Selected Press
Looking Back on Take Five
Inside the retreat in the U.S. Virgin Islands that aims to commemorate the African diaspora through visual art and performance.
BY TIFFANY CRAWFORD
January 16, 2017
Last month, in the days following Art Basel Miami Beach, the inaugural edition of Take Five played out over five days in St. Croix in the Virgin Islands. The location, once a hub of the slave trade, was appropriate, as the gathering aimed to commemorate the African diaspora. All too often, slavery is spoken of nonchalantly as a dark truth in American history. The event asked viewers to remember the human experience of slavery through powerful visual art and performances.
Organized by New York-based art advisor and curator Alaina Simone, Take Five featured New York-based artists David Antonio Cruz and Rashaad Newsome; local artists Oceana James, Kharis Kennedy, and La Vaughn Belle; and Copenhagen-based artist Jeannette Ehlers.