, the alluring aromas of its fine cuisine and electric atmosphere have beckoned many to venture west of 8th Avenue. This chic midtown restaurant is great for pre-theater dinner, Sunday brunch or a nice repast after a long day. Soul features a spacious bar area, perfect for cocktails before dinner and toasting the close of a successful business deal. After work and on the weekends, Soul pulses with the energy of its stylish clientele who mix, mingle and dine to R&B tunes that flow steadily from Soul’s sound system.

    Soul serves healthy portions of Southern/Caribbean dishes with an upscale flair. Its flavorful meals, prepared with just the right amount of spices, do not sacrifice substance for the sake of decorativeness. The roasted vegetables with a side of macaroni are a delightful combination for those seeking a filling yet healthy treat. For the carnivorous sort, Soul’s hearty serving of ribs with a side of macaroni and collard greens hit the spot.

    Soul’s pleasant and knowledgeable staff handles groups large and small with a consistent level of professionalism. In fact, Soul’s staff seems to have a particular knack for catering to high-maintenance patrons with style, grace and aplomb (Trust me on this. I’m a charter member of the high-maintenance posse).

    Warm lighting, large comfy chairs and walls adorned with African-American art, transform Soul’s spacious confines into a handsome yet classy den. During the summer months, sidewalk seating is also available adding a Euro vibe to the soul food experience. Since each meal is individually prepared, leave yourself adequate time to wine and dine at this snazzy midtown establishment. M

    June 1999

  • Lounging On East 10th Street-NOT!

    Tenth Street Lounge
    212 East 10 Street
    (Btwn 1st & 2nd Aves)
    NY, NY 10003
    (212) 473-5252

    By Gabria Fischer

    Tenth Street Lounge is not a place to lounge. This establishment has no qualms charging a cover on weekend nights for little more than a chance to soak in the lack of atmosphere. In fact, the stiff ambiance is more reminiscent of a funeral home than an East Village hangout.

    The high ceilings and candle-lined ledges manage to add warmth to the environment, but not to the experience. The overpriced drinks and assuming staff transform the impressive open space into a gloomy and oppressive retreat. Table service is readily available, but the pay-per-round policy makes the delivery of drinks more pressure-filled than it need be. The entrance is difficult to spot from the street. So, if you happen to miss it on your first pass, you might want to keep walking. This joint is “B” list at best. M

    June 1999

  • The Cinque: 30 Years of Support to Black Artists

    Cinque GalleryBy Anne Collins Smith

    1999 marks a very special year for the Cinque Gallery. It celebrates 30 years of service to the arts community.

    Founded by celebrated artists Romare Bearden, Ernest Crichlow and Norman Lewis, the Cinque Gallery is dedicated to advancing the careers of African American artists through numerous exhibitions and programs.

    The idea of a gallery to support and encourage African American artists wasn’t entirely new to Bearden, Crichlow and Lewis. The Cinque founders were given similar opportunities. Augusta Savage, a sculptor and teacher, influenced these artists through her School of Arts and Crafts and through the Harlem Community Arts Center in the 1930’s and 40’s.

    Another place of support for the young black artists was the 306 West 141st Street studios of dancer Ad Bates, painter Charles Alston and sculptor Henry “Mike” Bannarn. “306” served as a gathering place where artists of all disciplines could meet and discuss their artistic endeavors. It is also where Bearden and Jacob Lawrence were given their first exhibitions. In addition, Spiral, a politically active artists group active in the 1960’s and 70’s influenced the Cinque founders.

    The Cinque Gallery continues the support for black artists and the activism of Augusta Savage, 306 and Spiral. The Cinque, which first opened its doors at the Joseph Papp Public Theater in 1969, is currently located in SoHo in the heart of New York’s thriving and energetic art market. To find out more about the Cinque and the special programming for its 30th Anniversary, visit or contact the gallery at 560 Broadway, Suite 504, New York, NY 10012, 212-966-3464. M

    June 1999

  • Steven Spielberg to Receive Holocaust Museum Houston’s 1998 LBJ Moral Courage Award


    Houston, TX (Sept. 9, 1998) – Holocaust Museum Houston will honor Steven Spielberg with the Lyndon Baines Johnson Moral Courage Award on October 1, 1998, at the George R. Brown Convention Center. It was announced by E. D. Wulfe, Chairman of the Board of the Museum. The event is chaired by Barbara and Charles Hurwitz of Houston and honorary chairs are President and Mrs. George Bush. The event is sold out and the Museum expects 1,800 guests
    to help honor the legendary filmmaker.

    Holocaust Museum Houston honors Mr. Spielberg for bringing the subject of the Holocaust, with all of its atrocities and lessons, to mainstream America with Schindler’s List. This film was the catalyst that brought the Holocaust into American consciousness.

    It is estimated that Schindler’s List has been seen by more than 75,000,000 people in theaters, and over 65,000,000 through television and millions more on home video. The film won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. But, the most important accomplishment of the film was to heighten awareness of the Holocaust world-wide and to communicate the importance of teaching the lessons to be learned from this tragic event.

    Schindler’s List is used as a tool in middle and high schools across the country to teach tolerance, human rights, respect and the importance of standing against injustice. In the Fall of 1994, a videotape of the film, accompanied by a study guide, was sent as a donation from Steven Spielberg and Universal Pictures to every public, private and parochial high school in the
    country. Last year, the Texas Education Association mandated that Holocaust studies be taught in United States History and World History, and Schindler’s List is frequently an important part of the curriculum.

    Steven Spielberg has three major philanthropic causes to which he devotes his efforts. Funded by his personal profits from Schindler’s List, he established the Righteous Persons Foundation, which supports a wide breadth of Jewish causes.

    Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation is Spielberg’s way of ensuring that the experiences of Holocaust Survivors are never forgotten, by capturing personal testimonies of survivors on film. The Foundation currently works in 54 countries and in 31 languages. Nearly 47,000 testimonies have already been taped. The Foundation is currently developing state-of-the-art digital technology which will enable these testimonies to be available to the
    millions of users of the world-wide web.

    Steven Spielberg is also the chairman of the Starbright Foundation, whose mission is to develop projects through the combined fields of pediatric health care, technology and entertainment, that empower seriously ill children to combat the emotional and medical challenges accompanying prolonged illness.

    Through this exciting event, this and future generations will learn that the hatred and prejudice that fueled the Holocaust must be extinguished and that it must never happen again. Holocaust Museum Houston opened its doors on March 3, 1998 and has hosted nearly 150,000 visitors. The mission of the Museum is to promote awareness of the dangers of prejudice, hatred and violence against the lives of millions of Jews and other innocent victims. By fostering Holocaust remembrance, understanding and education, the Museum will educate students in our area, as
    well as the general population about the uniqueness of that event an its ongoing lesson: that humankind must learn to live together in peace and harmony.

  • John Huston Retrospective @ MoMI

    The John Huston Retrospective at the Museum of the Moving Image takes place from September 12–October 11, 1998. The retrospective includes the following films:

    • The Maltese Falcon
    • Beat the Devil
    • The African Queen
    • White Hunter, Black Heart
    • The Treasure of Sierra Madre
    • The Battle of San Pietro
    • The Asphalt Jungle
    • Moulin Rouge
    • Freud The Night of the Iguana
    • The Red Badge of Courage
    • Moby Dick
    • The Misfits
    • Reflections in a Golden Eye
    • Fat City
    • The Man Who Would Be King
      Wise Blood
    • Under the Volcano
    • Prizzi’s Honor
    • The Dead and
    • John Huston and the Dubliners

  • The Performing Arts in the Visual Arts

    The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture has announced a new exhibition entitled, The Performing Arts in the Visual Arts.  It runs from October 5, 1998 – November 8, 1998.

    Synopsis:  This Fall art exhibition celebrates black performing arts traditions, with more than 30 works by Romare Bearden, Allen Stringfellow, and Charles Alston. (Source: Schomburg)