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A New Art Retreat Celebrating the African Diaspora Kicks Off in St. Croix, December 3-8
Take Five is a celebration and exploration of shared histories of territories within the African Diaspora through the lens of personal narratives of “otherness” at the intersection of race, gender, and sexuality.
Rashaad Newsome, “King of Arms Procession” (December 1, 2015), Miami, FL
This winter, directly following Art Basel Miami Beach, artists Rashaad Newsome, David Antonio Cruz, Kharis Kennedy, La Vaughn Belle, and Oceana James will debut a dynamic series of performances and visual art as part of an inaugural art world retreat taking place in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, from December 3 to 8, 2016. Take Five is curated by Monica Marin and Carla Acevedo-Yates, and is presented by Alaina Simone Enterprises.
Cultural partners include the Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts (CMCArts), Virgin Islands Caribbean Cultural Center, University of the Virgin Islands, and Crucian Heritage & Nature Tourism (CHANT).
The retreat will feature a museum exhibition at CMCArts; private rain forest dinners; studio tours; film screenings, featuring work by Caribbean-Danish artist Jeannette Ehlers; and live music. A photo diary of the Take Five program and St. Croix community will be created by internationally acclaimed artists Ray Llanos and Wyatt Gallery.
Take Five is a celebration and exploration of shared histories of territories within the African Diaspora through the lens of personal narratives of “otherness” at the intersection of race, gender, and sexuality. The program reflects on how these resistant communities have endured and expanded despite the ubiquitous, at times coded, “- ism”s of today’s society while employing performance and art to challenge mainstream perspectives. Beginning with St. Croix, rich in its history of rebellion and emancipation, as well as converging African, American, and European cultures, each participating artist, ranging in backgrounds from the US, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, will present new work that addresses elements of these themes after time spent and research on the island.
For more information on Take Five, please contact:
Press inquiries
April Hunt, Sparkplug PR april@sparkplug-pr.com, (646) 245-9312
General inquiries & hospitality
Alaina Simone, Alaina Simone Enterprises contact@alainasimoneinc.com, (917) 941-2245 www.alainasimoneinc.com