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Independent Curators International supports the work of curators to help create stronger art communities through experimentation, collaboration, and international engagement.

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EN MAS' at Museum of the African Diaspora

Ebony G. Patterson, Invisible Presence: Bling Memories, performance, April 27, 2014, Kingston, Jamaica. Courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago. Photograph: Monique Gilpin and Philip Rhoden

Sep 20, 2017 – Mar 4, 2018

San Francisco, USA
Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD)

Ebony G. Patterson, Invisible Presence: Bling Memories, performance, April 27, 2014, Kingston, Jamaica. Courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago. Photograph: Monique Gilpin and Philip Rhoden

EN MAS': Carnival and Performance Art of the Caribbean

VIP Patron & Members Opening Reception
Tuesday, September 19, 6:00-8:00 pm

6:30 pm Opening Remarks


PERFORMANCE | Global Street Dance Masquerade
Thursday, September 21, 6:30-8:00 pm
The Global Street Dance Masquerade conceptualized by Artistic Director Rashad Pridgen is a site specific, dance ceremony, presenting thematic, socially conscious, full body masquerade suits in urban environments for diverse audiences. The Bio Spirit Safety Suit is a contemporary homage to the Orisha Omolu exploring the HIV/AIDS epidemic through movement and performance art spectacle manifest through a Pan-African full body masquerade.
Presented in conjunction with Third Thursdays in Yerba Buena. Free Admission.


Jump Up: The En Mas’ Film Series | Ó Pai, Ó!
Thursday, September 28, 6:30-9:00 pm
In conjunction with the current exhibition En Mas’: Carnival and Performance Art of the Caribbean, Musuem of the African Diaspora (MoAD) and the SF Latino Film Festival present Jump Up: The En Mas’ Film Series, six weeks of documentaries and features portraying the magical impact of Carnival in various places in the African Diaspora (Trinidad, Brazil, Guadeloupe, New Orleans, Cape Verde and New York). Each program has a strong focus on the music, performers and the flamboyant attire so central to the celebrations including calypso and soca of Trinidad, Salvador’s blocos afros, Guadeloupe’s zouk, Mardi Gras’ Black Indian clubs, the transgender paraders on São Vicente island and Brooklyn’s Caribbean saturated Labor Day festivities.
Co-Presented by the San Francisco Latino Film Festival
Please refer to MoAD for tickets and more information about each film.


Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service
Monday, January 15, 11:00 am–5:00 pm

FREE
MoAD will celebrate the national observance of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday as a Day of Service, providing FREE admission to the museum and programs throughout the day. Come together to celebrate the life and achievements of one of our nation’s greatest heroes, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Through film, art, and musical performances, our special guests will help us to reflect on the importance of free speech and diverse communities.


Funkquaria Rising Film Screening, Discussion with SambaFunk hosted by The MoAD Vanguard
Thursday, January 18, 6:30– 8:30pm

FREE
It’s a new year, but the celebration of MoAD’s colorful exhibition, En Mas’, continues! Join MoAD for a special screening of Funkquaria Rising, a documentary short film that looks at the creation, development and artistic vision of the Bay Area based and internationally known Samba school, SambaFunk! Their members, also known as The Funkquarians, have a unique flavor that embraces the African diaspora’s art and culture. The film features a portrait look at the members, live footage from classes, local Carnaval celebrations and exhilarating street theater. It shines a light on the challenges faced by a self-funded group as it works to bring joy to it’s community and beyond.

SPECIAL GUESTS:
Moderator: Roberto Hernandez, Executive Producer of Carnaval San Francisco
Panelists: Iwalane Venerable, Filmmaker and Samba Funk member; Theo Aytchan Williams, Samba Funk Founder; Monica Hastings-Smith, Funkquarian


PERFORMANCE | The Alayo Dance Company
Thursday, February 8, 7:00-8:00 pm

Please visit MoAD website for ticket information.

Join MoAD for a carnival-inspired performance by Ramón Ramos Alayo and the Alayo Dance Company. Alayo will choreograph a site-specific work in conjunction with the current exhibition En Mas: Carnival and Performance Art in the Caribbean.

In 2002, Ramón Ramos Alayo founded the Alayo Dance Company. As director and choreographer, his work is an innovative fusion of Afro-Cuban modern, folkloric and popular Cuban dance. He eloquently articulates his aesthetic vision through a synthesis of these dance styles, citing from each traditions, movements, narratives and concepts indicative of Cuban culture. 2003 Ramos co-founded and became artistic director of CubaCaribe, a non-profit with the mission to preserve and promote the rich cultural and artistic traditions of the Carribbean and its diaspora. Alayo Dance Company is the resident company of CubaCaribe.


Engage: Beyond Feathers & Glitter
Saturday, February 10, 10:00am - 5:00 pm

Please visit MoAD website for ticket information.

Join MoAD for their first annual symposium, ENGAGE: Beyond Feathers & Glitter. The day-long event is an interactive symposium where visitors will have the opportunity to explore Carnival through engaging conversations and hands-on learning interwoven with lively performances. It is our hope that attendees will gain a better understanding of the global influence of Carnival and its greater cultural implications. The symposium is being organized in coordination with the exhibition, En Mas’: Carnival and Performance Art of the Caribbean, on view at MoAD through March 4, 2018.

Admission includes attendance to all events:

Panel Discussions with:
Jacqueline Francis, PhD., Associate Professor in Visual and Critical Studies, California College of the Arts
Jovan Scott Lewis, PhD., Assistant Professor of African-American Studies and Geography, UC Berkeley
Jocelyne Guilbault, PhD., Professor of Music Scholarship, UC Berkeley
Kafi Payne, Doctoral candidate in Urban Education and Leadership, UC Berkeley
Lucia Cantero PhD., Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology, University of San Francisco
Mechelle Best, PhD., Associate Professor of Recreation and Tourism Management, Cal State University Northridge

Performances by:
Mas Makers Massive
Rara Tou Limen
Roberto Borrell
Shabang! Steel Drum Band
Film Screening & Discussion with the Director:
Play the Devil (2016), written and directed by Maria Govan


Curator’s Talk | Claire Tancons in conversation with Shannon Jackson
Thursday, February 15, 6:30 - 8:00 pm
*canceled
FREE

Join MoAD for a conversation about our current exhibition En Mas: Carnival and Performance Art in the Caribbeanwith Curator Claire Tancons and Professor Shannon Jackson (Rhetoric and Theater, Dance and Performance Studies, UC Berkeley). EN MAS’ introduces performance art with a focus on the influence that Carnival and related masquerading traditions in and of the Caribbean and its diasporas have had on contemporary performance discourse and practice, in both the artistic and curatorial realms. Tancons and Jackson (a contributor to the EN MAS’ catalogue) will discuss this innovative performance-based exhibition and reveal the many layers of social critique and protest embedded in the Carnival tradition. The program will include a wine reception.


LECTURE | Music of New Orleans & the Caribbean with Dr. Teodross Avery
Thursday, February 22, 7:00- 8:30 pm

Please visit MoAD website for ticket information.

The sound of the music electrifies people from all over the world helping to celebrate Carnaval throughout the Caribbean and its diasporas. Come celebrate with Dr. Teodross Avery as he takes you on a journey of the music: including Soca of Trinidad, Samba of Salvador de Bahia, Zouk of Guadeloupe, Mardi Gras’ of New Orleans, and Calypso of Brooklyn.
While growing up in Oakland and Vacaville, California, Teodross Avery heard all kinds of music blaring out of his father’s stereo speakers. He heard West African music, Funk, Rock, and Soul Jazz. At age 13 he heard John Coltrane’s ‘Giant Steps’ and quickly pleaded with his father to let him switch from Classical guitar studies to the saxophone. In 1994, he released his debut album, ‘In Other Words’, to much critical acclaim receiving five stars in USA Today. In 2006, Teodross received a Master’s degree from New York University (NYU). Recently, in May of 2016, Teodross Avery received a Doctorate in Jazz Studies from the University of Southern California (USC).


For more information visit MoAD's website.

Presenter
Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD)

MoAD invites everyone to engage in the cultural expression of the African Diaspora through contemporary art.