Gems of Africa Gallery

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Contemporary Artists of Africa Here and Abroad


Contemporary Artists of Africa Here and Abroad:  An exhibition celebrating the beauty and power of Contemporary African Art in Atlanta's African community.   This exhibition will be accompanied by West African art from Hammonds House Museum's permanent collection with major representation from the countries of Senegal and Nigeria.   November 20, 2011- January 29, 2012.   learn more...



Atlanta has been a destination of African immigrants for many years and a hotbed of African cultural celebration through spiritual practices, visual arts, music, and dance. The profound connection and influence that the African communities of Atlanta have had in shaping the city's unique identity cannot be overlooked. Through its universities and grassroots organizations, Atlanta has been blessed to be home to the traditional aesthetic practices of Africa as well as its contemporary innovations and impulses. Hammonds House Museum is honored to bring to the public a small selection of the myriad of African-born artists who now call Atlanta home or who have local connections. The exhibition features artists from several countries on the continent and continues the Museum's legacy of educating the metro-Atlanta community about the important contributions made by artist of Africa and the African Diaspora. The exhibition also will include contemporary works by African artists in Hammonds House Museum's permanent collection, including artwork donated by the late Louise Willingham of Atlanta, GA, and the late Janet Carter of New York City.

Hammonds House Museum, 503 Peeples St SW, Atlanta, GA,.   Members: Free / General Adults: $4, Children, Students and Seniors: $2 / WE Cultural Connection Tour Adults: $10, Children, Students and Seniors: $6

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Kinyarwanda - Sundance Film Festival: 12/2

The Story of Kinyarwanda:  During the Rwandan genocide, when neighbors killed neighbors and friends betrayed friends, some crossed lines of hatred to protect each other.

At the time of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, the Mufti of Rwanda, the most respected Muslim leader in the country, issued a fatwa forbidding Muslims from participating in the killing of the Tutsi. As the country became a slaughterhouse, mosques became places of refuge where Muslims and Christians, Hutus and Tutsis came together to protect each other. KINYARWANDA is based on true accounts from survivors who took refuge at the Grand Mosque of Kigali and the madrassa of Nyanza. It recounts how the Imams opened the doors of the mosques to give refuge to the Tutsi and those Hutu who refused to participate in the killing.  See The Trailer

KINYARWANDA interweaves six different tales that together form one grand narrative that provides the most complex and real depiction yet presented of human resilience and life during the genocide. With an amalgamation of characters, we pay homage to many, using the voices of a few.    Buy tickets

Thursday, July 7, 2011

NBAF Summer Festival: 7/7 - 7/17

Expect the unexpected at the 2011 National Black Arts Festival, July 7th through July 17th. Get ready for Unexpected Encounters with the culture, people and art of the African Diaspora, as this year’s festival goes beyond expectations with extraordinary experiences for all who encounter it. Beginning July 7 with the opening of Trenton Doyle Hancock’s exhibition at the SCAD Gallery at the Woodruff Arts Center there is literally something for everyone at the 2011 National Black Arts Festival!

In addition to visual arts exhibitions, workshops, symposiums, the Coretta Scott King Awards Book Fair, and The Summer Institute, festival patrons will enjoy the highly-anticipated Legends Celebration featuring The O’Jays in concert. This year the celebration adds a new tribute to cultural icons we have lost during the last year to what has become one of the summer’s hottest tickets.

Other highlights you won’t want to miss include our annual gala fundraiser a Salute to the Silver Screen; the first ever DanceAfrica Atlanta!, curated by the critically acclaimed choreographer and griot Chuck Davis; and premiere film screenings. We are especially proud to present our first visual arts tribute Interpretations: Black Visual Art- Past, Present Future, which honors visual arts masters while this year also paying homage to Romare Bearden on the 100th anniversary of his birth.

The festival returns to Centennial Olympic Park for the third year, July 15th-17th with the International Marketplace of over 100 vendors, the Children’s Education Village, and Music Main Stage featuring, Cuban jazz artist Omar Sosa, Jazz vocalists Gregory Porter and Kathleen Bertrand, Latin Dance Party with Rio Negro, Joyce Candido, Nanny Assis and Orquesta Macuba and a fusion of soul, funk and jazz with The Chronicle. All activities at the park are free and open to the public, so come enjoy the food and entertainment while you shop ‘til you drop at the International Marketplace.

NBAF (presenter of the National Black Arts Festival) is celebrating 23 years of year-round arts and cultural programming. The fact is that NBAF presents programs and events 365 days each year of which the summer festival is just one part. NBAF is a membership organization that hosts nearly 300,000 patrons each year including 25,000 children through year-round performances, exhibitions, and Education and Public Programs. I hope you will consider becoming a member, which will help the organization to continue to serve the community through critically-acclaimed programs.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Batik Workshop: 7/24/2011

Register for the Batik Workshop

Taught by Renowned Ugandan artist Nuwa Wamala Nnyanzi
Sunday, July 24, 2011 from 5:00pm to 9:00pm
Gems of Africa Gallery

Participants will learn the history and process of Batik making. All materials and supplies will be included and participants will leave with a finished Batik that they will have created during the class.  View the last workshop.


Click here to learn about Contemporary Batik Painting.  
Note: This is a 4+ hour class

Cost: $65:  All materials and supplies are included.

(Irons & Hot Wax will be used, so Adults Only.
Please wear comfortable clothes that you won't mind getting stained with dyes)

Please arrive by 4:45pm
Class will begin at 5:00pm Sharp, so Don't Be Late!

You Must Pre-Register (space is limited)

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Book Signing: 2/26/2011

We are having a book signing with the author of "Harlem Son", Kevin W. Thorbourne on Saturday, February 26, 2011 from 4:00pm to 7:00pm.  Light refreshments will be served.  To learn more about the author, go to http://readharlemson.vpweb.com/.

Buy Now

Thursday, January 27, 2011

African Diaspora Tourism

African Diaspora Tourism (ADT) is an online magazine dedicated to exploring the culture, heritage, places and influences of people of African descent, past and present. The ADT web site highlights information on how people of color, living all over the world as a result of the transatlantic slave trade and modern-day migration, are continuously shaping the cultures of North, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, as well as Africa.

ADTs major objective is to enlighten and inspire cultural and heritage tourism through up-to-date information, compelling first-person travel articles, candid images, and scholarly research. In addition to bringing you a first-rate travel journal about the people and places of the global African Diaspora, ADT is committed to supporting sustainable tourism and preserving the culture and heritage in the places we explore.

With studies showing that people more now than ever are looking to learn about and immerse themselves in the history and culture of the places they visit, we feel that this project is a timely, worthwhile endeavor that serves to meet the needs of travelers, culture enthusiasts, and professionals.  Events Calendar

We also welcome you to join our efforts! We are accepting submissions on the following topics related to the African Diaspora: tourism news, culture, music, travel, food, festivals, events, meetings and education, etc. Please become a part of our mailing list and/or send submissions to info@africandiapsoratourism.com  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Order this encyclopedia today

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Senegal Arts & Culture Tour: 6/4 - 6/15, 2011

The 2nd Annual Joie de Vivre Senegal Arts & Culture Tour!

June 4 - June 15, 2011
In celebration of the 2011 19th Annual St. Louis Jazz Festival, Taller Portobelo Norte and Black Pearl Travel are pleased to announce the 2nd Annual Joie de Vivre Arts & Culture Tour of Senegal, the Paris of Africa!

Participants will tour Dakar, a metropolitan city full of energy and life; attend the St. Louis Jazz Festival in the old colonial town of St. Louis; travel to Goree Island, home of the infamous Slave Castle; surf the sand dune of Pink Lake in four-wheelers; and relax and learn West African Dance, Drum or Batik at theSobe Bade Art Colonyin Toubab Dialaw. For an additional fee, travelers also have the option to extend their trip to Saturday, June 18th to visit Ndangane and Mar Lodj to the south of Senegal, home of the Serer people.

A trip to Senegal isn't complete without enjoying their excellent French and West African restaurants, never-ending markets and vendors, and white sand beaches. We will also visit art galleries, museums and speak with professional fine artists in their private studios. Known for its jumping nightlife, we will be making group outings to party at Dakars’ many concerts and nightclubs featuring internationally acclaimed artists and musicians. We will get a chance to interact on a personal level with people from a few of Senegals many ethnic groups including Wolof, Fulani and Serer. Participants will be able to enjoy the group tours and outings, as well as adventure out on their own to explore the city.

For more information, visit http://www.tallerportobelonorte.com/dakar.html

Questions??? Wondering if you can travel from your select city? I've got answers for you. Feel free to contact Margaret Kargbo at (770) 875-0427 or via email: m.kargbo@gmail.com.

Call Today!!! This is a great opportunity to experience to Africa like you've never seen it before!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

African Childrens Choir: 2/10/2011

HOPE and MUSIC with the African Childrens ChoirThursday, February 10, 2011

The Tabernacle
152 Luckie St NW

Atlanta, GA 30303
8-10p.m.  Doors open 7p.m.

HOPE International (HOPE) and the African Childrens Choir (ACC) are teaming up to bring a message of hope and healing to Atlanta— along with an evening of stirring music and inspiring stories of transformation.  Join us as the choir performs with a local Atlanta artist, and hear the message of how these two organizations are transforming the lives of thousands of people living in poverty in Africa. All of the proceeds of the evening will benefit HOPE and the ACC, helping to further spread hope to the men, women, and children of Africa.   Buy Tickets

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Urban Bush Women: 1/22/2011

Urban Bush Women


January 22, 2011
Rialto Center for the Arts
80 Forsyth Street, NW
Atlanta, GA 30303
http://www.rialtocenter.org/

Founded in 1984 by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Urban Bush Women (UBW) is a performance ensemble dedicated to exploring the use of cultural expression as a catalyst for social change. It weaves contemporary dance, music, and text with the history, culture, and spiritual traditions of African Americans and the African Diaspora, exploring the transformation of struggle and suffering into the bittersweet joy of survival. The company engages in extensive community-based programming, encouraging cultural activity as an inherent part of community life.

The Company has been commissioned by presenters nationwide, and includes among its honors a 1992 New York Dance and Performance Award (“Bessie”); the 1994 Capezio Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance; and 1998 and 2004 Doris Duke Awards for New Work from the American Dance Festival. Urban Bush Women Web site

Travel to Africa

African News