McGuffey Art Center invites you to participate in an artistic collaboration connecting two communities more than 8,000 miles apart!
Arts Beyond the Streets grew from long standing relationships between artists in Charlottesville, Virginia and Makhanda, South Africa. In a celebration of arts and inclusiveness, several artist-activists will be traveling from Makhanda, South Africa to collaborate with Charlottesville artists and cultural groups.
Xolile (‘X’) Madinda and Andiswa (‘Bliss’) Rabeshu from The Black Power Station in Makhanda will collaborate with Lillie Williams of Chihamba and other Charlottesville artists on a series of events during the month of February: free art activities, workshops, and dialogues welcome to all community residents.
McGuffey Art Center will host an exhibition of work from professional artists and youth from the Makhanda community.
Arts Beyond the Streets’ purpose is to foster collaboration and build solidarity between artists and art centers that are deeply embedded in their own respective communities, and to help them build programming to reach underrepresented community members.
Although they are more than 8,000 miles apart, both Charlottesville and Makhanda have racialized histories that systematically disadvantaged persons of color.
Arts Beyond the Streets promotes art programming that is accessible to all, a form of communication and collective action. These events celebrate culture, promote arts programming in both Charlottesville and Makhanda, and increase the connectivity between the two communities. We strive to create a sustainable model program that enriches both Charlottesville and Makhanda through consistent exchanges of artists and activists.
About the Artists:
Xolile (‘X’) Madinda is a hip-hop artist, social activist, community educator and entrepreneur based in Makhanda, South Africa. X is one of the founding members of Defboyz, an influential hip-hop group in the Eastern Cape that combines hip hop, poetry and beats with social messages and community activism to forge social cohesion. X is a founding member of the youth art group Fingo Revolutionary Movement and Fingo Festival, a week-long annual event within the township and part of the South African National Arts Festival. X is also the founder and CEO of Around Hip Hop, an organization that has built The Black Power Station.
The Black Power Station is a pioneering arts space within the re-emerging industrial area of Makhanda, South Africa. It is a liberated space where everyone contributes to its taking shape. It is a free and open space where people can come year-round to enjoy and participate in dialogue and other various forms of artistic expression. The Black Power Station seeks to be an alternative venue that facilitates arts to its fullest.
Andiswa (‘Bliss’) Rabeshu is a poet MC and a self-taught, independent visual artist from Makhanda, South Africa. Bliss grew up in the township of Fingo, and she sees herself and her artwork as products of this community. The focal points for her work largely depict common issues such as gender inequality, poverty, identity and culture. Bliss is the first black, female resident artist of the Black Power Station and she is the petrol and engine behind Arts Beyond the Streets. Arts Beyond the Streets is a social platform that fosters collaborations for visiting and local artists in Makhanda. It creates the space for different individuals to get together in one space and express themselves through art and nature.
Lillie Williams is the director and long-time member of Chihamba in Charlottesville, Virginia. She organizes various cultural, educational, and entertainment programming, such as the annual Annual African-American Cultural Arts Festival. As a Charlottesville local, Lillie is very active in the community and she knows how to get people engaged and moving! Lillie puts on numerous arts and dance workshops in the Charlottesville community, largely within the public school system.
Related Links:
YouTube video:
Arts Beyond the Streets in Charlottesville
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS5DTq2bhnY
McGuffey Art Center, located one block from the Downtown Mall, is one of the oldest artist-run cooperative art centers in the country. A community of artists dedicated to practicing our art and passing on the creative spirit, over 150 small businesses operate under one nurturing and forward-thinking umbrella. 46 artists work in our historic building as renting members, six rotate every year as incubator members, and 108 have studios elsewhere, creating circles of financial and artistic connections throughout Charlottesville, Central Virginia, and beyond. Artists show in the galleries at the art center, host workshops, teach classes, give free tours to groups of students, participate in summer art camps, and put time and care into committee work.
First Fridays at McGuffey are free and open to the public on the first Friday of every month (except for August).