Diaspora Vibe Gallery presents Alexis Caputo's Souled Out

Souled Out
What: Dance, spoken word, poetry
Date: Friday, March 26
Time: 7:30 pm
Where: Diaspora Vibe Gallery
Cost: Donations accepted

Souled Out examines slavery and its by-products through memory, dialogue, poetry, spoken word and dance (movement). As writer and performer, Caputo declares and documents the parallels of slavery and the arguable concept of freedom. It challenges and begs the question of what freedom is on multiple levels. Choreographers Michelle Grant-Murray and Luctricia Welters support the life of the piece, beautifully with their personal translations of the spoken and written word.

“Again and again, the assembly is to redefine, shape shift, and use the voice and body as a vehicle to revisit the past, speak to the present and cultivate a language for self with lucid markers to deflect concepts of how I am seen as a woman. I believe “women can write/right the future”, says Alexis. Souled Out highlights walls that are erected like clockwork regarding self-identification and demarcation. This piece ushers time frames in periods of seven years, signifying the number of life renewal cycles and skin shedding. Each cycle speaks to the space one is in and the life and location of fresh assaults on identity. At the forefront, the right to education is addressed and the irony of battling imposed stereotypes and social constructs. Women of color will certainly be able to connect with the piece, recognize our creative differences and our collective power through identifying the sources of agitation or disruption in the anchors in our lives.

INTERNATIONAL CALL FOR PROPOSALS - LOW LIVES 2

INTERNATIONAL CALL FOR PROPOSALS - LOW LIVES 2
Deadline- March 30th

Now in its second year, Low Lives is a one-night exhibition of live performance-based works transmitted via the internet and projected in real time at numerous venues throughout the U.S. and around the world. Low Lives 2 will be presented as part of Fusebox Festival in partnership with Co-Lab Space, Austin, TX; Galeria de La Raza, San Francisco, CA; Diaspora Vibe Gallery, Miami, FL; and The Temporary Space in Houston, TX; and Terminal, APSU, Clarksville, TN. Additional presenting partners T.B.A.
Low Lives examines works that critically investigate, challenge, and extend the potential of performance practice presented live through online broadcasting networks. These networks provide a new alternative and efficient medium for presenting and viewing performances. Low Lives is about not simply the presentation of performative gestures at a particular place and time but also about the transmission of these moments and what gets lost, conveyed, blurred, and reconfigured when utilizing this medium. Low Lives embraces works with a lo-fi aesthetic such as low pixel image and sound quality, contributing to a raw, DIY and sometimes voyeuristic quality in the transmission and reception of the work. Low Lives welcomes submissions by both established and emerging artists.

Submission Requirements:
- Artists can submit previously created works or new work to be considered through links to artist’s websites or other web destinations. Duration of works must be under 5 minutes to be considered. Only live performances will be considered
- Artist statement including how work relates to Low Lives concept
- Artist Bio
- CV
- Email complete submission materials to: keoqui@gmail.com

Important Dates:
March 30th - Submission deadline
April 7th - Artists notified on selection
April 30th - Show opens - 7:30 – 10:30 pm (EST)

Artists selected to participate in this exhibition will transmit their work live through Ustream.tv a platform that allows for anyone with a computer, webcam and internet connection to broadcast live.

Opportunity for Presenting Partners:
Regional, national, and international arts organizations interested in presenting this one-night exhibition please contact curator, Jorge Rojas at: keoqui@gmail.com


To view last year's exhibition catalog and performance videos visit labotanica.

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As Far As The Eye Can See: DVG International Cultural Arts Exchange in Puerto Rico

NBC Miami: Cultivating Caribbean Art: Gallery's Search For Heir to Jean-Michel Basquiat

Reprinted from NBC Miami

At Diaspora Vibe Gallery, Rosie Gordon-Wallace is busy grooming Miami's next generation of ground-breaking artists. "We're an incubating space," Rosie said. If all goes according to plan, the Jamaican native who has worked tirelessly to keep Diaspora's doors open said she hopes to cultivate talent comparable to that of Jean-Michel Basquiat, the iconic Haitian neo-impressionist painter discovered for his graffiti on buildings in Lower Manhattan. "It's a shame he didn't get the admiration he deserved until after his death," said Rosie, Diaspora Vibe's curator.

For the past 14 years, Rosie has spent many nights applying for grants and seeking out donors in order to house a safe place for Caribbean and Latin American artists to showcase their work at the quaint and vibrant space located in the heart of Miami's Design District. "At Diaspora, artists can come and explore their ideas," said Rosie.

Caribbean artists were coming back to Miami after graduating from prestigious schools with nowhere to show their work, said Rosie. So she held artist gatherings at her home, restaurants and other neighborhood. Piccadilly, a legendary Design District haunt, was a favorite before her group moved to Diaspora Vibe.

On Wednesday evening, one of the gallery's recent exhibits depicted just the type of experimental work Diaspora thrives upon. The piece NI ANGE NWA or Little Black Angels by Jacquenette Arnette and Hugo Moro was inspired by the duo's trip to Haiti in December. It draws a parallel between the absence of black angels to negative media portrayals of Haitians in light of the recent earthquake.

Rosie added: "I'm hoping mainstream galleries will start saying, 'We have to stop by Diaspora to meet young artists like Jackie who are bursting at the seams with talent and ideas.'"


BY Peter Bailey // Thursday, Feb 18, 2010 at 12:47 EST