DAVENPORT, IA - Chicago-based artist to unearth stories of local race riots in a performance-based exhibit at the Figge.
Reminiscent of the popular talk show sets of the Mike Douglas and Dick Cavett shows of the 1960s and 70s, artist Jefferson Pinder has created an installation to serve as a launch pad for renewed conversation about a raucous race riot that took place at Rock Island High School in the early 70s. Local artist and community activist Gaye Burnett, along with Cheryl Lafferty and Pinder, will spearhead narratives about events surrounding this infamous riot that sent many students to the hospital and some to jail.
“The Soul Bowl is the third and final installation for Pinder’s Ghost Light exhibit at the Figge Art Museum,” says Burnett. “The performances include local community members sharing their personal histories in regards to race. Because the exhibits are live, guests consume the installation in real time making for a unique way to experience these artfully told stories.” Azubuike’s Urban Exposure Independent Film Project and Pinder will document the performances with video and audio recordings for inclusion in the Ghost Light multi-media installation. The live performance is from 6:30-8:30 this Friday, May 5 at the Figge Art Museum.
Admission is free and open to the public.
Azubuike African American Council for the Arts is a 501(c)3 not for profit with the mission to reconcile the racial divides that exist in our community by giving at-risk youth a voice to express themselves, be heard without bias, and spark a much larger conversation about race relations in the Quad Cities through the arts. Azubuike regularly partners with the Figge Art Museum on events and exhibits that highlight diversity and youth art programming.
Jefferson Pinder is an award-winning artist out of Chicago, IL where he works as a professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the Sculpture Department. Pinder was recently honored with a Guggenheim award and has exhibited in Shanghai, The Studio Museum in Harlem, the Wadsworth Athenaeum Museum of Art in Hartford, Connecticut, Showroom Mama in Rotterdam, Netherlands, the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture, and more.
