Diaspora Vibe Gallery

HandMade Miami: The Fullness of Everything

2011-11-04T16:41:00.000-04:00

A call to artists and artisans for a multi & mixed-media exhibition

July - September 2012

In collaboration with Partners for Artisans, Diaspora Vibe Gallery will highlight work from Diaspora Caribbean artists working with media used by artisans within the region.

We will invite quilters, beaders and metal smithartists to have a dialog about content and imagery and the notion of agencywith materials. One thing is true, that the dialog between "High Art and Low Art"will continue.

How can we teach a broader understanding to the critic and notion ofa Black aesthetic?

Low Lives 4: April 29, 2012

2011-11-04T16:29:00.000-04:00

Low Lives 4
Various video artists from around the globe.

April 29, 2012

A screenshot from Katalena Hernandez's Low Lives 3 performance

Now entering its fourth year, Low Lives is an international exhibition of live performance-based works transmitted via the internet and projected in real time at multiple venues throughout the U.S. and around the world. 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, viewing, and archiving performances. Low Lives is not simply about 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.

365 Art For Change is a new partnership exhibition space with Diaspora Vibe.

Diaspora Vibe @ AE District:
3852 N Miami Ave.
Miami, FL 33137

and

365 Art For Change,
4 N. Main Street
Southampton, NY 11968

Evoking a Caribbean

2011-11-04T16:17:00.001-04:00

Evoking a Caribbean

April - June 2012

The Caribbean as an archipelago situated in the bellyof the Americas. The region shares the five hundred year history of forced andvoluntary migrations, settlements and emigrations, resulting in the ambivalentnature of what it means to be Caribbean. This body of work extends the commongeographical use of the word Caribbean to its people – thus I am Caribbean.

More details, still to come.

Jamaica, Jamaica : International Cultural Exchange 2012

2011-11-04T16:12:00.000-04:00

Living Sculpture 2

International Cultural Exchange – Jamaica

March 2012

Artists: Alejandro Contreras, Carlos Alejandro, Jean Chiang, Danny Ramirez, Jacquenette Arnette, Patricia Roldan, Rodney Jackson, Selina Roman, Teri Richardson, Carol Campbell

Artists from St. Maarten, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Aruba, Jamaica, Trinidad, Venezuela, Gambia, Curacao and the U.S. along with art historians, critics, art lawyers and curators explore contemporary Caribbean art practice. The International Cultural Exchange (ICE) involves artist talks, workshops, studio visits, and culminates in an exhibition at the Revolution Gallery. This year, artists will talk with artists about hyphenated existence, art production while living in the Diaspora, border communities, professional development opportunities, and document the process in Jamaica side by side Jamaican artists.

New Possessions, A Call to Artists in the Diaspora

2011-11-04T15:56:00.001-04:00

CaribbeanArtists in the US Call to Artists in the Diaspora

January - March 2012

NewPossessions celebrates the 50^th anniversary of Jamaican Independenceby exhibiting works of 50 contemporary Caribbean artists working in the UnitedStates. The exhibition focuses on works by artists that, although thecelebration is for Jamaica, they have had a relationship with Jamaica either byattending school at Edna Manley College or that they exhibited in the countryor with Diaspora Vibe Gallery within past 15 years. These Caribbean artists allchoose to live and work outside of the islands. The exhibition’s aim is tooffer an international audience a look at Caribbean art in the context ofNation building, recognizing the profound influence by the experience ofDiaspora.

Art Basel Miami : "We the Artists"

2011-11-04T15:47:00.001-04:00

Our new virtual site is www.diasporavibevirtualgallery.com
or call us at 786.536.7801

We The Artists
An exhibition bringing together local and foreign artists for this year's Art Basel Miami.

When: December 1 - 4, 2011

The name of this exhibitionshould have been “The Guessing Game”.Put your index finger on the Foreigner, because that is what I wanted this tobe: the game for the viewer to identify who they think is the local and theforeign artist. Most likely the viewer will be surprised by what they realizetheir preconceived notions of what they think local and foreign art lookslike. More and more Caribbean artists are reaching out to resources anddeveloping a style of art that crosses borders of their island of birth andembraces current worldwide trends of art.

Miami is about racial and cultural mélange, discourse about that mix,and dissent and division too. I decided to create an exhibition that would mixCaribbean Artists with their contemporaries outside of Miami. My goal is toinvite Diaspora Caribbean artists have a conversation with Caribbean artistsliving in the islands and in that conversation make breakthroughsintellectually, emotionally, creatively and spiritually.

From December 1 through 4, Miami Beach, Florida, will host the 10th edition of Art Basel Miami Beach, the most prestigious art show in the Americas. More than 260 leading galleries from North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa will take part, showcasing works by more than 2,000 artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.

For more information on Art Basel Miami, visit their website here.

Dis is wi Culture : DVCAI & Carnival at the Sun Life Stadium

2011-11-04T15:35:00.000-04:00

"Dis is wi Culture"
Carnival at the Sun Life Stadium

When: October 9th, 2011

Where: Sun Life Stadium

DVCAI presented a 300 member Barbadian band for Carnival. Important to Caribbean festival arts are the ancient African traditions of parading and moving in circles through villages in costumes and masks. Circling villages was believed to bring good fortune, to heal problems, and chill out angry relatives who had died and passed into the next world. Carnival traditions also borrow from the African tradition of putting together natural objects (bones, grasses, beads, shells, fabric) to create a piece of sculpture, a mask, or costume — with each object or combination of objects representing a certain idea or spiritual force. Feathers were frequently used by Africans in their motherland on masks and headdresses as a symbol of our ability as humans to rise above problems, pains, heartbreaks,or illness - to travel to another world to be reborn and to grow spiritually. Today, we see feathers used in many, many forms in creating carnival costumes. African dance and music traditions transformed the early carnival celebrations in the Americas, as African drum rhythms, large puppets, stick fighters, and stilt dancers began to make their appearances in the carnival festivities.

Seize the Pen: Creative writing workshop-learning skills to produce journals, memory books & more

2011-11-04T15:32:00.003-04:00

Seize the Pen & Write Yourself into History
Exploring the impact of personal history and family life on the unique development of the individual

Where: Fulford United Methodist Church
1900 NE 164th Street, NMB, 33162
305.945.3505
When: Saturday, October 22, 2011
12 - 4pm. Fellowship Hall

Presenter: Dr. Marva McClean

Join us in this creative writing workshop and acquire the skills to produce empowering products such as journals, family trees, memory books, short stories and poetry.

Session One: Tell Your Story in Your Own Words
• Explore creative ways to harvest and share the gifts you carry within
• Explore crossing borders and rewrite notions of identity, friendship, family & success

Session Two: My Other Selves
• Use photos and personal objects as cues to access memories & lift up your voice
• Interrogate creative ways to express your political, ethnic & sexual self
• Explore the spiritual dimensions of identity & self expression

What are the selves that you are nurturing, or perhaps ignoring? How can you sustain and energize your multiple selves so that you stay true to you?

Join us and Write to Discover answers to these liberating questions.

Dr. Marva McClean is an author who specializes in issues of genealogy, memory keeping and the art of self-expression.

For questions contact Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator
686 NE 56 St.
Miami, FL 33137
www.diasporavibevirtualgallery.net
rgw@diasporavibe.net
786.536.7801; 954.551.7275

Please visit the Diaspora Vibe Virtual Gallery for more information and to reserve your seat via PayPal or DonateNow buttons on the page.

Please share the workshop with other friends and colleagues. If you are unable to attend, please offer support by contributing and/or sponsoring a friend, especially a young[er] lady.

We accept: All credit cards, Pay Pal, DonateNow, checks and cash.

The Man, The Images and His World

2011-11-04T15:22:00.001-04:00

Terry Brodie

Photography

The Man, The Images and His World

Exhibition Dates

January 13 – February 24, 2011

Opening Reception

Thursday, January 13, 2010, 7:30 - 10:00pm

Location

3938 N. Miami Avenue

Miami Design District

Miami, FL 33127

305.573.4046

305.573.7675

Note: Artists names and sequence subject to change.

Diaspora Vibe NEW CONTACT INFO!

2011-11-04T15:22:00.000-04:00

We have moved into a digital world, and are now virtual.

Please make note of our new contact information!

*New* Website

Diaspora Vibe Virtual Gallery

www.diasporavibevirtualgallery.com

*New* Address

686 NE 56th Street

Miami, FL, 33137

*New* Phone Number

(786) 536-7801

Rosie Wallace-Gordon and ArtLink present Rodney Jackson's DONŪPOP 2

2011-11-04T15:21:00.000-04:00

DonuPop 2

Rodney Jackson

Diaspora Vibe @ The ArtLink: 130 W 36^thSt. Miami, FL 33127

April 7-30, 2011

A unique artmovement has emerged combining the dynamic and interrelated worlds of comics,anime and hip-hop, with the elements of modern art. This movement celebratesits multi-cultural, international influence on science fiction, action andadventure and other confluences within and surrounding present day artisticculture. This movement is defined by an inspired, original approach to existingentertainment media that redefines the media itself.

In the spirit of this, R. Jackson has coined this new genre“DONŪ” in tribute to the famed hip-hop producer J. Dilla whose last work, themagnum opus “Donuts” left an indelible mark on that industry. R. Jackson& Caiphus are pushing DONŪ into the realm of Pop Art. With DONŪPOP theyexplore the meaning of desire as it relates to spirituality in the context ofpopular culture. This new work challenges viewers to examine theirdesires and the reason they exist.

Visit Rodney Jackson's website rjacksonart.com and more photos of the event by clicking here.

Diaspora Vibe sponsors Caribbean Artists Duane Bennett and Teasea Bennett for Miami Fashion Week 2011

2011-11-01T13:50:00.000-04:00

March 3-6, 2011

Artists: DuaneBennett, MFA and Teasea Bennett, BSc.

Artists-in-residence, Jamaica

DiasporaVibe sponsored Caribbean Artists (and siblings) Duane and Teasea Bennett from Reve,Jamaica to expo their work for Miami Beach International Fashion Week. Both artists are graduates from the Edna Manley College of the Visual andPerformance Arts, the University with whom Diaspora Vibe has collaborated since2009 for our International Cultural Exchange. Duane conducted a metal-smith workshopfor DVG artists and spoke about his work and designs on March 3 & 4th. Visit and "like" their Facebook page to see more of their beautiful work.

The 13th annual and newlyrebranded Miami Beach International Fashion Week will take place atthe Miami Beach Convention Center, Hall A. The venue is transformed into astate of the art "Fashion City" built to house all fashion shows,exhibitions and sponsor lounges as the world's fashion elite flock toMiami Beach to participate in this world class event. As the largestInternational and Hispanic fashion event in the US, Miami Beach InternationalFashion Week has brought the best in international and Latin fashion, beauty,music, cuisine and art to the forefront of the American fashionscene.

With acrossover of international culture from designers, entertainers and celebritiesfrom around the world including Spain, India, Italy, Canada, Malaysia,Pakistan, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Eastern Europe, theCaribbean, Mexico and all countries throughout South and Central Americapresenting their latest collections in women's day and evening wear, men'swear, swimwear, jewelry and accessories with hundreds of internationalmedia, jet-setters and fashion royalty arriving to attend the shows.

Low Lives 3 showcases the work of video artists from around the world

2011-11-01T13:46:00.000-04:00

Diaspora Vibe Gallery is pleased to announce Low Lives 3, an international exhibitionof live performance-based works transmitted over the web and projected inreal-time at multiple venues around the world.

As a third-time venue host, Diaspora Vibe will collaboratewith AE District with this presentation. These performances take place aroundthe globe, and will be streamed online and screened for public viewing at AEDistrict, 3852 N. Miami Ave, on Friday, April 29 from 8-11 pm andSaturday, April 30 from 3-6 pm. Admission isfree. The Low Lives 3event will be viewable online at: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/low-lives-3

Founded in2009 by artist and independent curator Jorge Rojas, the annual Low Lives exhibition highlights worksthat critically investigate, challenge, and extend the potential ofperformative practices. The project celebrates the transmission of ideasbeyond geographical and cultural borders, offering global audiences theopportunity to consider live performance in both physical and virtual space.

By organizingperformances at numerous venues and then broadcasting them via online networks,Low Lives provides a new model forefficiently presenting, viewing, and archiving live performance-based art. Theannual exhibition embraces low-tech aesthetics, such as low pixel images andmuddled sound quality, to emphasize the raw, inquisitive quality of thebroadcast and reception of the works.

“Low Lives is not simply about thepresentation of performative gestures at a particular place and time,” Rojasexplains, “it is also about the transmission of these moments and what getslost, conveyed, blurred, and reconfigured when utilizing this medium.”

[Update!]: Here are some clips from the Low Lives 3 online exhibition, via Jorge Rojas' Vimeo

Julie Fotheringham + Jarryd Lowder - Heel² - From Low Lives 3 from Jorge Rojas on Vimeo.

"Heel2 suggests a multiplication of the primary symbol; the stiletto heel, with all of the intrinsic cultural meaning/baggage that comes with it. The image and sound of the heels are played out through the dual video display and manipulated sonic repetitions. Although in close proximity, the performers remain physically disconnected; all contact is electronic rather than tactile."

Saul Melman - Gatherings - From Low Lives 3 from Jorge Rojas on Vimeo.

"Gatherings explores the substance of time and how it reveals itself within our frame of perception. Through a sequence of repeated actions that expand inside the chronological container of five minutes, Gatherings reshapes measured time through the force of intervention."

Claude van Lingen - 1000 Years From Now. The Casualties of the Iraq War - From Low Lives 3 from Jorge Rojas on Vimeo.

"Prospective time has been the central concern of my work since 1978. The 1000 Years From Now theme has been explored using dates, lists of names, performances, figurative and non- figurative paintings combined with TV sets and slivers of mirror that record, reflect and trigger thoughts about the passing of time for centuries to come."

"Art for Change" in Southampton

2011-10-30T18:45:00.008-04:00

Join us June 25th & 26th in Southampton

"Art for Change"

Nationally renown artists and lovers of art will gather from 4 ‐ 7p.m. on Saturday, June 25, 2011 at the 4 North Main Street Gallery in Southampton for a reception and gallery talk to benefit the East End African American Museum and Literacy Suffolk. A donation of $30 is requested.

Artists Frank Frazier and Robert Carter, master jeweler Panchita Carter, Brazilian painter Ernani DaSilva, Minna Dunn, photographers Teri Boddie, Deborah Jack, and Vanessa Greene, and mixed‐media artist Terry Richardson will all present new work. All works will be available for sale.

The proceeds from the artist reception and gallery talk will benefit two important Long Island nonprofit organizations: Literacy Suffolk and the East End African American Museum and Center for Excellence. Established in 1978, Literacy Suffolk has helped thousands of adults to acquire the skills necessary to realize their potential and become fully participating members of society. Like so many nonprofits, Literacy Suffolk has been hit hard by the economic conditions of the past few years. Decreasing public and private financial resources means even the best organizations are struggling to survive. In 2006, the board of directors of the East End African American Museum acquired an historically important building, the former site of Randy's Barbershop in the heart of Southampton. They now need to raise the funds to restore the facility and establish a permanent home dedicated to the preservation, presentation, and celebration of African American art and history.

The exhibit is the first of what will become an annual art show and benefit produced by "365 Art for Change," a Glen Cove‐based philanthropy, in association with "Diaspora Vibe," a Miami, Florida arts presenter. Founded by Vanessa Greene, who is herself a photographer, "365" seeks to use art to support good work by community‐based organizations to improve the quality of life on Long Island and beyond.

The show is being hosted by the "4 North Main Gallery" in Southampton. The exhibit hours are Saturday, June 25th, Noon ‐ 7 p.m. and Sunday, June 26th, Noon ‐ 6 p.m. Admission is free, except for the hours of the benefit.

Some-where | No-where, You Can Live in Paradise

2011-10-30T17:54:00.000-04:00

International Cultural Exchange – Barbados

May 4 – 9, 2011

(Miami, Florida) Feb. 1^st - Wednesday May 4th to MondayMay 9th, Queen’s Park Gallery, Queen’s Park, Bridgetown, St. Michael, Barbadoswill be hosting an International Cultural Exchange (ICE), in association with The NationalCultural Foundation (NCF), The Arts Council England and DiasporaVibe Cultural Arts Incubator of Miami, Florida. This is a unique experience, inwhich artists from diverse backgrounds, working in various media, converge toexplore the concept of 'cultural diaspora', intellectually, andcreatively. This is the 13th exchangeorganized by Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator, but is the first forBarbados, as host country.

“Some-where | No-where” You Can Live in Paradise Forever, is an exhibition curated by RosieGordon-Wallace in Miami and is made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Mayor, and the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners.

Gordon-Wallace’s approach is embedded in the artist’ssensuality, proving that it is possible to disseminate a clearly politicalmessage without sacrificing the beauty and subtlety of the work. This actiondoes not refer to any direct political action, it is more like an aestheticintervention that permeates between social and private; examining the imagesthat most travelers imagine when asked to visualize images that remind them ofthe Caribbean islands. Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator has worked withcontemporary Caribbean artists for the past fourteen years pushing the envelopeof images created in the Diaspora and the islands. However, we have not been atrendsetter in showing rich, textured and varied cultural traditions andartistic talents in celebrating these traditional images. By virtue of theconcentration of this genre of work being created by artists in the SouthFlorida area and the islands, it reinforces the importance and the need tosupport its creation.

The exhibition provides a unique opportunity to assessthe influence of globalization on the compositions of our contemporary artistsworking as they do in the United States and England, an environment shaped bythe intersection of multiple and different cultures. Looking at the body ofwork presented in this exhibition, it is possible to obtain a valuableperspective on the direction of the work of our artists in the Diaspora.Lastly, by bringing together the participating artists with audiences from theart and culture community, key government officials and Consularrepresentatives, members of international organizations interested in thisarea, the exhibition creates an opportunity for a seminal dialogue on ways ofappreciating work from the Caribbean and perhaps a different interpretation ofplacement of this work.

The artists selected to exhibit in this one-month expo have all been engaged in the dialog of what the definition of Caribbean Art is. Many of these artists were not born in the region, some have parents from the region and several are practioners of the process of "cross-fertilization in the quest for identity and certitude" described by Professor Rex Nettleford. Artists will travel from the United Kingdom, Miami, New York, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.

This exhibition partners with Urbanflo, www.urbanflo.com asocially engaged collective of arts professionals who share a vision ofequality and excellence in the cultural sector. We specialize in participatoryand inclusive initiatives, offering expert advice and creative support toindividuals, groups and organizations.

Artists: Alejandro Contreras, Carlos Alejandro, Jean Chiang, Danny Ramirez, Jacquenette Arnette, Wura Ogunji, Patricia Roldan, Rodney Jackson, Selina Roman, Teri Richardson, Jenni Lewin-Turner, Carol Campbell.

Caribbean Crossroads Breakfast at the Gallery

2011-10-21T15:43:00.000-04:00

Please come into the gallery to join us each morning from 9:30 - 10:30 am for our Caribbean Crossroads Fest Breakfast, a light treat of something tasty with artist conversation. Each day there will be different artists, speaking of where their work began, where they are now, and where they would like to take their ideas.

Exhibition Dates

November 30 - December 6, 2010

Opening Reception

Thursday, December 2, 2010, 5:30-7:30pm

Location

3938 N. Miami Avenue

Miami Design District

Miami, FL 33127

305.573.4046

305.573.7675

MYUNG-SIK KIM Wins 7th Art Prize Award

2010-11-23T11:06:00.002-05:00

MYUNG-SIK KIM Wins 7th Art Prize Award
Opening reception with the artist
Wednesday, December 1st, 2010 from 6:00 to 7:30 pm
184 Insa-dong Jongro-Gu
Seoul, Korea

The exhibition continues through December 11th
Gallery hours: 10:00 to 6:00 pm Monday through Saturday

Please contact the gallery for further information:
LOCATION: 184 Insa-dong, Jongro-Gu, Seoul Korea
HOURS: 10 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday-Saturday
TELEPHONE: 02-734-0458
FAX:(02)738-4018

'Elusive Landscape' by Dinorah de Jesus Rodriguez Opens this Thursday, November 18th

2010-11-14T13:00:00.003-05:00

FAN Knight New Work Award
"Elusive Landscape"
Dinorah de Jesus Rodriguez
Thursday, Nov 18, 7 - 9pm
Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator
3938 N. Miami Ave

Elusive Landscape promotes environmental awareness by celebrating Miami's lush urban greenspaces and natural eco-systems. It connects the city’s diverse audiences and neighborhoods by engaging everyday people with an experience that is sensorial, magical, celebratory and rooted in nature. By presenting similar events across the city, the project becomes a shared, unifying experience.

Elusive Landscape is culminating as a solo exhibition at Diaspora Vibe this Thursday, November 18. It features film footage from all sites, with video and still images from each event, and an exhibition of the actual hand-crafted film strips.

Join us at Diaspora Vibe Gallery
3938 N. Miami Ave, Miami, FL 33127
305.573.4046

rgw@diasporavibe.net

www.diasporavibe.net www.diaweb.diasporavibe.net www.diasporavibegallery.blogspot.com

from the Collector's Series

2010-10-20T22:20:00.008-04:00

Diaspora Vibe's

Invitation Only Collector's Series: October 13, 2010

Trinidad Carnival Costume by Brian Wong Won

Valerie Davis-Bailey, Rosie Gordon-Wallace, Patricia Roldan, Lisa Remeny

'Ruby' by Norma Trimborn

Carla Hill with Jean Chiang

Brian Wong Won, Rosie Gordon-Wallace and Jeremy Powell

Brian Wong Won and Carole Ann Taylor

Artist Lisa Remeny (center) and guests

Ahnk by Carol Jaime

Rosie Gordon-Wallace and Guests

Patricia Roldan and her Tropicalis work

Lisa Remeny and Patricia Roldan

Carol Ann Taylor and guests

Collector's Series Event: Wednesday, October 13

2010-10-01T01:13:00.004-04:00

Wednesday, October 13, 6-8pm

Diaspora Vibe Gallery

3938 N. Miami Ave

Miami, FL 33127

Please RSVP:
305-573-4046
rgw@diasporavibe.net or rogwall3@yahoo.com

This is a one night only event. Please join us in this exciting Collector’s Series Event. We will have a wide range of art for your viewing and collecting pleasure. This is a once a year event, and we look forward to your presence.

South Florida Times Reviews Carib~bean Exhibit

2010-09-18T23:04:00.003-04:00

This article was originally published in the South Florida Times.

Diaspora Exhibit Captures Carib~bean Essence

by Kimberly Grant

I’m not one for attending gallery exhibits. Most of the time, what people deem as art is just one hot mess to me. When I do view art, I tend to gravitate to art that is aesthetically pleasing, which probably makes me an art neophyte.

The Diaspora Vibe Gallery, the only gallery I seem to have an interest in these days, is a good space for art catering to an urban clientele. It’s a decent-sized space with solid hard wood floors and white walls that come alive with art. The gallery’s latest exhibit is an ode to Caribbean artwork, called Carib~bean, The Way You Like It. Seven artists have chosen the gallery to showcase a few of their paintings and renderings of Caribbean life.

Patricia Boyd-Roldan, whose inspiration came from living in the Philippines for a period of time, has a collection of paintings that are of tropical flora. The detailing in Roldan’s paintings is magnificent and aesthetically pleasing. The artist also captures the serenity and beauty of nature at its most colorful.

Lisa Remeny, a native of Miami and a California College of the Arts graduate, loves to paint seascapes and play with the sun and the moon. Her oil-based paintings, inspired by islands from the Caribbean to the South Pacific, are large and seem to bring rays of sunshine to any space. Remeny’s A Little Way Different, with its turquoise-colored wood and splash of orange is gorgeous.

A Little Way actually made me want to escape within the turquoise of the wood. With its shadow of palm leaves and vibrant colors, it creates the perfect Caribbean vibe.

Brian Wong Won, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, grew up a stone’s throw away from where Carnival is held and his paintings are inspired by happenings in the annual street celebration. The artist had a bad experience at Carnival when he was 4 years old that obviously influenced his view of the festival. His paintings seem happy, at first, but the worried looks on the faces of some of his people convey an eerie vibe.

Paul Chang, a native of Surinam, has always been inspired by flora and fauna and bright colors, but has taken a different approach to his paintings on show.

They don’t appear to say much. With their splashes of earthy colors and random shapes in the middle of seeming chaos, his collection is the least sensical of the entire exhibit. None of his paintings have any rhyme or reason and don’t appear to match up with their titles. I didn’t like this collection.

Jeremy Powell, a native of Port Arthur, Texas, has lived in Puerto Rico and Barbados. He refers to his style as “expressive vignettes of the moment.” His six paintings, simply titled Marchand, are essentially expressions of the same unattractive woman. Assuming her name is Marchand, she looks different in each painting, old in one and younger in another.

Carol Ann Taylor, a famous Caribbean artist, was nice enough to make available on loan to Diaspora Vibe a few pieces from her collection, especially by Carol Jaime and Norma Trimborn. Jaime’s entry, a black-and-white piece titled Ruby, conveys a certain depth but is not easy to look at. Trimborn, on the other hand, seems to have captured life in a small Caribbean town called Simpson Bay. Her people are all faceless and can signify any one person living in the Caribbean.

They live in run-down houses next to a beautiful ocean. The contrast speaks to the poverty of the people and the beauty of the landscape. It’s brilliant.

There are wonderful pieces in the showroom, including the archaic, yet modern furniture courtesy of Koji Collection and Madoka Design.

Diaspora Vibe’s curator, Rosie Gordon-Wallace, adds a nice touch to the entire exhibit by displaying art books dedicated to Caribbean painters and artwork. If you go to this exhibit, be sure to take a look into these books; they are just as engaging as the paintings on the wall.

Kimberly Grant may be reached at KAliciaG@aol.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DISAPORA VIBE GALLERY. EXPRESSIVE: Ruby, painted by Norma Trimbourne, is on display in the Carib~bean, The Way You Like It exhibition at the Diaspora Vibe Gallery in Miami.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Art exhibition titled Carib~bean, The Way You Like It

WHEN: 11 a.m.- 6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday through Sept. 23 and Saturday by appointment.

WHERE: Diaspora Vibe Gallery, 3938 N. Miami Ave., Miami

COST: Free to the public

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call 305-573-4046 or log on to www.diasporavibe.net.

Jean Chiang honors 'Mama G' in Revolution Gallery's 'Tea, Glorious Tea' Exhibition

2010-09-08T20:25:00.007-04:00

Artist Jean Chiang honors 'Mama G' in the exhibition 'Tea, Glorious Tea' at Revolution Gallery in Jamaica. In the article below, Chiang recalls her memories of Eglantine Melita Buchanan Gordon and discusses the work included in this show.

FROM HANOVER TO MIAMI

“Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength” St. Francis de Sales (August 21, 1567 - December 28, 1622)

Eglantine Melita Buchanan Gordon came to mind when I heard this quote in May of this year.

I met Mama G in June, 2001, probably during my first show with Rosie Gordon Wallace and Diaspora Vibe Gallery in Miami. Mama G was undeniably the matriarch, wise, warm and welcoming with a beautiful smile, asking everyone to sign the guestbook at DVG openings. Her gentleness and strength were evident to me from the beginning. Only years later, did I find out that Mama G had purchased one of my pieces, Hand, a clay wall piece of my handprint, from that show. I was moved to hear about Mama G’s early support of my artwork.

Mama G with Roy, Rosie’s husband and Gordon, their son, was one of DVG’s staunchest supporters. Through the years, she attended many openings, always fashionably dressed for the occasion, meeting and greeting the many guests and friends. Mama G was a perfect ambassador for the artists and the gallery and we were always happy to have her presence and positive energy.

During the last nine years of working with Rosie and DVG, I saw Mama G countless times at home, sometimes having a meal together; sometimes Mama G was in her room watching her programs, enjoying Jeopardy, American Idol or Dancing With the Stars; sometimes we sat at the dining table with a cup of tea.

I remember having my first cup of ginger tea with Mama G, “good for the digestion”, I was told. I enjoyed our conversations together and I would try to tell Mama G funny stories or incidents to hear her laugh and shake her head at me as if to say, “Are you serious ?!” I’m sure that I told her about the 7’ dancing bear on a leash on the roadside in India or being asked if I was a ninja by an older woman in black on an overnight Greek ferry or being served an entire loaf or “tower of toast” served vertically on a tea saucer in a quick stop Mexican rail station.

In our times together, I knew Mama G to be “a virtuous woman -- dutiful, loyal, generous, faithful and strong” and....gentle. I never heard her raise her voice on any occasion but I knew that she could certainly make her opinions or ideas known without ever doing so. Twenty nine years ago, Mama G came from Jamaica, from Hanover to Miami. Nine years ago, I came from New York to Miami and became a better person for having known Mama G.

From Hanover to Miami is a mixed media work on paper to honor the life of Eglantine Melita Buchanan Gordon ( November 26, 1916 - June 10, 2010 ). Mama G touched so many lives in so many different ways; she will always be remembered and loved.

Many thanks to Carol Campbell and Revolution Gallery for continuing the tradition of Tea, Glorious Tea. This is the fourth year of my participation in the show.

Special thanks to Rosie Gordon Wallace, Roy Wallace, Gordon Myers and family for sharing their beloved Mama G with the world.

Sincere thanks, appreciation and much love to Rosie Gordon Wallace, Patricia Roldan and Diaspora Vibe Gallery for their support of my artwork through the years.

Interview with Rosie Gordon-Wallace on WLRN

2010-08-26T17:50:00.005-04:00

01 JB-Diaspora Vibe Gallery, 6-22-07

Carib~bean, The Way You Like It

2010-08-25T23:02:00.008-04:00

by Patricia Roldan

Carib~bean, The Way You Like It

August 12-September 23, 2010

Artists:
Paul Chang
Carol Jaime
Jeremy Powell
Lisa Remeny
Patricia Roldan
Norma Trimborn
Brian Wong Won

Diaspora Vibe Gallery
3938 N. Miami Avenue
Miami Design District
Miami, FL 33127
305.573.4046
305.573.7675

Jeremy Powell

by Paul Chang

Lisa Remeny

Carol Jaime

Norma Trimborn

by Jacquenette Arnette

***

Ogunji's 'Incidents at the 22 Hotel' Premieres in Austin, Texas

2010-08-08T12:29:00.004-04:00

Wura-Natasha Ogunji's performance work 'Incidents at the 22 Hotel' premieres at The Off Center in Austin, Texas this August 13 and 14.

Incidents at the 22 Hotel takes a post-apocalyptic landscape and imagines what it is to be part of that future. The main character, called ‘Unexplained Presence’ struggles to imagine her own existence. During the performance, she lives two lives, one as an African artifact, full of ancient power, yet motionless. In the other, she must choose to be human and imagine herself into the future. The Porter, a trickster-like character, wears a fantastical mask which also doubles as the hotel itself and accompanies Unexplained Presence on her journey. The Runners keep track of time as they literally run for as long as this futuristic world exists.

Dinorah de Jesus Rodriguez featured in Miami New Times

2010-07-20T14:41:00.003-04:00

Experimental Filmmaker Takes Over Miami's Legion Park
By Amanda McCorquodale

This article was originally published on the Miami New Times blog July 14, 2010
Full article here.

We don't know what will surprise you more -- the dancing, flickering images bouncing off the oak trees at Legion Park or the fact that there are actually people in a Miami-Dade park. This Saturday from 8 to 10 p.m., experimental film lovers and curious passersby will swarm the park for Dinorah de Jesús Rodríguez's "Elusive Landscape," a site-specific film installation projected onto foliage. Sound designer Ricardo Lastre will provide a soundscape of ambient noise.

But does Miami have an appetite for abstract cinema? Rodríguez believes Miami's "audience that will purposely seek out experimental film is very limited. But the audience that can be surprised by it in the street is everywhere."

"Elusive Landscape" recently took over the Tequesta mounds and dark trails of Arch Creek Park. And after turning Legion Park into a theater of trees this Saturday, Rodríguez will take her projectors to E.G. Sewell Park, where, according to the artist, the beauty of royal palms and poinciana trees meets the grotesqueness of discarded Santería offerings.

New Times: Describe "Elusive Landscape."
Dinorah de Jesús Rodríguez: This project is a celebration of Miami's neighborhoods, greenspaces, and eco-systems, and yes, our extreme weather, complete with humidity and bugs. The project is a series of 16mm film installations at five separate outdoor locations over the course of five months.

Is there an audience for experimental film in Miami?
I think it is a very new concept here, but fortunately we have enough transplants from other cities who know what experimental film is. I think with the upcoming expansion of the Cinematheque in Miami Beach, the opening of the new Cinematheque in the Gables, and the development of yet a third alternative film venue, O Cinema. The South Florida community is about to be bombarded by this very expansive genre in a big way. And I think our audiences are ready for this, just like they were ready for the visual art explosion that Art Basel brought our way. It may take a little time for people to realize that this type of work is already happening here, and for audiences to wholeheartedly support it, but I believe that Miami is ready for this type of art, and it will eventually take off.

Do you only work with film?
No. I work primarily in film, mainly because no other discipline allows me to play with the interface between visual art and cinema so well. I stick mainly to 16mm because, over time, I have acquired the equipment for this format (as opposed to the equipment for working in 35mm which is prohibitively expensive). I love the physicality and chemical properties of film, and I try to exploit and push these as much as possible in my work.

What filmmakers inspire you?
I became an experimental filmmaker upon seeing the works of Maya Deren, so it probably all begins there. Stan Brakhage, of course, is a major influence, as is Len Lye, though it's possible that many people in Miami have no idea who they are. Nam June Paik - what can I say? I think he may well have been my favorite artist of all time. Paul Sharits with his multiple projections, and artists like Bruce Conner and Chick Strand, who worked a lot with found footage and really blurred the line between documentary and abstraction. Among more contemporary artists, I am blown away by Pipilotti Rist and really love the work of Lorna Simpson.

You worked with Trinh T. Minh-ha. What was that experience like?
Minh-ha has been a very important mentor in my career, as I admire her tremendously both as a theorist and as a filmmaker. The most powerful influences Minh-ha has had on my work have been the understanding of time as a visual element - to really be able to feel the way pacing manipulates an audience and drives the soul of the film - and the concept of deconstruction of entrenched cinematic formulas by way of such simple gestures as separating image from sound, or by joining sound and images that "don't belong together."

"Elusive Landscape" By Dinorah de Jesus Rodriguez

2010-06-26T14:41:00.009-04:00

Dinorah de Jesus Rodriguez, recipient of the 2009 Funding Arts Network Knight New Works Award, presents Elusive Landscape

Elusive Landscape will be presented at five public parks in Miami from June to October 2010. This work consists of multiple hand-crafted 16mm films depicting the forms and colors of natural landscapes projected directly into the landscapes themselves. These events will be free and open to the public. All events take place from 8-10 PM

Saturday, June 12: Arch Creek Park
1855 NE 135th Street, North Miami

Saturday, July 17: Legion Park
6630 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami

Saturday, August 14: Sewell Park
1801 NW South River Drive, Miami

Saturday, September 11: Miami Beach Botanical Garden
2000 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach

Thursday, October 7: Vizcaya Gardens
3251 South Miami Ave., Miami

November 18-25: Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator, Culminating
Exhibition - 3938 N. Miami Ave, Miami 33127

Opening Reception
Thursday, November 18, 7:00- 10:00pm

A project website is set up to facilitate the on-going project and final exhibition: www.elusivelandscape.blogspot.com

Remembering 'Mama G'

2010-06-16T00:49:00.003-04:00

Eglantine Melita Gordon, nee Buchanan
November 26, 1916 – June 10, 2010

Born in Riverside, Hanover, Jamaica and known affectionately as ‘Mama G’, Eglantine Melita Buchanan Gordon spent the last twenty-nine years of her life living in Miami, Florida.

A member of Bay Shore Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Women Missionary League (LWML), she was recognized in her community as a matriarch. On June 10th at 8:05pm, she passed peacefully at her home in Morningside at 93 years of age, surrounded by several family members and friends.

She spent most of her youthful life as an elementary school educator and Sunday school teacher in Jamaica, West Indies, after graduating from Bethlehem Teacher’s College. Eglantine enjoyed teaching in the classroom almost as much as she loved mentoring young people within and outside of her family.

She is remembered as a virtuous woman—dutiful, loyal, generous, faithful and strong.

She traveled faithfully each year to participate in Easter celebrations at Meadowbrook United Church, her former church in Kingston, Jamaica.

Widowed from Rupert Wesley Gordon, she is survived by her three daughters—Yvonne Elaine Hill, Patricia Evadne Ferdinand, and Rosemarie Gordon-Wallace. Sons-in-law: Tyrone Hill, Donald Ferdinand, Frederick Myers and Roy Anthony Wallace. Grand children: Marc Hill, Michael Hill, Marlon Hill and Misha Hill, Michelle Ferdinand-Liu, Andree Ferdinand and Gordon Myers. Great grandchildren: Brianna Hill, Brandon Hill, Braxton Hill, Tereese Hill, Ezra Liu and Esther Grace Liu. Sisters Thelma Buchanan Campbell, Daphne Buchanan Henry, Essie Johnson, Emel Johnson, Ethlyn Johnson and Lynda Shaw. And many nieces, nephews; grand and great grand, cousins in Jamaica, Canada, United Kingdom, the Lutheran Church and Meadowbrook United Church (Jamaica), family, neighbors and friends.

Visitation, Friday, June 18, 2010, 6:30pm to 8:30pm, Gregg L. Mason Funeral Home, 10936 N.E. 6th Avenue, Miami Shores, FL 33131. (305-757-9000)

Funeral Services, Saturday, June 19, 2010, 10am. Bay Shore Lutheran Church, 5051 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, FL 33131 (305-758-1344)

Internment, Cabellero Rivero Woodlawn, 1655 SW 117th Avenue, Miami, FL 33186, (305-238-3672)

In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to The Eglantine Melita Gordon Memorial Fund, c/o, Dade Community Foundation, 200 S. Biscayne Blvd. Suite 505, Miami, FL 33131.

Diaspora Vibe Gallery Presents Exodus

2010-06-09T00:07:00.002-04:00

Exodus
June 10 - July 22, 2010
Opening Reception: Thursday June 10, 2010, 7-10 pm
Artist Talk: Saturday, June 12, 2-4 pm

Artist: Chantal James (video still)

Artist: Rosamary Berrios-Hernandez (video still)

Diaspora Vibe Gallery is pleased to present Exodus, a new group exhibition of time-based artists living in Miami, throughout the U.S., England, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and Peru. Featured artists include: Rosamary Berrios-Hernandez, Chantal James, Ines Amado, Fulana, Monique Diaz, Maria Lino, Aurora Molina, Tulu Bayar, Aleli Egues, Maryann De Leo, Jorge Rojas, Beatrice Glow, Cristina Molina, and Jose Balado Diaz.

Exodus examines video as a canvas for dialogue, its influence on world events and popular culture, and the migration that artists embody. Each video is exposed continuously and concurrently on separate monitors and walls, engaging viewers through time and space to interact and absorb, as they experience the dialogue of visual effects and aesthetics. This platform allows each work to be experienced as its own conversation.

Artist: Monique Diaz (video still)

Exodus provides a time-based portal for artists to impart perceptions or observations, taking precedence over traditional aesthetic and material concerns. This freedom allows documentation to take place outside the gallery, thus challenging traditional representations of art.

Artist: Maria Lino (video still)

Diaspora Vibe Gallery is located at 3938 N. Miami Avenue in the Design District. Gallery hours are 11am – 6pm, Tuesday through Friday with appointments on Saturdays. For further information please call Diaspora Vibe at (305) 573-4046 or visit www.diasporavibe.net, www.diaweb.diasporavibe.net, www.flickr.com/photos/diasporavibe. Diaspora Vibe Gallery is a multi-disciplinary art space serving as a laboratory for emerging artists of the Caribbean Diaspora and other artists of color, providing them with a contemporary sensibility to explore and experiment with new forms and cultural themes.

Wura-Natasha Ogunji Awarded Dozier Travel Grant

2010-06-01T14:20:00.006-04:00

Artist Wura-Natasha Ogunji awarded Dozier Travel Grant from the Dallas Museum of Art. With this award, Ogunji will travel to Nigeria to do research for her video project 'epic crossings of an Ife head'.

Low Lives 2 /National Live & Internet Exhibit: Friday, April 30th, 2010

2010-04-30T11:37:00.000-04:00

Low Lives 2 /National Live & Internet Exhibit

Friday, April 30th, 2010

7:00pm - 10:00pm (CST)

Curated by Jorge Rojas, "Low Lives 2" 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. Alexis Caputo will perform live at Diaspora Vibe Gallery. Join us for her perfomance and a large screen screening of the performances from across the country.

Artists include: Amelia Winger-Bearskin, Lawrence Graham-Brown, Hector Canonge, Alexis Caputo, Vienne Chan, Osvaldo Cibils, Gabrielle Civil, Marcus Civin, Chris Coy, The Bridge Club, Francesca Fini, Linda Ford, Lynne Heller, Anni Holm, Gigi Otalvaro-Hormillosa AKA Devil Bunny, Las Hermanas Iglesias, Michelle Isava, Tina La Porta, Elizabeth Leister, Luke Munn, Olek, Wanda Ortiz, Jacklyn Soo, Michael Smith, Sam Trubridge with Rob Appierdo & Stuart Foster, Migdalia Luz Barens-Vera, Marcus Vinicius, Martin Zet, Agni Zotis

On-view nationally at:

El Museo del Barrio: 1230 5th Avenue, NYC 8:00pm - 11:00pm

Galería de la Raza: 2857 24th Street, SF 5:00pm - 8:00pm

Diaspora Vibe Gallery: 3938 North Miami Avenue, 8:00pm - 11:00pm

The Temporary Space: 1320 Nance St., Houston 7:00pm - 10:00pm

Obsidian Arts: 3501 Chicago Avenue South, Minneapolis 7:00pm - 10:00pm

Terminal: Trahern Building, APSU, Clarksville, TN 7:00pm - 10:00pm

Co-Lab: 613 Allen St., Austin 7:00pm - 10:00pm

Studio 304: 304 Boerum St., Brooklyn 8:00pm - 11:00pm

Online: www.ustream.tv/channel/low-lives-2

Presented by: El Museo del Barrio in collaboration with Aljira, Fusebox Festival in collaboration with Co-Lab, Galería de la Raza in collaboration with ATA, Diaspora Vibe Gallery, The Temporary Space, Terminal, Obsidian Arts and Studio 304.

***

South Florida Times: Artists create “Objects of Desire”

2010-04-29T12:19:00.000-04:00

This article was originally published in the South Florida Times.

Artists create “Objects of Desire”

by Kimberly Grant

At first glance, Rodney Jackson and Caiphus Moore (known in the art world as R. Jackson and Caiphus), look like your average 26-year olds.

In T-shirts and jeans, the duo comes off as unassuming and down to earth. On closer inspection, you come to realize that Jackson, 38, and Moore, 36, have worked in art for many years, and take it quite seriously.

“You don’t become an artist in a day. You become an artist in a lifetime,” said Rosie Gordon-Wallace, curator and owner of Diaspora Vibe Gallery in Miami’s design district, where Jackson and Moore currently have artwork on display.

“In any point of their maturation, there’s a different work of art.”

In “Objects of Desire/Doñupop,” on display at the gallery until May 20, Jackson explores desire in terms of a donut, and Moore visualizes a village.

Jackson’s donut display is an array of themes ranging from society’s desire for war, flesh, green living and materialistic ideals.

His displays, seemingly a mash-up of record shapes, have deeper meanings and ties to Jackson’s quest for the hidden meaning of desire and his hip-hop roots.

Jackson’s display is also a tribute to late hip-hop producer J. Dilla’s album, Donuts.

In Jackson’s own words, the album is “small capsules of music,” which served as a basis for his display.

In Moore’s work, he has strung up 33 tiny houses that hang from a ceiling using wire. Each house represents an aspect of pop culture.

Moore chose to use 33 because of his membership as a Free Mason. The number 33 is considered to be of the highest consciousness, because there are 33 vertebrae in a spine, which lead to the highest place, the temple.

Also, in numerology, 33 is considered the master builder number.

Each house, or shrine, as Moore calls them, is a particular theme with its own name. In “All God is one God,” Moore has put together a church pane of a woman who represents the one God, and various religious symbols to show that each religion believes in one God.

In “Beautiful Surrender,” a huge faux diamond sits atop a tiny couple in wedding garb, symbolizing the foundation needed to make a lasting relationship, rather than simply placing a ring on one’s finger.

Jackson, who was born in Coventry, England and raised by his Kingston, Jamaican-native parents in Miami, said he delved into the meaning of desire for his artwork.

“When I dug deeper, I found the spiritual aspects of longing and desire, which its root is of the heavens,” he said.

Moore, who was born in Bronx, NY and raised in Miami, and Jackson have been friends since their days in middle school. They attended New World School of the Arts in Miami, and roomed together at Maryland Institute of Art College in Baltimore, MD.

It’s almost as if this duo was destined to display their artwork together.

'one hundred black women, one hundred actions' premieres tonight: April 24, 2010

2010-04-24T03:43:00.004-04:00

Saturday, April 24, 2010 at 8 p.m. (Central Standard Time)

Watch live broadcast: http://ustream.tv/channel/onehundredblackwomen

www.100blackwomen100actions.com

Conceptualized by Ayanna Jolivet Mccloud and Wura-Natasha Ogunji, 'one hundred black women, one hundred actions' is a performance of critical actions, gestures and movements from one hundred black women from around the world performed by one hundred black women in East Austin.

Black women responded to the following question: “What is a gesture of personal power, an extreme action that is necessary in your daily life?” Their actions have been archived in the form of photographs, videos and writings on a website: http://www.100blackwomen100actions.com/. From these actions began the choreography of 100 movements. 'one hundred black women, one hundred actions' invokes our collective strength through a work which specifically aims to locate the presence of black female bodies as central, political, powerful forces in the world. The format of live performance coupled with simultaneous video projection recognizes the significance of repetition and reverberation, the real and the mediated to individual and collective memory and history.

'one hundred black women, one hundred actions' is presented by Fusebox Festival and funded by The Idea Fund, a project of Diverseworks, Aurora Picture Show and Project Row Houses and funded by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.