Every spring people flock into Washington, D.C.—and it's not for the National Cherry Blossom Festival alone. Since 1990, artists and arts cognoscenti have been descending on the nation's capitol in April for the Porter Colloquium at Howard University. The annual event, which bills itself as "the leading forum for scholars, artists, curators and others in the field of African American art and visual culture," honors James A. Porter (1905-1970). Porter, an artist and art historian, was educated at Howard University and taught there for more than forty years. His 1943 publication Modern Negro Art is a foundational text for anyone studying the history of African American art.
Distinguished scholars, as well as students new to the field, come out for the academic presentations, artists' roundtables, and lively audience discussions that are the mainstays of the colloquium's three-day program. The festivities also include an auction and a gala. This year's theme is migration and globalization. Organizers pose questions such as: what are the tropes of migration and globalization and what strategies might be used to explore concepts of continuity and change, context and chronology? Speakers include Raymond Dobard, Jacqueline Francis, Pamela Franco, Phyllis Jackson, Nkiru NzegwuM, and Mary Ann Calo. Artists' panels will feature presentations by iona rozeal brown, Zoë Charlton, Jefferson Pinder, and Frank Smith, among others.
Each year's colloquium honors a major contributor to the field. This year there are two honorees: Yale University professor, Robert Farris Thompson; and artist and arts administrator, Evangeline J. (EJ) Montgomery. Thompson, author of Flash of the Spirit, will give a keynote address on Friday, April 20. Also, in conjunction with the colloquium, on Thursday, April 19, educator and arts administrator Mary Schmidt Campbell will deliver the sixth annual David C. Driskell Center Lecture at the University of Maryland. The Porter Colloquium runs from April 19 through 22.
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African American art and visual culture are interesting. I met some friends on ebonyfriends.com. they told me a lot of it. so i like them very much now.