The African American Cultural Center of Long Beach is giving the community the spotlight in its first-ever local artist showcase, where residents can purchase original work from a collection of artists where “no two are alike.”
Walls and tables at the cultural center are filled with paintings, prints, digital art, graphic designs, collages and mixed media art from six local Black artists. On Friday, April 21, the community is invited to hear from the artists about their journey, history and vision as well as purchase one-of-a-kind art that speaks to them.
“They’re very hungry to get [their work] out there and meet people and share their work,” said Jhaki Quarles, program coordinator at the Cultural Center. “And that was important to me, if I came across an artist that really believed in what they’re doing and really wanted to make sure that they share it with the community and it wasn’t all a monetary expectation from them.”
The African American Cultural Center hosts a different exhibit each month centered around a theme. Past exhibits have been focused on “The Roots of Slavery” and “The Black Power Movement,” but Quarles had the vision to showcase artists in a way that “totally represents them.”
The result is an exhibit that is eye-catching and completely unique, with each artist presenting the best of their respective medium. Each painting, collage and design helps to uplift African American culture.
A series of paintings by Orange County artist Tyra Rattler Jr. depict iconic athletes in an almost looming fashion, with bright contrasting colors and obvious digital brush strokes. Michael Jordan is painted in his lonesome, reaching up to dunk a basketball as he hovers with a bright blue sky in the background. Kevin Durant is mean-mugging straight ahead in a Phoenix Suns uniform with a glowing orange backdrop behind him.
“What was really important this time, and I think what was really striking to all of us is the art forms were all different, but all powerful,” Quarles said.
A committee at the Cultural Center looked through local artists’ work for about six months, learning about their journey, motivations and visions. Some of the artists have a history with the Cultural Center and have featured their work in Long Beach in the past, but for others, this is the first time having their work featured in such a setting.
Long Beach native Shelton Gillis has featured a slew of show-stopping paintings that highlight the beauty of Black culture. His prints titled “Knowledge is Game” feature athletes balancing a basketball or football on one hand and a stack of books on the other. Another painting which has been sold already shows a Black woman dressed in traditional Old Western clothing holding a long pistol with her finger hovering over the trigger titled “No More.”
The Local Artist Showcase premiered to the Long Beach Community during Bixby Knolls First Friday celebration on April 17, which brought in more than 400 people who talked to the artists and purchased multiple pieces of work from them.
“These are up-and-coming young people just trying to share their work and their information out there amongst the community,” Quarles said. “Our community knows what we have, they see these young people putting their talent to work so it’s a lot to be proud of.”
The African American’s Local Artist Showcase will be open Tuesdays through Fridays from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Residents can meet the artists at the showcase on Friday, April 21 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The community is asked to RSVP to the free showcase event through Eventbrite.
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