ARTS DAY 2008 in Raleigh North Carolina

On Wednesday, May 14th 2008, ARTS North Carolina sponsored ARTS Day, a state's legislative advocacy day. Over 200 arts people from across the state of North Carolina convened in Raleigh to share with elected officials the value of the arts to their state. For the first time, artists were an integral part of that message.

Learn more about ARTS North Carolina:
http://www.artsnc.org

COMMUNITY MURAL: Anson County-North Carolina

North Carolina mural artist Tunde afolayan worked with the community residents in Anson County, NC to create three community murals. The mural concepts capture the arts, histories and agricultural features of Anson County.
This community mural project was sponsored by the Anson County Arts Council in Wadesboro, North Carolina.

Learn more about Anson County Arts:
http://www.ansoncountyartscouncil.org/

DISMAL SWAMP CANAL: Underground Railroad Mural

This video is a documentary of the Underground Railroad Mural created during an Art in Education Residency at H. L. Trigg Community School in Elizabeth City North Carolina . The concept was inspired by the history of "The Great Dismal Swamp" and its connection to the 'Underground Railroad'. The students went on a field trip to explore the historic Dismal Swamp as part of the Underground Railroad Path to Freedom experience. North Carolina Mural artist Tunde Afolayan, worked with the students to transform the information collected through research into this powerful visual narrative which reflect on an important part of American history.

Check out the Uderground Railroad Mural website:
http://www.geocities.com/dismalswampm...

Learn more about the Great Dismal Swamp and the Underground Railroad at:
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/greatdis...

"OPERA ON THE PASQUOTANK" featuring Rose Leahr Bowen (Soprano)

I am fortunate to live in a small beautiful waterfront town called Elizabeth City (The Harbor of Hospitality) located in northeastern North Carolina.

The spirit of the arts truly came alive on the beautiful evening of Saturday April 19, 2008, at the Museum of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
OPERA ON THE PASQUOTANK featuring Rose Leahr Bowen (Soprano) was presented in the Gaither Auditorium of the museum to a sold out audience. This art event epitomized the nature of the arts as an effective community-building mechanism. The full auditorium was packed with a diverse, excited audience of community residents poised with enthusiasm to embrace a meaningful cause; a fundraising event benefiting the museum sponsored by The Guild of Museum Friends.

Visit MOA on line:
http://www.museumofthealbemarle.com/home.htm
OPERA ON THE PASQUOTANK VIDEO


About The Artists
Rose Leahr Bowen (Soprano) is a native of Columbus, Ohio. She has performed a variety of roles in opera, including Mimi in La Boheme, Micaela in Carmen, Clara in Porgy and Bess, Appolonia in Haydn’s La Canterina, Elvira in Don Giovanni and most recently Second Lady in The Magic Flute with Lyric Opera of New York City Opera Productions. Additional roles from her repertoire include Liu from Turandot and Countess Almavia from The Marriage of Figaro. Ms. Bowen was recently honored with a grant from the Martina Arroyo Foundation to study a Mozartean role.

As a concert singer, Ms. Bowen has appeared as soprano soloist in oratorios such as Mendelessohn’s Elijah Mozart Requiem, Handel’s Messiah and Faure Requiem. She also has performed excerpts from La Boheme and The Marriage of Figaro with New Rochelle Opera and was a guest artist at the North River Music Festival performing Alban Berg’s Seven Early Songs and John Harbison’s Mirabai Songs. Ms. Bowen’s work includes solo recitals in Italy at Oratorio San Fillipo and Associazone Italo-Americano in Genoa and Chiesa de S. Francesco in Aqui Terme. This past fall, she performed at The Nicholas Roerich Museum in New York City. Ms. Bowen received her Master’s of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music and her Bachelor of Arts degree in French Literature from Smith College.

Brian Sapp (Accompanist) was born and reared in Salisbury, NC. In 2002, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Sacred Music, concentrating in Organ Performance, under the tutelage of Dr. Janette Fisher, at East Carolina University. He is pursuing his master’s degree in the same discipline at ECU.
Brian has trained with world- famous organ teachers, including Ludger Lohmann of Germany and Dame Gillian Weir of England. In 2006, he had the honor of performing during the inaugural year of the Perkins and Wells Memorial Organ in Greenville, NC. Brian now lives in Elizabeth City, NC where he has been Minister of Music, Organist, and Choir Director at Christ Episcopal Church since 2002.

By Tunde Afolayan
THINK, BELIEVE, PARTICPATE
The Arts build Community…
http://www.tundevisualart.com/

"REFLECTIONS " paintings and mixed media by Rick Calloway

The Fine Arts Gallery at Elizabeth City State University (ECSU North Carolina) recently hosted the work of Florida artist, Rick Calloway.

Ricky Calloway an Opelika, Alabama native son discovered his talent for art during his early childhood. With encouragement from his mother and art teacher, Ricky Calloway decided to pursue a career in art. After graduating from Opelika High School in 1978, Ricky was accepted into the art program at Alabama State University where he received a B.A. degree in art during the spring quarter of 1984. While attending ASU, he received numerous awards, and graduated with honors.
Ricky was accepted into the Master of Fine Arts program at Florida State University in 1987 and was awarded the Master of Fine Arts in drawing and painting.
Upon graduating from FSU, he worked as a graphic designer and screen-printer for several graphic design companies and maintained a studio to continue creating fine art in the metropolitan area of Washington, D.C. Between the years of 1994 through 1998, he was employed as an Assistant Professor of Art at Grambling State University. Since the fall of 1998, he has been employed as an Assistant Professor of Art at Fort Valley State University.


This is one of my students' review of Ricky calloway's paintings published with permission. This review is a gallery review exercise of my Art Appreciation class in General Education course (GE130)at ECSU.


FIRST GALLERY VISIT

I had the pleasure of reviewing an exhibit of some of the works of Ricky Calloway on display at the Elizabeth City State University Gallery in February 2008. Ricky Nelson Calloway is an accomplished African-American artist with numerous awards and accolades. Calloway specializes in painting, but he is also accomplished in other media such as drawing and serigraphy.(Serigraph also known as silk screening or screen printing).

Five particular works appealed to me personally in this exhibition. These pieces consisted of the oil paintings “Big Daddy”, “The Market Place” 1 and serigraphs titled “Essential Beauty”, “Blue Ridge Mountains” and “Flowing in the Wind”.
The media in which Mr. Calloway chose to express were oil painting and serigraphy. The oils allowed him to express with deep, rich and bold colors that draw you into his creative concepts. This was truly evident in the works such as “Big Daddy” and “The Market Place”.

The dark shadows of “Big Daddy” are vibrantly contrasted against the bright openness of the view against the window. “The Market Place” full of variety of colors, creating a scene of seemingly chaotic activities around a man centered in the composition.
Although his works were often peaceful, they possessed a rhythm that varied from elements portrayed in “Blue Ridge Mountains” and “Essential Beauty”.

The images appeared as organic in nature, with geometric configurations and economy of lines to enunciate the contrast. The vines and leaves contrast the framing of the eaves of the house above and straight lines of the gutter drain to the side. The fluidity of spacial textures suggests sense of movement in the flowing curved lines of the plant to the solid lines of the porch.
The use of straight lines in the wallpaper inside of the house is transitioned across the man with the linear curves on his face. These organic curves are reflected in the lines of the trees seen through the window.
Another common element was the symmetric balance of the work and the focal point. In “Big Daddy” the straight rigid dark lines of the interior of the house is balanced and juxtaposed against the contrasting light and bright colors of outside space. Space is accomplished through atmospheric use by the slow dull colors in “Blue Ridge Mountains”. The rhythm of colors in the grass is repeated in the tree though, slightly muted in the mountains as they fade into the background.
Calloway’s work presented his view of everyday life and its beauty. He captures the essence of life that mirrors daily living in the southern United States with reflections between man and nature.

The exhibit captures rich textures and bold colors in various media that is reminiscence of daily life activities of the south in such ways that I felt connected. Particularly, I could feel the impact of the dark quietness of “Big Daddy” to the frantic activities in “The Market Place” and the tranquility in “Blue Ridge Mountains” and “Flowing in the Wind”. The one piece which I felt brought all these elements together beautifully was the serigraph “Essential Beauty”. In “Essential Beauty” the work was full of busy activities by the surrounding garden, with a woman quietly centered as the focal point. The lines of the plant's leaves flow into the woman’s form providing continuity against the complimentary colors of the woman’s dress.
Ricky Calloway continues to create artwork and exhibits both locally and nationally. He has been an Assistant Professor of Art at Fort Valley State University since 1998.
By
Clinton J. York
Art Appreciation class (Spring 2008) ECSU North Carolina.

HARBOR ARTS FESTIVAL

"HARBOR ARTS FESTIVAL" A celebration of Fine Arts and Crafts in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
The weekend outdoor art show was sponsored by the Pasquotank Arts Council.
http://www.pasquotankarts.org/

This video was produced by Tunde afolayan
http://www.tundevisualart.com/

ARTS IN EDUCATION: Integrating Arts with Curriculum

Tunde conducts Arts in Education and Teachers development workshops accross the country assisting schools in the process of integrating arts with learning.
His program provides teachers with teaching methodology needed to engage in creative teaching processes while using the arts. These processes translate into creative learning experience for the students.

Tunde Afolayan
Visual Arts Residencies (K-12)
MURALS & MASK MAKING
http://www.tundevisualart.com/

Integrating Arts with Science


"The Arts of Nature" a Science Summer Camp at PORT DISCOVER in Elizabeth City, NC. In the Summer of 2007, visual artist Tunde Afolayan worked with a group of children to explore science through the visual art.
Port Discover is a Northeastern North Carolina Center for Hands-on Science.
Learn more about Port Discover program at:
http://www.portdiscover.org/

This video was produced by:
http://www.tundevisualart.com/

JAMESTOWN MURAL


This video "DREAMS STILL COME ALIVE: Exploring Virginia History" was creatred during an Art in Education Residency program at Broad Rock elementary school in Richmond, Virginia.
Tunde worked with the fourth grade students to create this mural which explores Virginia history and the first English settlement.
This project was sponsored by Gail and Ken Henshaw through "I HAVE A DREAM" Foundation Richmond, VA.
Tunde is available for workshops and extended residencies. For bookings log on to:
http://www.tundevisualart.com/
WORKSHOPS and RESIDENCIES
. Arts in Education residency
. Community Arts residency
MURALS . MASK MAKING

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD MURAL


Tunde created this Underground RailRoad Mural with 5th grade students at Hertford Grammar School in Perquimans County, North Carolina.
The students studied the history of the Quakers and Slaves in Perquimans County and discovered how the Quakers helped to free the slaves.
Category: Education