White Space Gallery Showcases International and CT
Black Artists for Black History Month
New Haven, CT.-White Space Gallery celebrates Black History Month January 30-March 1 with works by African American artists local to Connecticut. Open House on Saturday, February 9 from noon until 6:00 p.m., with a “Meet the Artists”
reception from 3 to 5. Featuring Dr. Cora Marshall, Art Chair at Central Connecticut State University and Donald Boudreaux, the renowned Louisiana native along with additional selected works by Cicely Carew, Chris Ferguson and Dawn Rudd. In addition, the gallery is spotlighting “Shona African Sculpture” by the first generation Shona Master Fine Artists of Zimbabwe. The exhibit is free to the public.
Dr. Cora Marshall, born in Washington. DC, is an artist, educator, and scholar. She received her B.F.A. from Howard University, received a Master of Science in Education from Bank Street College of Education with Parsons School of Design and her doctorate in art from New York University. Currently, Dr. Marshall is the Art Department’s Chairperson at Central Connecticut State University. There she teaches research, theory, and practice in Art Education as well as classes in Mixed Media art and educational technology. As an artist, she centers her work in spirituality and creates art that seeks out the connections to, and lessons from her past. In 2004, Dr Marshall was selected as a member of the “Teaching Excellence Honor Roll” at CCSU. Also in 2004, Dr. Marshall was selected as “Outstanding Art Educator in Higher Education” by the Connecticut Art Education Association.
Donald Boudreaux has taught painting and mixed media in schools and museums. His work has been featured in one man and group shows at venues including; the Augusta Savage Gallery, The New Britain Museum of Art and the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans. His work has been honored with an exhibition at the U.S. Embassy in Maseru, Lesotho, for the past 3 years.Donald Boudreaux‘s images are rendered with a combination of abstract and figurative constructions, overlapping geometric forms and symbolism – all juxtaposed against subtle and emerging figures. The warm, and often intense colors of his palette speak not only of passion, but also of life found in his native Louisiana and African ancestry. His recent works were born from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Shona sculpture has been heralded as some of the most important art to emerge from Sub-Saharan Africa in the second half of the 20th Century.
The Shona artisans use basic hand tools-simple hand-made chisels, hammers, rasps and sandpaper to craft their pieces. Some of the stones used are, Verdite, Butter Jade, Kwekwe Fruit Serpentine, and Leopard Stone.
The Shona, who make up about 80% of Zimbabwe’s population, have an historic relationship with stone that is unique in Sub-Saharan Africa. In fact, the only major stone ruin from antiquity is in Zimbabwe: the word itself means “Big Houses made of Stone” in the Shona language.
Here’s what the press says about Shona art.
‘Shona sculpture is perhaps the most important new art form to emerge from Africa in this century’
-Newsweek, New York.
‘Unlike art found in much of the rest of Africa, Shona sculpture…has become a wholly indigenous art form created exclusively as a form of artistic expression’
-New York Times, New York.
‘The world’s best unrecognized sculptors’.
-The Economist, London
In the past ten years, prices as well as interest have soared for both primitive and contemporary African art. Unfortunately many of the Master First Generation Shona Artists have passed away, and the availability of their pieces are becoming increasingly scarce. This show includes some final works. We invite you to come experience this moving example of technique and skill at White Space Gallery.
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