PAFA To Offer Free Sundays

PHILADELPHIA—In conjunction with the upcoming exhibition Barkley L. Hendricks: Birth of the Cool, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) presents “Free Sundays” which offer free admission to the museum galleries as well as specially planned public programs on each Sunday during the exhibition, which will take place October 17, 2009 – January 3, 2010.

 

The “Free Sundays” series is designed to enrich and engage families and their communities by providing opportunities to learn and create together.

 

"Free Sundays is an exciting initiative, because it ensures that the Barkley L. Hendricks exhibition will be accessible to the widest possible audience,” states David Brigham, PAFA’s Edna S. Tuttleman Museum Director. “Having family programming on Sundays will further encourage broad participation and given the difficult economy we still find ourselves in, we are especially grateful that our generous supporters are making this possible."

 

Additionally, programs including a curator talk with Trevor Schoonmaker, curator of contemporary art at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University on Thursday, November 19; a daylong symposium entitled “Evolution of the Cool” on Saturday, November 21; an Art School Mixer for local art students on Thursday, October 29; and PAFA’s Traveling Lecture Series will be free to the public (some events require pre-registration for free admission).

 

Barkley L. Hendricks: Birth of the Cool is the first career retrospective of Barkley L. Hendricks, renowned American artist, Philadelphia native, and PAFA alumnus. Best known for his stunning, life-sized canvasses portraying people of color from the urban northeast, it is through these cool, empowering and sometimes confrontational images that Hendricks explores the cultural complexity of black identity in the contemporary world. Variously he works from real life sitters and from photographs in a format that is reminiscent of images from fashion magazines and movie posters.

 

Barkley L. Hendricks: Birth of the Cool presents 57 paintings from 1964 to the present, and will be augmented by works from private Philadelphia collectors.

 

The schedule of free public programs related to Barkley L. Hendricks: Birth of the Cool is as follows:

 

PAFA staff come to your institution and present a free 30-minute program with lecture and images about the bold, life-sized portraits painted by artist Barkley L. Hendricks.

 

Thursday, October 29, 6:00 p.m.

Art students from Philadelphia area universities are invited to a special evening in the galleries of the Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building for refreshments, live music, and a private preview of Barkley L. Hendricks: Birth of the Cool.

 

Thursday November 19, 6:00 p.m.

Free with pre-registration, $10 at the door. Seating may be limited.

Call 215-972-0522 for reservations.

Trevor Schoonmaker, curator of contemporary art at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, who organized Barkley L. Hendricks: Birth of the Cool, delivers a talk about Hendricks’ work and organizing this exhibition.

 

Saturday November 21, 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Free with pre-registration, $10 at the door. Seating may be limited.

Call 215-972-0522 for reservations.

This daylong symposium brings together experts from the fields of art, music, dance, and fashion to discuss the cultural developments that influenced the work of Barkley L. Hendricks. Participants include Barkley L. Hendricks, Connecticut College; Richard Powell, Duke University; Randy Weston, Jazz Pianist and Composer; Brenda Gottschild Dixon, Temple University; Kellie Jones, Columbia University; Emil DeJohn, Fashion Designer; and Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw, University of Pennsylvania.

 

All programs begin at 2:00 p.m.

 

Join artist Barkley L. Hendricks on a tour of his exhibition and talk to him about his work.

 

Join Bob Perkins, host of WRTI’s Jazz with Bob Perkins, and the Don Wilson Trio for a conversation about the evolution of bebop in jazz. Hear the revolutionary harmonies of some of the era’s greatest artists performed live and listen to Bob Perkins’ insightful and expert comments on the evolution of the bebop movement and its influence on subsequent generations of musicians. (Organized in conjunction with the Philadelphia Clef Club for Jazz)

 

The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s brought the accomplishments of African Americans to the forefront of popular culture. Spurred by efforts from the NAACP and the Urban League, black Americans were urged to step up creatively after the 1919 race riots. The result was a blossoming of talent through theatre, music, dance, and art and Harlem became a place of intrigue as people recognized this heightened activity. This one-hour presentation traces the history of this important American movement.

 

View Hendricks’ striking and provocative life-sized portraits of everyday African American people from the urban environment and learn to draw your own life-sized self-portraits.                      

 

On his way to becoming a jazz legend in his own right, Philadelphia native Brent White grew up playing trombone in the gritty homeless shelters and projects of South Philadelphia before going on to study with some of the best in jazz including Slide Hampton and Al Grey. He has performed with the likes of Natalie Cole and Chubby Checker, and received accolades from legendary jazz great Mickey Roker, who says that White makes music that “feels good.” (Organized in conjunction with the Philadelphia Clef Club for Jazz)

 

Scribe Video Center has collaborated with dozens of community groups to produce neighborhood histories. “Precious Places” is an opportunity for neighborhood residents to be the authors of their communities' histories. Experienced videomakers and humanities/social science consultants work with each participating community group to facilitate the documentary process. Neighborhood residents conduct the research about the place, arrange for interviews with elders and other neighborhood subjects, and operate the cameras, sound, and lighting equipment themselves.

 

In the studio, learn to paint your own portrait with community members as models.

 

Tracing hip hop dance styles from the late 1960s to today, this acclaimed dance ensemble demonstrates locking, popping, breaking (break dancing), old and new school hip hop, and house dance forms, while teaching the lesson that children can be whatever they want to be with hard work and perseverance. The program spreads a message of peace, love, and unity, as well as important lessons about curbing violence and drug use, and encourages children to join the performers on stage.

Four experts in the field of hipness come together to celebrate and discuss the distinctive look, feel, and sound of what it means to be cool. Panelists include: Aqueelah Jamal, host of WURD’s "Jazz and Conversation"; Stanley Straughter, Chair of the Mayor's Commission on African and Caribbean Immigrant Affairs; and Antoinette Dendtler, Founder and Head of ECO Charter School. The session will be moderated by Shuna Ali Miah, Jr., Director of the Philadelphia Clef Club.

 

Hunt for cool caps in Hendricks’ portraits and make some hip hats of your own.

Everyone has stories to tell. This presentation engages the audience in interactive exercises. Participants learn to tell stories from a familiar experience, emphasizing story elements, presentation skills, and story enhancement techniques, including song, rhythms, and dance. Queen Nur, a nationally renowned storyteller and teaching artist, enthralls audiences in the delight of the African Oral Tradition.

 

View Hendricks’ Basketball paintings inspired by his love of the game. In the studio, paint your own sports paintings from basketball playing models.                               

Barkley L. Hendricks: Birth of the Cool is organized by the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University and curated by Trevor Schoonmaker.

 

 The exhibition is sponsored in part by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc., the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art, the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, and the North Carolina Arts Council with funding from the State of North Carolina.

 

Funding for the tour of Barkley L. Hendricks: Birth of the Cool to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage through the Philadelphia Exhibitions Initiative. Additional support provided by an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 grant through the National Endowment for the Arts, the Edna W. Andrade Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation, StoneRidge Investment Partners, LLC, the Lomax Family Foundation, and Mr. & Mrs. Harold Sorgenti.

 

###

 

Founded in 1805, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is America's first school of fine arts and museum.  A recipient of the 2005 National Medal of Arts presented by the President of the United States, PAFA is a recognized leader in fine arts education.  Nearly every major American artist has taught, studied, or exhibited at the Academy. The institution's world-class collection of American art continues to grow and provides what only a few other art institutions in the world offer: the rare combination of an outstanding museum and an extraordinary faculty known for its commitment to students and for the stature and quality of its artistic work.

 

Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Academy is located at 118-128 N. Broad Street in Philadelphia. Admission to the Permanent Collection is Adults $10, Seniors & Students with I.D. $8, Youth ages 5-18, $6. Admission to Special Exhibitions (includes Permanent Collection) is Adults $15, Seniors & Students with I.D. $12, Youth Ages 5-18, $8. Admission is free for members and children under age of 5. Admission to Morris Gallery exhibitions is free.