Heritage in Liberty City: LP2 First Visit

LP2 First Visit

Posted in | at 1:06 PM

Last Wednesday, January 20, 2010 I went to the African Heritage Arts Center for second time but this time I actually had the chance to see the installations of this place.

When I arrived, I didn’t see much movement. After looking around for someone to help me, I found the information office and I asked for Mr. Marshall Davis who is the director of the arts center. As soon as he saw me, he remembered me from our lunch at Jumbos the day before, which was part of a meeting that professor Reisner set up for another class project that I have call Liberty Link.

Mr.Davis gave me a tour of the center. He told me about the paintings and ceramic work that is part of the decoration of the buildings and also took his time to showed me the art gallery, dance studio, performing room, music hall and classrooms.

At the Amadlozy Gallery, I saw photographies, paintings and sculptures that are part of temporal exhibition organized by Kuumba Artist Collective, an informal organization of South Florida African World artists established by the Miami Black Arts Workshop and the former Kuumba Artists Association of Florida.

Next to the art gallery is the Wendell A Narcisse Theater that was getting ready for the Melodious Echo show that will happen next Saturday. The theater can seat 200 hundred people and it has an electronic screen,spotlights, sound system and a movable stage.

According to Mr. Davis, the association receives the work from local artist and organizes the exhibitions during the whole year. The pieces are also for sale, so people can buy the pieces of art.

The dance studio occupies almost all the first floor of one of the buildings and its one of the main reasons people from different ages come to the arts center. The music hall is another big facility of the center, people here can take classes of piano and classical music and some of the rooms that are now use for practice will be recording studios.

When we finished the tour, I was surprise by all the classes and services that the arts center provides to the people of Liberty City and surrounded areas. Another thing that cough my attention was the collection of art that artist from the community had donated and how most of them are now stories of success.

My visit to the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center was great. I had a private tour guide, Mr. Marshall Davis who answered all my questions and gave me lots of information about the community and their desire to keep growing. I saw and understood African paintings and I was also invited to the Melodious Echo Show. Definitely a good experience I highly suggest this place.