Nate’s North Coast Notes • Six Scintillating Sisters Shine in PBS’ ‘How It Feels to Be Free’ • Peter Lawson Jones hits ‘Chicago Fire’, ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ • Tommy Davidson at Cleveland Improv • MIX returns to art museum

By Nathan E. Paige

“How It Feels To Be Free” the latest PBS “American Masters” documentary, features clockwise from top left,
Lena Horne, Cicely Tyson, Pam Grier, Nina Simone, Abbey Lincoln, and Diahann Carroll.  

‘How It Feels to Be Free’ – ‘American Masters’ on PBS

PBS’ “American Masters” series presents the new documentary, “How It Feels to Be Free,” highlighting six prominent black women artists — Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson and Pam Grier — who became game changers in the entertainment industry. Celebrity interviews include Halle Berry, Lena Waithe, Meagan Good, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson, as well as Horne’s daughter Gail Lumet Buckley. Alicia Keys narrates and serves as executive producer.  

 “I am proud to be a part of such a meaningful, important project,” says Keys. “Art is the most powerful medium on the planet, and I continue to be inspired by and learn from these powerful, brave and stereotype-shattering women who leveraged their success as artists to fearlessly stand up against racism, sexism, exclusion and harassment. I honor their courage by celebrating their stories and continuing the work they started.”

The documentary is based on the book “How It Feels To Be Free: Black Women Entertainers and the Civil Rights Movement” by Ruth Feldstein. The video link above is accessible on pbs.org until February 16.

Local politician-turned-actor Peter Lawson Jones appears in the January 27 episode of “Chicago Fire” on NBC.

Peter Lawson Jones on NBC’s “Chicago Fire” - January 27

Local politician-turned-actor Peter Lawson Jones can be seen in the Wednesday, January 27 episode of the NBC drama “Chicago Fire,” airing at 9PM ET. He also has a role in the upcoming “Judas and the Black Messiah,” starring Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield, which is scheduled for a February 12 release. 

Comedian Tommy Davidson will do five shows at the Cleveland Improv January 29-31.

Comedian Tommy Davidson at Cleveland Improv – January 29-31

Comedian Tommy Davidson comes to town for 5 shows Jan. 29-31 at the Cleveland Improv, 1148 Main Avenue in the Flats. Tickets $20. In recent years, Davidson has been seen in the 2020 Netflix special “Sarah Cooper: Everything’s Fine,” and heard as the voice of Oscar Proud on The Disney Channel’s “The Proud Family.” He also had a small role in the fourth installment of the “Sharknado” franchise. 

The film noir classic “The Maltese Falcon” returns to theaters to mark the 80^th anniversary of its release.
[Photo courtesy of Fathom Events]

Fathom Events presents 80th anniversary screenings of ‘The Maltese Falcon’ – January 24, 27

Fathom Events will re-release “The Maltese Falcon” in select theaters January 24 and 27 in conjunction with the 80^th anniversary of the film noir classic. Based on the short story by Dashiel Hammett, the film stars Humphrey Bogart — one of the prototypes for what a cinematic private detective should be — who portrays hard-boiled gumshoe Sam Spade. Also starring Sidney Greenstreet, Mary Astor and Peter Lorre.  Don’t try to follow the story, just go along for the ride.  

A virtual version of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s MIX event takes place Friday, February 5 at 8PM.

MIX: Move at The Cleveland Museum of Art – February 5

The Cleveland Museum of Art reopened to the public on the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. Come February 5 at 8PM, the MIX event returns with “MOVE” featuring movement and performance artist Marcia Custer who will take the audience on a virtual dancing tour through the galleries, accompanied by  visuals from artist Ben Oblivion. DJ Haley Himiko Morris provides the tunes. Free.  Colorful attire encouraged. 

Is there an upcoming event you’d like included in this column? Please send the details, along with a high-resolution photo/graphic, to northcoastnotes@therealdealpress.com at least two weeks prior to the event.

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Nate's Northcoast Notes • MLK Day Holiday Events • CPH: 'Inspiring Revolutions' •

By NATHAN E. PAIGE

Cleveland Museum of Art’s MLK Day Program: Becoming A Beloved Community (January 18)

Monday, January 18 at 6PM, local poets Honey Bell Bey and Orlando Watson pay homage to The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s vision of a Beloved Community by focusing on the artwork of Cleveland artist Michelangelo Lovelace, namely his 1998 painting, My Home Town. Opening remarks will be made by the Reverend Dr. Jawanza Colvin, pastor of Olivet Institutional Baptist Church, a museum trustee, and the inaugural chair of the museum’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee. There will also be a moderated discussion.  Watch the program via Vimeo.

Cleveland Orchestra Annual MLK Concert (Broadcast available through April 14)

Severance Hall, home to 
The Cleveland Orchestra

Due to the restrictions on crowd gathering put in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cleveland Orchestra will rebroadcast their 2018 Martin Luther King Jr. concert free of charge through the Adella streaming app. The concert will be available for viewing January 14 through Wednesday, April 14, 2021.  Conducted by Franz Welser-Most, the program is narrated by Karamu alum James Pickens, Jr. (Dr. Richard Webber on “Grey’s Anatomy”) and features performances by bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green and the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Chorus.  William Henry Caldwell serves as director.

Filmmaker/author Matthew Cherry will speak at the Akron Main Library Sunday, January 17 as part of the Library’s MLK Day celebration.

Virtual MLK lecture with filmmaker/author Matthew Cherry at Akron Main Library (January 17)

Matthew Cherry, Oscar-winning filmmaker of the animated short, “Hair Love,” will discuss how his creative works reflect The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s vision and dreams during a free Zoom webinar Sunday, January 17 at 2PM. Registration required.  “Hair Love” was adapted into a children’s book and is now in its 26^th week on the New York Times Bestseller List of Children’s Picture Books. The book was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Picture Book. Cherry was a wide receiver for the Akron Zips during the early 2000s. He went on to a pro career with several NFL teams. He also has an executive producer credit for Spike Lee’s “BlacKKKlansman.”

Cleveland Play House Theater Thursdays presents ‘Inspiring Resolutions’ (January 21)

The January virtual production for the Cleveland Play House’s Theatre Thursdays series is “Inspiring Resolutions.”  Hosted by Artistic Director Laura Kepley, “Inspiring Resolutions” consists of songs and monologues designed to initiate transformation, including excerpts from “The Belle of Amherst” and “The Amen Corner,” as well as poems from Emily Dickinson, Maya Angelou and more. Featured actors are Peter Hargrave, Eric Lockley, Laura Perrotta and Mariama Whyte. The performance also includes tips and suggestions from Life Coach Bjorn DuPaty. Tickets are $5; registration required.  A Q&A session follows the performance. The purchase of a ticket gives the viewer access to the performance for 72 hours.

‘One Night in Miami’ (Streaming on Amazon Prime begins January 15)

The latest offering from Amazon Studios is “One Night in Miami,” a fictionalized account of a real-life encounter between Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Sam Cooke and pro football player Jim Brown, celebrating Ali's surprise title win over Sonny Liston in 1964.  Directed by Regina King (“Watchmen,” “If Beale Street Could Talk”), the film stars Aldis Hodge, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Leslie Odom, Jr. and Eli Goree. 

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Is there an upcoming event you’d like included in this column? Please send the details, along with a high-resolution photo/graphic, to northcoastnotes@therealdealpress.com at least two weeks prior to the event.

 

Nate’s North Coast Notes • National Black Political Convention | “The Wandering” | Healing through Abstraction? | Virtual Wine Tasting coming to Karamu

By Nathan E. Paige

‘Nationtime’ – Cleveland Cinematheque Virtual Theater (Screens through November 12)

The Cleveland Cinematheque Virtual Theatre
presents streamings of “Nationtime,” a long-lost nonfiction
film covering the National Black Political Convention
 of 1972. (Kino Marquee Films)

This long-lost nonfiction film covers the National Black Political Convention of 1972, when 10,000 Black politicians, activists and artists convened in Gary, IN, to forge a national unity platform in advance of the Republican and Democratic presidential conventions. The delegates included a wide array of political thinkers and cultural celebrities—from Black Panther co-founder Bobby Seale, poet Amiri Baraka, and PUSH founder Jesse Jackson to Coretta Scott King, Dr. Betty Shabazz, Dick Gregory, and Isaac Hayes. Civil rights advocate and Black nationalist Queen Mother Moore argued for reparations. Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte narrate this film. From the director of Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One. Click here to purchase. You have 5 days to watch the film after purchasing.

Experience “The Wandering,” the Maelstrom Arts Collaborative’s latest production, running through Sunday, November 1.

“The Wandering” at Maelstrom Collaborative (Through November 1)

“The Wandering,” the current production at Maelstrom Collaborative Arts, is steeped in mystery and designed in such a way that only one person can experience it at a time (or two, if from the same household). “The Wandering” takes place after a catastrophic accident in what could be Anytown. The audience is thrust into a dream shared by the entire town, and they wander through the dream world as it unfolds. “It’s similar to a guided haunted house experience,” says MCA connectivity director Marcia Custer. Remaining performances are Friday at 5:30 p.m., 7 p.m., and 8:30 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 5:30 p.m., and 7 p.m. There’s also a late show on Saturdays at 8:30 p.m.  Maelstrom Collaborative Arts is located at 5403 Detroit Rd [44102].  Click here for more information.

Hernease Davis is an abstract artist who will speak during the next Desktop Dialogues event
Wednesday, November 4 at noon. (Photo credit: Eugene Foster)

Desktop Dialogues: ‘Healing Through Abstraction’ at Cleveland Museum of Art (November 4)

On Wednesday, November 4 at noon join CMA Manager of Collection & Exhibition Programs Andrew Cappetta and visual artist Hernease Davis for a conversation on Davis’s abstract photo-based images, installations, and weavings, which she describes as surfaces for “expression, meditation, anger, rest” and “quiet spaces of self-care.” This is the latest in a series of “Desktop Dialogues” presented by the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cappetta and Davis address the question: Can the expressive possibilities of abstract art help one heal from trauma?  Together they also discuss the work of artists that have inspired Davis’s own move from representation to abstraction, including Sam Gilliam, Mark Rothko, and Lorna Simpson. 

Karamu House’s new networking group, the Young Professional Council, will hold a virtual wine tasting Thursday, November 12.

Karamu House Virtual Wine Tasting (Thursday, November 12)

Are you a young professional, ages 22-35? Then, NOW is the time to join Karamu's new Young Professionals Council + register for its first event, a Virtual Wine Tasting (in partnership with  Flight Cleveland), Thursday, November 12 at 6PM. Please register by October 30. Learn more: https://buff.ly/2Tiyobm

Is there an upcoming event you’d like included in this column? Please send the details, along with a high-resolution photo/graphic, to northcoastnotes@therealdealpress.com at least two weeks prior to the event.

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Nate’s Northcoast Notes • Asian Lantern Festival closes Oct. 4

Art Museum and Rock Hall to MIX it up Oct. 2 at virtual dance party | Life of John Lewis celebrated in documentary this weekend

By Nate Paige

The annual Asian Lantern Festival at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo runs through Oct. 4 this year.
(Photo by Kyle Lanzer/Cleveland Metroparks)

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Premiere of CNN documentary “John Lewis: Good Trouble” – (September 27)

This Sunday, September 27 at 9PM ET, CNN will premiere the documentary, “John Lewis: Good Trouble,” an in-depth look at the life of the celebrated civil rights activist and Congressional stalwart. Directed by award-winning director Dawn Porter (Trapped, Gideon’s Army), the film chronicles Lewis’s life through behind-the-scenes footage, archival materials and interviews including family members, Xernona Clayton, Rev. James Lawson, Rep. James Clyburn, Ambassador Andrew Young, Senator Cory Booker, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Bill and Hillary Clinton, former Attorney General Eric Holder and many more.  An official selection of the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival, the documentary will air again on Saturday, October 3 at 9PM ET.

 

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MIX: Amplify – October 2 via Zoom

MIX, the Cleveland Museum of Art’s ultimate monthly networking event, returns for another virtual dance party Friday, October 2 at 8PM via Zoom. The theme for October, AMPLIFY, celebrates the power of music and art when it comes to promoting social justice and combating racism through messages of rage, hope and protest.  DJ Vikter Duplaix’s live set will provide the tunes, and choreographer Samuel McIntosh of 10K Movement will present a showcase of a variety of street dance styles.  Video art courtesy of Wil Frierson.  

MIX: Amplify, a collaboration between the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is inspired by the Rock Hall’s current exhibition, “It’s Been Said All Along: Voices of Rage, Hope & Empowerment.” Click here to register.

 

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Asian Lantern Festival at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo – (Weekends through October 4)

Photo by Kyle Lanzer/Cleveland Metroparks

If you’ve been procrastinating about getting to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo for the Asian Lantern Festival, you’re running out of time.  The Festival closes October 4. Now in its third year, this year’s display consists of more than 1,000 lanterns and 70 new displays.  There are also new acrobatic acts, interactive experiences, and culturally inspired food options including select fare from Li Wah and King Wah restaurants.

Experience the spectacle on foot or take advantage of the drive-through option.  Tickets are still available for the following dates:  September 25, 26 and October 1 and 2 from 6:30-10:30PM. Ticket sales each night will be limited, to adhere to social distancing guidelines. 

Admission to the Lantern Festival ($18-$22) is separate from Zoo admission but does allow entry to the Dinosaurs Around  the World: The Great Outdoors Exhibition.  Advance reservations are strongly suggested. For more information, click here.

Is there an upcoming event you’d like included in this column? Please send the details, along with a high-resolution photo/graphic, to northcoastnotesATtherealdealpress.com at least two weeks prior to the event.

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Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival opens today, runs through September 18

Nate’s Northcoast Notes

Annual Chalk Festival also set for this weekend

By Nate Paige

2020 Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival (September 10-18)

Dreamhood examines life in the international village neighborhood of Cleveland.
Directed by Cigdem Slankard, it's one of dozens of feature films, documentaries and
shorts in this year's virtual GCUFF event.

The Ninth Annual Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival (GCUFF) is going virtual this year, kicking off Thursday, September 10 and running through Friday, September 18.  The opening night film is “The Best of Enemies,” a period piece starring Taraji P. Henson and Sam Rockwell depicting the real-life story of civil rights activist Ann Atwater.  This year’s festival will showcase more than 80 films online. “We’re delighted that we can continue to share films from all over the world,” said GCUFF Executive Director Donna Dabbs.  “There’s also several free community events featuring films and projects from our youth and students!”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most of this year’s film lineup will be screened online, but on Friday, September 11 and Saturday, September 12, GCUFF goes retro with double-feature screenings of old- and new-school classics, including “Five on the Black Hand Side,” and the “Shaft” reboot  at Mayfield Road Drive-In Theater, 12100 State Rte. 322, Chardon.  See the Program Guide and purchase passes at www.gcuff.org.

Cleveland Restoration Society Community Luncheon Connection (September 11)

On Friday, September 11 the Cleveland Restoration Society will host a virtual version of its annual Community Luncheon Connection. This year’s keynote speaker is John G. Morikis, Chairman and CEO of Sherwin-Williams. In 2019, Forbes Magazine named Morikis as one of the nation’s most innovative leaders. Networking begins at 11:30 am; program at noon.  Single tickets are $75. To register, click here.  For more information, contact Stephanie Phelps at sphelps@clevelandrestoration.org.

Cleveland Museum of Art Virtual Chalk Festival (September 12, 13)

As Nature always finds a way, creativity will also manage to shine through, despite the circumstances.  The annual CMA Chalk Festival, September 12 and 13, is adapting to the new way of doing things by going virtual. This year’s theme is Community, and participants are encouraged to share their chalk drawings on Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #CMAChalkFestival.  For details, and possibly inspiration from the Museum’s expansive collection, click here.

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Must-see exhibit of new Kara Walker works on display at Cleveland Museum of Art

If you're at all like me, you have a tendency to miss going to extended art exhibits that come to town because there's no sense of urgency. Three months is plenty of time to get there, I tell myself. But then work obligations, family responsibilities, or a baker's dozen of life's inconveniences intrude eat away our time and then the show is gone, never to be reassembled so close to home.

Works in process, 2016. 

Kara Walker (American, born 1969). 

Courtesy Kara Walker. Photo: Ari Marcopoulos

Fortunately, a visit from out-of town friends coincided with a D0 NOT MISS show, and their initiative resulted in five of us gathering at the Cleveland Museum of Art this past Saturday to see the remarkable Kara Walker exhibition now on display through December 31. 

The verdict was unanimous: go see it and don't wait!

I'm likely the most amateur artistically of our group from an experiential or temperamental standpoint, so what follows are my own views and not those of my savvier companions.

Kara Walker might be the most compelling contemporary artist in America today. She uses prodigious technical skills, a deeply informed and wide-ranging historical perspective, and a MacArthur-certified genius to present a unique and uncompromising vision that simultaneously inspires and challenges how you might see the world, the United States, Christianity, race, gender, and so much more. 

Walker typically works in silhouette, and her monochromatic style will deceive the hurried passerby into overlooking the acuteness of her artistry. So gripping is the emotional and intellectual power of her imagery that it is easy to overlook the technical skills that enable her to achieve so much in a two-dimensional black and white frame.

I don't remember when I first became aware of Walker's work. It was likely a couple of decades ago when some of her deceptively simple pieces began to appear on my horizons. I was drawn to her work because the artist's intelligence was so evident but unobtrusive. The work draws you in; the more you look, the more you see. That's one reason I plan to return several times before the show is over.

Monomentality, 2016.
Kara Walker (American, born 1969). Ink on paper; 90.8 x 120.7 cm.
© Kara Walker, courtesy of Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York.

Walker is an African American woman whose body of work reflects a profound understanding of race, gender, identity, culture, and history. Her work can simultaneously attract and repel. It cannot be ignored.

This stimulating exhibit is a precious gift for our community in this political season. It sheds much necessary light on the zany and frightening nonsense into a proper context. 

A 2007 article, The Overwhelming Whiteness of Black Art, uses an earlier Walker exhibit to riff on the museum attendance habits of blacks and whites. It would be a shame if people of any race stay away from this important and exciting exhibition.

Hey! Admission is free. You will be poorer if you don't go.

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Exhibition Notes:

The Ecstasy of St. Kara is accompanied by a catalogue produced by the Cleveland Museum of Art. The publication features intimate photographs of Walker at work taken by acclaimed artist and filmmaker Ari Marcopoulos as well as a text by Walker in which she bridges her new drawings with current events and explains the influence of the residency in Rome on her new work. The contents also include a Walker essay situating this body of work within today’s political climate.

“With her new series of large-scale drawings, Kara Walker continues to challenge us to look closely at the blind spots in history and our current society.” — Reto Thüring, curator of contemporary art and co-curator of the exhibition.

“Walker has long been one of the most innovative voices in contemporary art. Her work remains vital for its ability to speak to current-day politics surrounding racial injustice by questioning historical fact and fiction.” — Beau Rutland, associate curator of contemporary art, and co-curator of the exhibition.