Saya Woolfalk

Visionary Reality Threshold (formerly What's Happening Downtown)

Alright, I still can't stop talking about BLINK! There has been artwork that made me want to do crazy things and there's artwork that makes made me want to dream of beautiful and better things in my life. This one just made me want to be and be comfortable in my own skin. This is hands down, my favorite mural! Even long before this mural was official unveiled, I would just look at it, smile, and it made me let go of any concerns that I had for the day.


Visionary Reality Threshold by Brooklyn based artist Saya Woolfalk, in collaboration with Brave Berlin, was officially unveiled Saturday afternoon at BLINK. Born to a Japanese mother and a mixed race African American and Caucasian father in Gifu, Japan (one of Cincinnati's ten sister cities), she is known for portraying feminism, science fiction, and fantasy to reimagine the world in her work. Afrofuturism originated in 1993 by Mark Dery and explored in the late 1990s through conversations lead by American writer and professor Alondra Nelson. Sun Ra was an American jazz composer and bandleader who would feature performers in futuristic costumes inspired by ancient Egypt attire and the Space Age. Afrofuturism slowly grew in popularity with the introduction of The Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War in 2016 and then his stand alone film in 2018.

Previously, What's Happening Downtown mural was featured in this very spot.

Saturday afternoon really brought this mural to life. After the unveiling, a dance performance followed, and all we can do is just let it be.

Saya and Artworks apprentices

BLINK, and ye shall find!

This past weekend, Cincinnati's premier art and light show, BLINK, graced 30 blocks of downtown Cincinnati, Over-The-Rhine,  and Covington, Kentucky. Spanning the Cincinnati Bell Connector route and downtown Covington, this one of a kind show decorated some of our most iconic landmarks. It all kicked off with the Future City Light Spectacular parade, and for four days, millions of spectators, artists, and performers reveled and basked in this surreal wonderland--- Greater Cincinnati in an alternate universe!

This is the party that we will all be talking about for a very long time! Sadly, we all have to return back to our home planet Cincinnati and to our realities, but it doesn't all have to be that bad. Here are some of the sights and sounds to help you slay the new week!

Aliennati

Aliennati

Community made mural near Findlay Market

Dress Up, Speak Up: Regalia and Resistance

It's Hump Day, y'all! Two weeks ago tomorrow, I learned that my supposed temp-to-hire position at a regional security company ended. My supervisor gave me the impression that I was a great candidate to be hired on, given the other temps had attendance issues and not so good numbers. I and two other temps were informed that night that it would be our final night there. Of the roughly twenty temps brought on for the project, only two were hired on. Now, I'm back to square one. I will soldier through and be on the quest for my next opportunity.

I wasn't going to let my free time go to waste. This morning, I attended the BLINK information session this morning at the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber offices. This outdoor art and light festival, the only one of its kind in the United States, returns for the second year next weekend, which I will post about in the future.

After the meeting, I headed to the 21c Museum Hotel to check out Dress Up, Speak Up: Regalia and Resistance.  This exhibit combines the experiences of Africa and the African Diaspora with modern issues such as sexuality, gender identity and equality and portrays these with unusual mediums such as tapestry, beading, and fabric. Pulling from different eras in history, such as the Enlightenment-era Europe, this exhibit tells of the African, African American, and LGBTQ reality for what it is and what it could be. Being an introvert myself, I felt it very fitting to go check out this exhibit and see myself in these pieces of work. Some highlights from today's visit. Make it a great day and handle your business!

Three Kings, 2018

The Anthropophagic Effect, Helmuts 1 & 3, Jeffery Gibson, 2019

Proposed Model of Francois Benga, Athl-Patra Ruga, 2018

Imaginary Best Friend, Jody Paulsen, 2017

Sisterhood, Beverly McIver, 2018

Brella Krew, Ebony G Patterson, 2013

Brella Krew, Ebony G Patterson, 2013

Brella Krew, Ebony G Patterson, 2013

Untitled, from the series of 72, Ebony G Patterson, 2011

Prism, Jeffery Gibson, 2018

For Sarah-The African Princess, Dagmar van Wegghel

Cincinnati Music Hall

                                            

This past weekend, as with many of my weekends, was action packed. Saturday morning, I gave my monthly Findlay Market Tour, checked out City Flea at Washington Park and bought a couple of items, had lunch, and then, went inside Music Hall and took the SPMH Backstage and Beyond tour.

Back in November 2017 in the midst of Music Hall's renovation, I had the honor of working through a local temp agency on a project to help recatalogue thousands of pieces of music for the music library. After the project ended, all of the temps had the honor of taking an exclusive tour of Music Hall. For this blog, I wanted to refresh my memory of the rich history of this Cincinnati icon.

Ron, my tour guide for this past weekend, was super knowledgeable about the legacy of Music Hall. This is the home of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Cincinnati Opera, and the Cincinnati Ballet, and the Cincinnati May Festival Chorus. Designed by Samuel Hannaford, it first opened in 1878 and has been used for musical performances and as an industrial exhibition hall. This was also built over a pauper's cemetery and, per the Travel Channel, it is listed as one of the most haunted places in the United States.




What very few people know that Music Hall has a super rich African American heritage. Back in the 1920s, The Music Hall ballroom served as two nightclubs: the Topper Club for white patrons and the Graystone Club for African American patrons. As with many of the public places at the time, this was segregated; Topper Club patrons used the Elm Street entrance and the Graystone Ballroom patrons entered using the Central Parkway entrance. Among the African American performers who performed at the Graystone were Cab Calloway and his Cotton Club Band, Ella Fitzgerald, Fats Domino, B.B. King, Sarah Vaughn, and Miles Davis (P.S. & BTW, the audition scene of the Davis biopic Miles Ahead was filmed in Springer Auditorium!).

Here's another little known fact: according to the Mansfield News-Journal, on April 13, 1934, two men robbed the Greystone Ballroom of $3500.00 and locked two employees in the ante-room!

What's more, per Cincinnati's Colored Citizens by Wendell P. Dabney,  there were two African American organists who were among the first to play the organ at Music Hall; Charles E Trotter, who was an organist for Union Baptist Church, Cincinnati's oldest African American Church, for 30 years and toured the state of Ohio in organ recitals and local physician Dr. C.F. Buckner, who was known to be among the first doctors to use magnetism in medical practice and also served in the Black Brigade.

Fast forward...This is also home to Classical Roots and Opera Goes to Church, both which collaborates with local black churches, choirs, and musicians to perform in black churches and infuses opera, classical, spirituals, and jazz to deliver one of a kind performances.

Blessings and Happy Monday to all!

End of Summer, Beginning of Transition

 

It has been an action packed summer and a period of transition, both seasonally and personally. Having just celebrated my birthday about two weeks ago, I used this time to reflect on the blessings and challenges of the past year. To top it all off, I was invited by Candice Holloway, the owner of Soul Secrets Catering, to the End of Summer Pop Up brunch today as a thanks for leading a tour at Findlay Market during Cincy Music Festival weekend in July. This also turned out to be a late birthday present for me.

Soul Secrets Catering is a member of Findlay Kitchen, which is a non profit food business incubator where up and coming "foodtrepreneurs" are looking to start their own food business. 75% of those who use Findlay Kitchen are minority, female, and immigrant owned businesses, and they have access to commercial grade kitchen equipment and storage where they can test out their recipes in their quest to being a Findlay Market vendor, and ultimately, open their own full fledged brick and mortar restaurants and catering businesses.

Soul Secrets Catering specializes in way down home soul food and uses recipes passed down from their grandparents from as far back as 1925, and with my rave review and all others, there are no signs of this pillar of the community slowing down anytime soon. I ordered the peach cobbler french toast, grits, and sausage links, and Candice and her staff did not disappoint with this scrumptious spread! I am so inspired to make a fall themed breakfast inspired by my meal today, which will be coming in a future post. Kudos and blessings to Candice and her staff for putting their love and commitment to this meal and this community!