Still Here: The Cosmology of Black Resilience
An interdisciplinary art exhibition January 13 - March 2, 2021, at Myriad Botanical Gardens, Oklahoma City, OK
Watch Live
*link to the performance will be embedded here*
About
An Interdisciplinary Art Exhibition, Still Here: The Cosmology of Black Resilience, asks the artist and the viewer "What does it mean to be Black and resilient?"
Oklahoma City, OK – Local nonprofit Afrikanation Artists Organization and Djaspora Productions present Still Here: The Cosmology of Black Resilience, an interdisciplinary art exhibition that asks the maker and the viewer, “What does it mean to be Black and resilient?” January 13 - March 2, 2021, at Myriad Botanical Gardens. In addition to the inquiry, the exhibition statement is a declaration of purpose. “We come together as Black artists to acknowledge our place in the African continuum as flesh, blood, and spirit. We improvise to survive. We improvise to thrive. This is how we understand our place in the cosmos,” says co-curators Marie Casimir and Ebony Iman Dallas.
“After a year as trying as 2020, this art exhibition ushers in the new year by celebrating the multitudes of experiences we have as Black people and our common bond of resilience. Our stories are not only about struggle; we want people to see and understand all of our humanity,” said Casimir.
The exhibition offers both in-person and virtual opportunities to engage with visual art, dance, poetry, and storytelling. All programs are free & open to the public.
Events
January 22 at 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Virtual Opening + Limited Timed Ticketed Opening in the gallery at Myriad Gardens
part of “Art in the Gardens.”
301 W Reno Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73102
Featuring visual art by Amena Butler, Ebony Iman Dallas, Florine Démosthène, Gay Pasley, Ronna Pernell, Musah Swallah and Suzanne Thomas.
Artist talk with Ebony Iman Dallas, Ronna Pernell and Suzanne Thomas interviewed by Marie Casimir
Screening of a dance performance by Changing FrEQuencies
February 13th at 1 pm
Storytelling In the Gardens
Myriad Botanical Gardens Water Stage
301 W Reno Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73102
Storytelling in the Gardens featuring poetry and readings by Tony Brinkley, Marie Casimir, Ebony Iman Dallas, Grace Franklin, Catherine John, Gay Pasley.
February 19th at 6:30 PM
We Remember, We Restore
Virtual screening of "We Remember, We Restore" choreographed by Marie Casimir & J’aime Griffith.
Directed by Marie Casimir & 1984 Studios
Filmed against the lush backdrop of the Crystal Bridge Conservatory, we find promise in the seed, resilience in the bend, and power in the break.
Support
Still Here: The Cosmology of Black Resilience is supported by Oklahoma Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, and Public Strategies.
Afrikanation Artists Organization (AAOU) is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization based in Oklahoma City, OK, founded by Ebony Iman Dallas. AAOU was founded in January 2011 on a mission to connect diverse populations in Africa and the US through arts education, building a professional artist network, and community advocacy and outreach.
Founded in 2016 by Marie Casimir, Djaspora Productions is a company that creates and produces performance, interdisciplinary projects, and cultural gatherings that promote exchange between BIPOC artists both locally and globally. In the process of making and sharing art & culture, we hope to connect all who are willing to gather in a shared experience.