The Lyda Moore Merrick Gallery at Hayti Heritage Center will host the works of the multi-talented and knowledgeable artist Spencer Lawrence August 7 – November 13, 2010 in celebration of the 23rd annual Bull Durham Blues Festival the public is invited. Lawrence has created a blues and church series of large scale paintings which will be on display not only in Durham but half of his work will be seen at the Arts Council of Wayne County in Goldsboro from August 7th – September 18th as an addition to their New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music, a Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition.

James Cotton

An opening reception and meet the artist will be held at the Blues After Hours on August 20th from 6pm – 8pm, live blues entertainment and refreshments, the public is invited to attend. The St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation has commissioned Spencer Lawrence to paint a special portrait that will be unveiled at the opening reception on August 20th.

Robert Johnson

Spencer Lawrence, the artist, is probably best known for his portraits. His portraits of the literary giants, Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Amira Baraka, Tony Morrison and others, 12 in all, commissioned in 1990 for the “Gallery of Greats” by the Miller Brewing Company toured the country and introduced, informed, inspired, a nation to more fully recognize the achievements and contributions of African American writers to the country and to the world. A 1990 Washington Post article documented the beginning of the national tour and its impact in the community. Lawrence’s portraits not only captured the writer’s likenesses but reveal the writer in ways that “they do not see themselves…” expanding and furthering our views and understanding of artists’ and their work.

The series of portraits, titled “Black Authors: A Voice for the People” was the eighth in the series of Miller Brewing Company’s highly visible and successful outreach programs. Each artist commissioned for the portraits won the opportunity after a special competition. Lawrence earned this opportunity from his training at the New York School of Visual arts and a B.F.A from the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design. In addition, previous work, research and a series of portraits of the Civil Rights movement entitled “King Series: It Was Only Yesterday” created with an earlier grant and portraits of blues musicians from “The Blue Series: A Gift of the Spirit” further contributed to receiving this commission.

Sonny Terry

In the introduction to the catalog and calendar “Black Authors: A Voice for the People”, Noel Hankin, Director of Marketing Relations notes that “Storytelling is part of a rich African-American tradition. Tales, some real and some imagined have brought continuity…. and help to establish a sense of identity and worth ….” Spencer Lawrence’s visual stories, engaging and expansive portraits document and add to these rich traditions.

His work has been exhibited and is in permanent collections in the United States and abroad.

The public is invited to share in both exhibitions at the Hayti Heritage Center and at the Arts Council of Wayne County to experience the work of Spencer Lawrence. For more information on programs and events to be held in Goldsboro visit there website at www.artsinwayne.org or call (919) 736-3300.

May 23- August 30

Cheryl Sutton has organized and curated exhibitions at the St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation since 2003, curating more that 20 exhibits. The exhibitions included the work of 20th century African American masters Jacobs Lawrence, Benny Andrews, Lois Mailou Jones, Elizabeth Catlett and Faith Ringgold as well as North Carolyn-grown artists Romare Bearden and John Biggers; emerging and established mid-career artists, art educators and historians David Driskell, Beverly McIver, Andre Leon Gray and Eric McCray.

Benny Andrews and Cheryl Sutton

Fueled by a passion to share the gifts of these talented artists with wide, diverse audiences, and the desire to create a network of support for a treasure trove of artists and artwork that lives and flourishes within the Triangle, Cheryl brings together an amazing body of work culled from the artists and artwork she’s helped the Hayti bring to hundreds in recent years.

“Art is a gift and talent with a purpose. Artists have a uniquely-informed point of view, a vision that engages senses, minds and hearts in ways that words and more traditional forms of engagement may not or cannot do,” Cheryl said, describing her philosophy about this exhibit specifically and art generally. “We must recognize the power, purpose and value of art, and be cognizant of its ability to serve a purpose in community and culture.”

“Art can inform,educate, enlighten, provoke, incite, excite, persuade, promote–without saying a word. I am most inspired by the art that recognizes socially and politically insightful and uses it ability to make this world, and the worlds of our children a better place to live and work.”

Each exhibited piece of art work is available for sale, an opportunity to directly support our artist while encouraging them to produce more.

May 20- July 31, 2010
Opening Reception: Friday, May 21, 2010 6pm – 8pm
(The public is invited to attend)

Malkia Harvey, an artist who’s passionately dazzling, calls herself a “multimedia artist.” Anything to which creativity adheres is her canvas-leather, wood, clothing, accessories, pillows, dolls, and quilts. She’s been expressing her creative impulse in any and every medium for most of her life. Her pieces are contours of “New Spirit, New Energy.”

Harvey grew up in Washington, DC, where she at this point in time resides. She attended the University of Maryland at Eastern Shore and the University of Maryland at College Park in which she received a degree in Art Studio/Education. She attained her Masters of Education at Wilmington University, Delaware. Her creative spirit has led her to specialize, coordinate and teach the arts. She has taught Art for the Philadelphia School District, PA, the Visual & Performing Arts School for the Willingboro School District, NJ, as well as, High School for the Prince George’s County Public School System, MD. Presently, Harvey teaches the Arts for J. C. Nalle Elementary School- extended day program, Washington, DC. Malkia Harvey is also the founder and CEO of ARTworks3kLIVE, a Visual & Performing Arts Educational Service for children and adults of all ages and abilities.

Malkia Harvey has participated in various shows and exhibits such as JFest- the Annual Juneteenth Festival & Juried Art show, “Emerging Artist of the African Diaspora”, “Whimsical, Decorative and Functional Pillow and Door Art”-Same Spirit Different Hands’, “Delights of the Boudoir”, & “Women Who Paint” and the Howard University Alumni Association- Company of Friends as well as conducts workshops for the National Center for Children & Families, The Smithsonian Institute, DC Justice and Peace Community Coalition-Youth Peace Festival- doll and quilt-making, and many more.

by Eric Kelly III, December 10 – January 31, 2010.

The Lyda Moore Merrick Gallery at Hayti Heritage Center will host the work of Durham native Eric Kelly III, December 10 – January 31, 2010 entitled Obama the 44th President: The Faces of Change. A closing reception and gallery talk and fundraiser will be held January 23, 2010 from 6pm – 11pm. The public is invited to attend.

Eric Kelly III expressionistic style and tradition was significantly, rose to the emergence in 1975 with a series of drawings and paintings of the late 19th century. His style and art was recognized during his heightened emotional state at Hillside High School. One of the earliest examples of his style was exhibited in his first show “The Women of Dreams” series, a pencil series that brought both excitement and notoriety to his unique style of art. Kelly’s work dealt with different fears and emotions that capture his journey and imagination of expressions.

Eric began to explore color and shape and to paint an entire canvas. These works were produced in an extremely specific geographical setting and revealed a specific attitude. His work can be broadly divided into two groups: action painting and color field or hard-edge painting. His significant drawings and painting were done in acrylic and pastel.

When the Hayti Heritage Center opened its doors he was one of the two artists featured in the gallery. As the years have passed he has continued to draw and finally he retired from his advertising agency to draw and paint full time. It is ironic the place where he started drawing is also the place where he will show his most recent pieces of art along with some of the great piece of the past. This year’s show titled Obama, the Face of Change! Presenting portraits of change from historian Carter G. Woodson to Barack Obama, this promises to be a show that is unique and expressive to those who have yet to experience his brand of artwork.

The Hayti Heritage Center is located at 804 Old Fayetteville Street, Durham, NC. Gallery hours are Tuesday – Friday 10am – 5pm, Saturday 10 am – 3pm. For more information  call (919) 683-1709.

Lyda Moore Merrick Gallery @ Hayti Heritage Center Host
“Color Me Blue”: A Contemporary Portrait of Blues Musicians by Jackie Merritt
October 9 – December 6, 2009

St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. will host the work of talented visual artist and musician Jackie Merritt in the Lyda Moore Merrick Gallery October 9 through December 6, 2009. Her exhibition “Color Me Blue”: A Contemporary Portrait of Blues Musicians. A series of paintings and drawings portraying blues musicians has travel the southeastern United States and lands here in Durham, the home of the Piedmont Blues.

Portraits of musicians such as Etta James, Elizabeth Cotton, Warner Williams, Odetta, Betty Carter (jazz and blues) Rese Gibbs, Toni Lynn Washington, Mike Baytop, Gaye Adegbalola, Willie Foster, Albert Adams and others will be displayed. A special portrait of the late John Cephas, also a past performer at the Bull Durham Blues Festival will be shown.

Jackie exhibited her first series of the music based blues portraits called “Women of the Blues” at the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, VA in 2004. Since then, she has shown several of these blues themed exhibits at locations such the Cultural Arts Center Gallery in Smithfield, VA.; The Charles Taylor Art Center in Hampton, VA; The House of Musical Traditions in Takoma Park, MD. And most recently gave a one Woman Exhibit at the Tinner Hill Blues Festival in Alexandria, VA.

Jackie holds a BA, Bachelor of Arts in Education from Norfolk State University and a MA, Masters of Arts in Painting from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. She has taught undergraduate and graduate painting/drawing classes at several universities: Norfolk State University, Elizabeth City State University, Virginia Common Wealth University, University of Wisconsin-Madison and most recently Thomas Nelson Community College.

She is a member of the M.S.G.-The Acoustic Blues Trio, which performed at the 2008 Bull Durham Blues Festival. Featured during this exhibition schedule the group will conduct a Blues in the Schools residency in Durham Public Schools sponsored by the Foundation.

……….
Music:
M.S.G.-The Acoustic Blues Trio (harmonica, guitar and bones)
Blues Xchange (bass)
Miz A & The Freedom Band (Gaye Adegbalola’s NEW electric blues band) (bass)
Singer/Songwriter

Jackie Merritt – is an accomplished musician and visual artist
August 2009 received the First John Cephas Memorial Scholarship to carry on the Legacy of Piedmont Blues at “Centrum,” in Port Townsend, WA.

In 2006, she was asked to play harmonica on the syndicated PBS series “Cultivating Life”, which is still being aired on PBS and now FOX. She was also for several years Phil Wiggins’ harmonica teaching assistant at Augusta Heritage Center’s “Bluesweek” at Davis and Elkins College in Elkins, WV.