Event Listing - Galleries

Fri Feb 1

Yea We Said It, And No We're Not Sorry!

Malik & Milton Bowens

Location	Date and Time
Joyce Gordon Gallery 406 14th Street Oakland, CA 94612 map cross street: between Broadway & Franklin district: Oakland (Downtown)	Fri Feb 1 (5:30pm - 8:30pm)

Description

Malik Senferu says the theme of this exhibit is a "calling of the ages". In "Yea, We Said It and No, We're Not Sorry!" Seneferu takes a "no holds barred" approach to his art and a powerful message during Black History Month. His mixed media pieces are a call to create more consciousness and solidarity in the Black communities. Discouraged by the disregard of Black history in the mainstream, and the disintegration of values from black history among today's Black youth, this exhibit stresses that "blackness" is rich, powerful and something of pride extending beyond one month and beyond the narrow, limited scope of pop culture.

According to Seneferu, "It is a time where we put ourselves on review and follow in pursuit of our on happiness through our own music, own dance, our own art to build our own children, families, etc." He believes that any endeavors of creating new artifacts, not decorations, must be a major priority and attitude guiding the further development of the Black community. Of this exhibit, Seneferu says, "Being the artist is not a passive task. Don't be scared! Say loud, be proud and collect black art of all disciplines that help our future to create freely." Seneferu has found several creative techniques to convey these messages, unapologetically. Therefore, it is not a mistake that his visual commentary is affirmative - with no apologies.

Artist Milton Bowens:
Eye believe the title of this exhibition says it all. Depending on your age, upbringing and angle of observation, the celebration of Black History Month seems self-evident, annually long overdue or for some, redundant and unnecessary. Black History Month today has become a commercialized operation that has taken our peoples' stories of pain and struggle and candy-coated them for easy consumption. It has turned our most courageous Icons and Heroes into fairytale-like logos and reduced their cultural impacts into mere slogans. Some might ask, "Why artistically confront this pop culture assault?" Why precisely, because activism, action and movement today have become so rare, so underground that it is literally non-visible within this once bold, dynamic, proud and publicly fearless culture.

Take a look at today's current events and how the stories depict our Black people. Eye, believe this is absolutely the right time and the ideal platform for a non-apologetic, heavy-hitting re-examination of how we view Black History and celebrate Black History Month. This work will attempt to truthfully spur one another toward genuine reflective action. This exhibition is unique and invaluable with the way the artwork returns our peoples camaraderie, trust, honesty, struggle, faith and perseverance to the forefront of a contemporary movement.

With a renewed objective and fresh voice, fine art must be the tool used for preserving our cultures most valuable and cherished stories.

About Milton Bowens:
Born and raised in Oakland, California, Milton is the fifth boy of ten children. He began his formal art training at the Renaissance Art School in Oakland, CA during his Junior and Senior High School years. On completion of high school, Milton was awarded a scholarship to attend the California College of Arts and Crafts; after one-year of studies, Milton enlisted in the United States Armed Forces and became an Illustrator. He received his Associates Degree in Commercial Art under the Army's College Education Assistance Program (ACE). Milton continued his education in the Arts, attending both Austin Peay State University, TN and Fayetteville State University, NC while serving his tour of duty in the military. During this time, Milton's work was collected by two of the military's most prestigious museums; The John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Museum, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and The Don F. Pratt Memorial Museum, Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

After serving his tour of duty, Milton returned to the Bay Area and continued his education under the mentorship of fine artist, David Bradford, head of the Art department as well as an instructor at Laney College, Oakland, California. Inspired by great artists such as, Jean Michel Basquiat, Robert Rauschenberg, Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence and Andy Warhol, Milton changed his focus from illustration to fine art, and has become not only a great artist in his own right but a very powerful public speaker and community activist. In the fight to keep ART a vital part of public education and a tool to help rebuild self-esteem in all youth Milton, has diligently and tirelessly created exhibitions that try to bring about a level of civility to a community in need of inspiration.

Although Milton has accomplished much in his brief art career, he still considers himself to be ever expanding in the quest for knowledge, technique and understanding of art and how it plays a role in the preservation of the African American culture.