AfroSolo Arts Festival 27: Visual Arts Exhibition Dates – July and August 2022
Features:
Rhonel RobertsI am a San Francisco artist living in Hayes Valley for the last 20 years.
My love for this city started after I moved from Stockton and discovered the wonder of this city's diversity in geography, ethnicity, and appreciation for life. "From the beginning, I wanted to celebrate the distinct neighborhoods that peppered the San Francisco peninsula." A native Californian who grew up in Stockton. California. Chez Rhonel was born in French California, where "a group of fur traders camped." So it's not surprising that he has a French name and loves Paris, France! "The more I painted to more I began to explore my passions and vision of colors that surrounded me in San Francisco, Paris, and the sounds that emerged from Jazz with such a rich palette of hues, shapes, and emotion." My art business has been designated as a "Trusted Art Seller" with The Art Storefronts Organization, which means you can shop with confidence and know that I stand behind the quality and value of my products. |
TheArthur WrightI was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1940. Three years later, during the Second World War, the family moved to Seattle, where my father found defense work at Boeing Aircraft (as it was named then) Company. Joining the Air Force after graduation, I spent three years in Japan, a country that impressed me then as it still does even after all these years. After getting my discharge, I attended Central Washington State College in Ellensburg for a year, then moved to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Area in October 1964. I am the father of four children, three robust young males, and a lady. My first writings were published in the early seventies, and my art sold well initially, but I have been semi-retired for a time, and after nearly a 20-year hiatus, I started painting again in 1994.
My career has given me a lot of exciting things to do, including a call to Hollywood, which was short-lived, however, and then becoming a board member of the Artship, a renovated ship of war that became a seaborne arts venue in Oakland. The ship was discontinued in 2004. My first internet sale in 1997 was to a person from South Africa, and one of the most recent was to a Swedish representative of the Carnaval, a huge and sprawling global celebration that deals intensively with the peoples of the African Diaspora. For the 2003 Carnaval in San Francisco, my bleach rendering of 'Califia, Queen of California' was chosen as the poster cover for that event. I have since been shown and honored in various schools and colleges such as Stanford, UCLA, Sonoma State, and Santa Rosa JC and a much longer and growing list. The introduction of bleach into my art has been a huge catalyst, and in it, I find enough nuances to explore to take me the rest of the way. I am on the board of directors for Prescott-Joseph, a non-profit community organization located here in Oakland, California. Wright's works Wright's website: www.thearthurwright.net |
Peter Fitzsimmons / CuratorPeter Fitzsimmons, a native San Franciscan, is the curator for AfroSolo and the current "Standing Our Ground" themed virtual art exhibit.
Peter is an acclaimed actor who has performed at the AfroSolo Festival in his one-man show "Sargent Johnson - Forever Free". He is also the founding Executive Director of the Jazz Heritage Center and The Lush Life Art Gallery. As an art consultant and Gallery Director, his career included work at San Francisco's Circle Gallery located in the Frank Lloyd Wright building on Maiden Lane and as the Richard MacDonald Gallery Director. He is currently carrying on the work of honoring the heritage and history of Jazz as a Jazz Historian and member of Darleen Roberts' "Jazz Ambassadors." He earned his B.A. in Literature and Theater Arts at the University of California at Santa Cruz. He also studied playwrighting in the MFA program at UCLA. Mr. Fitzsimmons is the Co-founder of the Fellowship Theater Guild, where he acted in various productions. Fitzsimmons recently co-directed "First Steps Towards the Dream: The Letters of Alfred Fisk and Howard Thurman" (the Co-founders of San Francisco's historic Church For the Fellowship of All Peoples.) This production premiered at the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. |
Rhonel Roberts' Works
For all Artwork Inquiries please contact Peter Fitzsimmons at 415 378 0332 pfitzsimmons13@gmail.com
TheArthur Wright's Works
For all Artwork Inquiries please contact Peter Fitzsimmons at 415 378 0332 pfitzsimmons13@gmail.com
AfroSolo Arts Festival 27 concludes its 2022 season with two dynamic productions. First, an online visual arts exhibition is taking place July 5, 2022 to August 31, 2022, on AfroSolo's Website featuring San Francisco artist Rhonel Robert and East Bay artist TheArthur Wright. Both artists will showcase works that explore the Festival's theme, "Standing Our Ground."
The second production, taking place June 10-12, 2022, continues AfroSolo's investigation of Black men's entanglement with the United States criminal justice system. Titled "Embracing Our Light," we feature two men who share their stories and give voice to their incarceration experience. They include Geoffrey Grier and former bank robber Mark Thomas. There will be a talkback after each performance.
Performances are live at the Potrero Stage Theater, 1695 – 18th Street in San Francisco, and live streamed simultaneously. We know that some people are not ready to mingle with a crowd, but we want them to have the opportunity to experience our shows.
The performances are free, but donations to support artists are appreciated. For more information or to reserve tickets, visit bit.ly/AfroSolo-BlackVoices.
The second production, taking place June 10-12, 2022, continues AfroSolo's investigation of Black men's entanglement with the United States criminal justice system. Titled "Embracing Our Light," we feature two men who share their stories and give voice to their incarceration experience. They include Geoffrey Grier and former bank robber Mark Thomas. There will be a talkback after each performance.
Performances are live at the Potrero Stage Theater, 1695 – 18th Street in San Francisco, and live streamed simultaneously. We know that some people are not ready to mingle with a crowd, but we want them to have the opportunity to experience our shows.
The performances are free, but donations to support artists are appreciated. For more information or to reserve tickets, visit bit.ly/AfroSolo-BlackVoices.
PAST EVENTS
February 15 - April 30, 2021
LIVE STREAMING: Alfrosolo.org ,Facebook, Instagram
AfroSolo joins the battle to save the lives of Black people from COVID-19. According to the experts, Black lives can be saved by wearing masks or facial covering. We embrace President Biden’s call to make his first 100 Days in office a war on this insidious virus. Wearing a mask is especially important now because too many Black people are dying from it. Our exhibition has four parts:
- We have invited artists to create works to inspire us to wear masks.
- We will provide information to keep you informed on the latest info regarding the virus.
- We invite members of our community to send selfies of themselves wearing masks. We will use these photos to encourage others to do the same.
- We also fervently urge you to consider getting vaccinated. If you do, please let us know.
ROBERT MELTON| Curator
Robert Melton is the curator for AfroSolo where he curated several art shows. Melton also serves as the co-chair for the Member-Led Arts Forum and curator for San Francisco Commonwealth Club. Melton is a freelance curator, a community events arts organizer and formerly the outreach coordinator/curator for de Young College Arts Programs. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history and ethnic studies and a Master degree in museums studies. His background includes years of curatorial and public events experience throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Some of these venues include: de Young Museum, San Francisco State University, Bay Area art colleges, San Francisco Main Public Library, SomArts, San Francisco LGBT Pride Art Pavilion, Fillmore Artwalk and Sunday Streets. Melton serves as a jury member for the Arts for Aids annual fundraiser, a committee member for the SF Symphony Ellen Magnin Newman Award and an advisory board member for San Francisco State University Global Museum. |
GENE DOMINIQUE | Photographer
Depicting essential workers and our neighbors wearing masks goes a long way toward normalizing the practice. When we see people we know and people we respect wearing masks in order to protect the community from Covid-19 that highlights how important it is for everyone to follow suit. Early on during the pandemic I set about to document essential workers on the front lines around the Bay Area. On a walk up California Street in April I met a Brother standing guard in front of the Bank of America building. He was standing tall and proud so when I asked him if I could make his portrait, he gladly agreed and adopted a regal pose. In May my dentist agreed to let me make her portrait. Her office was open to treat patients with emergencies. About the pandemic she said “we trained for things like Covid-19 throughout our education, our job now is to keep people out of pain and out of hospital emergency rooms.” Marily and Lydia are granddaughter and grandmother who have been separately quarantining since March. My goal is to make them look awesome wearing masks. |
DANIELLE MATTHEWS |Painter
Jamaican artist living and working in the San Francisco Bay Area, and graduate of the Academy of Art University with an MFA in Painting. I have participated in student showcases at the SRISA in Florence, Italy and at the de Young Museum. I have also participated in group exhibitions at the San Francisco Public Library (with AfroSolo Theater Company), The San Francisco DA’s Office, and the African American Art Culture Center (at which I also had a solo exhibition). Most recently I was selected amongst other artists to be featured in the 2020 de Young Open. In 2016, I was featured in The Gleaner, Jamaica. |
ALEXANDRA NUNEZ |Visual Artist
Alexandra Nunez is a visual artist from the Bronx, New York. Her parents are natives from the Dominican Republic who migrated to the US in the late 1970s. She grew up in an urban community of immigrant families surrounded by social disparities, and she is a product of that diverse and challenging environment. Her interest in art began in high school, where she enjoyed drawing abstractions of her self-portraits. Alexandra completed her undergraduate studies at Lehman College, majoring in Studio Art and minoring in Secondary Education. Alexandra earned a Master’s Degree in painting from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and now lives in Oakland. |
"Embracing Our Light"
Performances are live at the Potrero Stage Theater, 1695 – 18th Street in San Francisco, and live streamed simultaneously. We know that some people are not ready to mingle with a crowd, but we want them to have the opportunity to experience our shows. Performances are Friday and Saturday, June 10th and 11th at 7 pm PT, 9 pm CT, and 10 pm ET, and Sunday at 3 pm P, 5 pm CT, and 6 pm ET.
The performances are free, but donations to support artists are appreciated. For more information or to reserve tickets, visit bit.ly/AfroSolo-BlackVoices.
The performances are free, but donations to support artists are appreciated. For more information or to reserve tickets, visit bit.ly/AfroSolo-BlackVoices.
Featuring:
Geoffrey GrierDirected by Dr. Ayodele Nzinga, Geoffrey Grier performs "Resurrection," a story of Grier's rise, fall, and recovery from many vices. He takes us on a very personal journey that is a narrative of resilience from his hometown of Detroit to San Francisco. Grier's journey goes from the extremes of family love to the depths of addiction. He then invites us to experience his uplifting voyage of recovery and resurrection from the vices.
Using the depth of his experiences, Grier now manages the San Francisco Recovery Theatre, whose mission is to organize the partnership between actors, scripted material, writers, directors, and newcomers (returning citizens and homeless performers). As a recovering addict, Grier believes that the artistic processes of theater and the performing arts give people a chance to lower the masks they wear on the street and successfully communicate from the heart and in the moment. |
Mark ThomasDirected by Wayne Harris, Mark Thomas performs "Matters of Live and Death," which uses autobiographical events to explore the problematic tendencies of young men to engage in reckless and deadly actions. How he went from a mild-mannered college honor student to a diehard convicted bank robber nearly killed in confrontations with law enforcement?
Thomas spent thirteen years in prison but used that time wisely through engagement with education, positive group activities, and focused self-development. Thomas has been employed as a college psychology instructor, an adult education instructor, and a restorative justice practitioner. Serving underserved populations over the last 20 years, he has dedicated his experience and abilities to address the severe problems afflicting our society and humanity. |