Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Black Artists Combine Art & Literature for Community Book Fair Challenge!




We are overwhelmed with all the love and unbelievable quality and volume of books that came flooding in during the book drive. Our cup truly runneth over with y'all grace! The excitement of seeing adults falling in love with the potential of reading and begging for opportunities to take them home hit a fever pitch!  And thus a brilliant plot twist was born!

The idea was proposed that if you were to take a book, no matter how many you took. You would have to do a book report at the next Exhibit Treal during next month’s RBGSFL’s Family Funday & Mini Market. But wait before the moans and grunts could be released, Empress Prestige dropped another plot twist!!!

We love that you love BOOKS!!! And we want you to take The Book Report Challenge!!!

We're looking for a few TREAL readers to do a book report one something that'll be reading for the month of April. The reports will be displayed or performed at our Book Fair & Art Show next month.

Let's ‪#‎KeepItTreal‬... your book report can be done as artistically as you see fit! Poetry/Art/Dance whatever you feel best conveys your report. LETS GET CREATIVE!!!!


If you came to the Exhibit Treal: We Got Dat LIT! Group Art Show & Youth Book Drive at RBG Family Fun Day and Mini Market on Easter Sunday and found books you love.... you know you owe us them book reports!!!! But we'll give you a pass like this....







If you're down to take The Book Report Challenge:

Drop a pic in the event page with the hashtag ‪#‎TheTrealReport‬ of yourself and the book you are going to be reading. (If you are looking for a book to read message us to setup a time for you to come by and look for something to dive into.)

Let's Read as a Community!!!!

So with that said… Exhibit Treal presents “We LIT!” The Book Fair x Art Show.

Even with the large amounts of books that were taken, we’ve got a lot and many more to come! Which gave us the idea of a book fair! Not only will you be surrounded by the visual works of talented, passionate artists but Books FOR DAYS!!!! All of which for FREE!

Come swap out old books for other books to read! Or donate more! Or come to find yourself new reading material. Reading is important, and so we’re creating this sort of a community library to encourage literacy.

Help us to be the change that inspire the youth and expand your world through the power of words!!! If you’d like to participate in the book report challenge or interested in just going through the collection of books to read and are in Palm Beach County…   contact us at exhibittreal@gmail.com

ART CALL:


We're looking for black visual artists to exhibit at our Book Fair/ Art Show

Submit to exhibittreal@gmail.com:
Artist Statement
Short Bio
3 Images of Art you'd like to exhibit


Because April is Poetry month and we are LIT!!! We will be having some amazing poets come set this ablaze!!!
Not only will they be exhibiting art you’ll be diving into your wallets to own. But the artists will collaborate in turning a bookshelf into a masterpiece which will be auctioned off to for charity at a later date. Details soon.
                   
Sunday, April 24
12pm – 5pm
Caribbean Choice
2845 N Military Trl

West Palm BEACH, Fl 33409



Monday, March 28, 2016

Reading is LIT!!!!! Art & Books Spark the Community!!!!!


Easter Sunday during the 3rd RBG of South Florida's Family Funday & Mini Market / Exhibit Treal "We Got Dat LIT! Art Show & Book Drive the community came together like voltron! What started
as a goal to have people donate books for an upcoming an book club but things took a beautiful turn. As the books began to pile and pile, racks on racks on racks!!!! The people couldn't stop themselves from falling in love as they looked upon the massing collection. We even had the unexpected
pleasure of CBS News 12 coming to cover it!

The energy took some home was at a fever pitch which inspired a new idea. In order to take a book, (and everyone was allowed to take several) you would have to do a book report one that would be due the before the next RBG Family Funday which falls on the last Sunday of every month. Empress Prestige then took it to another level, stating to keep things treal that the book report could be done in any artistic fashion you could think of.

The artists debuted astounding brand new works and series that had the people charged up!!!! And works work sold, including a sale between artists in the show!










What happen next was amazing! Instead folding to the idea, people rushed to the table snatching as many as they could. Fully excited about participating... thus our Book Fair will be happening next month! Details Soon!!!! This also became the foundation for a new project, our cups runneth over with amazing amount of books and more are on the way. So we are working on getting some type of community library going. Be sure to stay tuned for that!

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CURVE THE CUBE PODCAST INTERVIEW!!!

The interview from our Saturday sit down with Curve the Cube is up!!!! Episode 69!!!




Saturday, March 26, 2016

Curve the Cube Podcast Gets TREAL! *INTERVIEW LINK ADDED!*

What’s treal?


Well we had the honor of our co-founders and curators Tracy Guiteau & Jason “JaFleu” Fleurant being interviewed on Curve the Cube’s podcast. It was a fun conversation that featured laughs, crazy stories and insight into what Exhibit Treal is and the future goals. Jason has already one been featured on nearly a year ago on episode 25, so entertaining podcast, so it was a great delight to hear more about the passionate Guiteau.

CLICK TO LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW


Last Year's JaFleu interview 






The episode will be released on Monday via their site! And we’ll make sure to update this blog with the link once it’s available.

What’s Curve the Cube?


Curve the Cube is a south Florida-based media, arts, & entertainment podcast from Flint Stone Media aimed at giving inspiration and insights for pursuing YOUR dreams outside of the cubicle!!! Also available at CurveTheCube.com! 



Simply put in the words of CTC’s founder and host Jaime ("Jemmy") Legagneur  “Since starting this podcast project, I have been privileged to have conversations with some of the most amazing people walking the walk of their passion, and it's been AWESOME!!! Whether it inspires you to pursue a passion full or part time, you HAVE to feed your soul! Be true to your dreams and passions, and you will live the life you were born to live. You only have one round on earth. Make the most of it! Curve the cube!!!

Friday, March 18, 2016

The Treals Represent during X102.3 Interview


Yesterday, Abasi & I were honored to record an interview that will be airing Sunday morning on X102.3 at 6:30 am. The 30 minute session felt more like a great conversations versus just answering questions. The original intentions were to promote all our upcoming events.

Specifically Sunday evenings Black Business Mixer and next Sunday's third installment of the RBGSFL's Family Funday & Mini Market as well as the Exhibit Treal: We Got Dat LIT! Group Art Show & Youth Book Drive. Yet the conversation became much broader, tackling topics such as
gentrification in the Northwood/Pleasant City area, pride in being black, black lives matter, the Nia Simone/Zoe Saldana black face controversy, Pablo Picasso's appropriation of black art and more. The 30 minutes was jam packed.



It will be airing this Sunday at 6:30 am during the "Wake Up Line". We hope you all are able to tuned in. If you can't listen the old fashion way, there is an X102.3 app you can download on your phone and also you can stream it online on their website.

And don't forget it come out and vibe with us next March 27!



At Caribbean Choice
2845 N Military Trl
West Palm Beach, Fl 33409

If you are a black business vendor looking to be apart of the Family Funday & Mini Market contact:

Abasi Hanif - 561-909- 8050
Amanda Lake - 561-577-8778
Jessica McCready - 754-246-3725
or email: rbgofsouthflorida@gmail,com 

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

“AfroCool” : The Rise of Black Atlantic Art in South Florida Exhibit Review



   To quote the polarizing Kanye West “Last night was mad treal!” I accompanied Exhibit Treal co-founder and brilliant artist TracyGuiteu down to Opa-Locka, Florida as she was going to drop-off some of her pieces to the gallery for an upcoming show. To my pleasant surprise, this wouldn’t be any ordinary routine drop… it would be become an examination into what is it is to unapologetically accept that being of African descent equaled everything that makes America cool.

   Within the notorious streets of Miami’s Opa-locka stands TheArc. And the name couldn’t have been a better choice. Once you stepped in you were instantly transported into a “whole new world”. This world, so masterfully crafted belongs to the brilliance of curator Ludlow Bailey. The world traveler greets you with the warmest of grace and brightest of smiles. His energy sets the tone immediately, here stood a proud black man welcoming you to indulge in the visual banquet spread upon the walls.



   Right of the bat, you are given the sense that this isn’t just a walk through, take a selfie exhibit. This was thought-provoking, it was meant for those within the walls to engage with each other and the works. And this is made clear when Mr. Bailey gently yet with a firm enough presence suggests that you after looking around, select your three favorite pieces and then explain to him why they are. Here is the defining moment to myself that redefine what a curator’s role is.




   Mr. Baily with a simple request place on you a challenge. One that made your focus sincerely, encouraged you too really dive-in to the art. There was an assignment, an examination to question yourself on why we find ourselves drawn to specific pieces. When you learn Mr. Bailey study philosophy at Brown University, it all begins to be clarified. This was his art, every work selected, where each piece hung and why… each inch intently planned out to let your mind roam and be blown by what it took in. I had no intentions of failing this assignment.

   Though this was the closing reception for the exhibit, the energy swirling around the corridor felt as lively as a grand opening. Everyone that sauntered in became fully enthralled in what their eyes noticed. “AfroCool” through being a multi-media showcase of diverse subject matters that dwelled so deeply in the conscious of Afro-America moved you. It literally feels as though you are partaking on a journey, one that was as Mr. Bailey noted “A celebration of ourselves”.




   With such a vast collection of breath-taking works it was so hard to narrow it down to just three. And in this I couldn’t help but imagine the large task Mr. Bailey encountered carefully crafting this exhibition. Paintings that capture the beautiful struggle such as “Red Hat” by the Dominican Republic born Rafael Santa Vargas, who has a BA in visual arts spoke volumes. Graphic artist MOHKAI works span across the walls with deliberate messages screaming to be creative, be yourself and love the revolution all statements in one’s self evolution.  Jackson Shuri’s “Isolation” , whom happened to be the only woman artist in the show’s large scale painting sang a melody Billie Holiday would love with it’s layers of complexity. Born in St. Croix, Rodrigo Richardson, who is a tall friendly spirit artwork reflected his personality. He’s creative energies shine brightly though his works like “Cry Blood” & “The Good Jesus”










   The elusive Miami artist M.O.AL.’s works and installation pieces push your conscious to really check yourself and your stance in America. Two of his works “Full Metal Jacket” (which presented a silhouette of America outlined by bullet shells) and “Steel Pulse” that were within the group exhibit were hauntingly powerful. And in the next room, you step further into M.O.A.L’s visual analyst of society and who we are with “Cultivating the God Gene”. An installation and solo exhibition of the secretive artist. Miami’s very own Banksy who as far as we know may or maynot of been in the building was well  represent both through art and his street team which took time to expound upon M.O.A.L’s art, creative intentions and pass out stickers.




   Yet when it was time for me for seek out Mr. Bailey and present my final decision, I did such with my head held high and completely assured. My number one favorite was what Mr. Bailey describe as the heart of the exhibition. And that’s Dinizulu Gene Tinnie’s “Seven Masques”, which steals the show. The elongated masterpiece felt like an epic poem, an ode to then, now and what’s to come. It depicted the Atlantic slave trade, but in this harsh journey it expressions the seeds for the artistic trees that would go on to bloom America’s most exciting aspects of culture. Gene would again conqueror my attention with “Monk’s Crossing”, an elaborately design work that for me reminded me of the power of music to travel us from this earth to furthest reaches of the galaxy. The figures in “Rum, Molasses and Cargo” somehow while depicted slaves still exudes a sense of pride and strength often found in people of African descent when under the darkest of moments. Charles Humes Jr’s use of texture brings the piece to life, and left my eye fixed on its message.


 
 “AfroCool” was as Mr. Bailey stated a screenshot of the new renaissance. It was here, among curators, poets, writers, painters, singers & scientist all of African descent that Mr. Bailey broke the news of Donald Trump’s victory of Florida in the primaries. As disheartening as it may be to know that his hatred keeps growing, you can’t help but when you hear in the lecture of former Marine (who studied at the University of Wisconsin-Madison), Ethiopian born Merbebe Solomon say things like “I believe America is here to teach collaboration, self-interest leads to self-destruction”. Well your energy shifts, you are now on a wave where you realize great minds in beautiful different shades of brown and black exist and are making themselves known. So as Kendrick Lamar chants “we gonna be alright!”

   An expert marksmen taking his first in his thousand hours journey as a public speaker, Solomon’s ability to deliver his message, his perspective with such an attention grabbing and digestible manner would make the late great James Baldwin proud. “So if your target is peace and collaboration”… Solomon declares as he launches into a firing stance in front of his crowd of listeners eagerly soaking in his words “you can’t look at the world as it is but as it can be!”

We were even treated to be among the Myron D  Jackson the senator of the Virgin island who spoke of his aspirations for an amazing art program.

   Ludlow Bailey, a curator, is a man of many hats and blessings. The art enthusiast did not just curate an exhibit, he curated an atmosphere that personified the idea that being of African descent is what it means to be Cool. “AfroCool” was without a doubt #CertifiedTreal.




Don’t miss out on the next exhibit… opening this Sunday. Featuring the works of Exhibit Treal’s very on co-founder Tracy Guiteau!!!  As part of the META Series “Mother Goddess” at The Arc. The opening is this Sunday, March 20 from 1pm – 4p. 675 Ali Baba Ave, Opa-locka, Fl 33054.