A view of the exhibition "i found god in myself," with works inspired by the choreopoems of Ntozake Shange's play "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow is Enuf." The show is on view at the Houston Museum of African American Culture through April 15.
Read MoreSouleo
Opening Reception - i found god in myself: the 40th anniversary of Ntozake Shange’s for colored girls…
African American Museum in Philadelphia
Curated by Souleo
Join us for the opening of AAMP's latest special exhibition i found god in myself: the 40th anniversary of Ntozake Shange’s for colored girls. This two-gallery art exhibit celebrates the 40th anniversary of the choreopoem, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf, and is curated by Souleo.
Through 20 commissioned artworks by artists including Renee Cox (in collaboration with Rafia Santana), Kimberly Mayhorn, Dianne Smith, Margaret Rose Vendryes and Danny Simmons the exhibition is a tribute to the Broadway play. Each work honors the individual poems and underscores their enduring significance in highlighting issues impacting the lives of women of color.
Read MoreA Mosaic of Voices, Mediums and Black Womanhood
by Lian Parson, www.theavenuephilly.com
When “i found god in myself: the 40th anniversary for Ntozake Shange’s for colored girls” exhibit premiered, Shange herself attended to view the 20 original works curated by Peter “Souleo” Wright.
By then, she had suffered two strokes and was in a wheelchair. But when she saw the life-size portrait of herself by painter Margaret Rose Vendryes, Shange tried to get out of her wheelchair to show how the tattoos on her body perfectly matched the ones in the painting.
Read More40 amazing black artists to watch in 2014 →
No, not every deserving artist gets their first taste of attention through one of the art world's largest platforms such as the legendary Art Basel show, or the Frieze Art Fair. In particular, African-American artists and other artists of color are still working towards greater visibility in the highest spheres of the rarified art community. Thus, there can never be too many lists bringing attention to the abundance of talented creators on the cusp of discovery who are ready to emerge.
Here are the fresh faces and more established visionaries still gaining ground that you need to know in 2014. The African diasporan artists compiled in the photo gallery above carry forth the traditions set in motion by visual artists from significant eras such as the Harlem Renaissance and Black Arts Movement, yet speak with new images and forms that lead us into the future