3. Report on First Black Cultural Art Event Attended This Quarter

When attending virtual cultural events, you were required to note specific, concrete details of the art, the artists, the audience you think the art is addressed to, and the place in which the art is presented. In Units I and II of Black Thought and Culture, we have focused on many social constructions and on the role of art in society. We are seeing that personal stories provide insight into the consequences of social hierarchies in people’s daily lives. As noted in the introductory lecture to Week 5, “everyday details reveal the structures governing our lives, if we listen and look carefully enough” and if we keep in mind the systemic, social structuring we’ve looked at throughout the entire quarter.

With this in mind, you are to describe, in at least 300-350 words, your attendance at the first virtual black cultural art event you attended this quarter. (Note: You will report on each event separately: on the first event in #3 and on the second event in #4!) Discuss the following in each of your two cultural event reports:

First, state the title, place, and date of the event.

Second, describe specific, concrete details of the following four elements of the event: the art (in terms of the object/performance/occasion of the event), the artists, the intended audience, and the place). Discuss each in terms of the issues covered in our course text thus far.

As you describe the first virtual cultural art event you attended this quarter, it is especially important to describe the “everyday” details and to consider what they reveal. Who are the people attending? Who are the artists?  What is the art highlighted? Identify and define this art. Also, what are the materials and message of the art? Where is the art displayed and who would have access to this place in a non-pandemic situation? What can you tell about race and the intersections of race with class and gender? Be specific. If people of all races are the intended audience, describe concretely the mix. For instance, would the audience primarily, say 90%, be one race or another? What details do you note regarding class and gender? What would the cost of the art or entry to view/experience the art be in a non-pandemic situation? What are the labels used to name the genre of the art? Is it folk art? Fine art? How might all of these relate to the stories, poems, songs, spirituals, essays, and documents we’ve read in our text? How might these relate to a history of institutionalized hierarchies? What role does this art play in people’s lives. Develop specific, concrete details that show.

Also, make specific reference (along with MLA citations) to at least 3 essays (from different parts of the text). Consider what you’ve read about black thought and culture from 1700 through 1919, and discuss these histories in shaping both the event (the art as well as the participants) and your experience of the event. You might also consider the function of the art in relation to race and the intersection of race with gender, sexual orientation, and class. Be sure to clearly identify what you see as the art, the artists, the intended audience,  and the place.