When I reached out to Brenda Miller Holmes years ago to inquire about getting involved in her project as a volunteer, I never imagined what would come with it or after. I shared a couple of posts in the past that touched on the Durham Civil Rights History Mural Project, one in July 2014 and the other in September 2014. This year, Myra Weise received an Arts About grant from Downtown Durham, Inc. (DDI) to fund a performance event inspired by the mural. Originally, she wanted to have Brenda create the temporary ground work, but being the equity-conscious person she is, Brenda suggested getting another artist involved and recommended me. At first, I wasn't sure if I could deliver what Myra envisioned, but I got more and more excited after meeting with her, getting an overview of the event, and sketching some ideas out on paper. We even met one weekend for a photo shoot to get images for promotional material (pictured below and also taken by Zoe Litaker Photography). ![]() On the day of the event, Myra was busy going through a super long list of logistical tasks that included things like picking up road barricades and chairs and dropping those off along with supplies and setting up, etc. I arrived on site a little after 10 a.m. and began to mark up the parking lot. The goal was for me to lay out the design in the mock up shown that would both serve as a place the community could color in for a couple of hours before the performance as well as the stage space for the dancers to perform within. Time flew as I started installing the stage's border. I quickly went through a number of the chalk spray paint cans and began to improvise when I was running out. In the home stretch, one of the men featured in the mural stopped by... Walter Riley, who was in town visiting due to a National Lawyer Guild's convention on civil rights (he's an Attorney who's done incredible work; look him up!). We talked for a while and I learned that he, too, is an artist and paints often with oils. All in all, it was a great experience. I wrapped up and went to work, and when I finished my shift, I came back to see bits of the performance and to check out Derrick Beasley's exhibition inside of the Durham Arts Council building. Some photos from behind the scenes are in the slideshow below as well as two brochures that were handed out during the event that share more information about the mural itself. Thanks for much for reading, and as always... feel free to leave a comment or two!
0 Comments
Oh, how the change of seasons forces me to be so contemplative! The cooling, crisp air all around and old, crunchy leaves on the ground make me think about the newness on the way. The dread of the upcoming holidays hit me, yet I also feel appreciative of the natural scenic makeovers. Every year, the outdoor transformations cause me reflect on the good things the warm season brought. This summer marked another year spent with kids participating in Hidden Voices' and Blue Ribbon's Seeking the Self camp; Year Three. You may remember my recap posts in 2018 and 2017-- well, the team was able to come back once again, which is not something I take for granted at all. The fact that camp took place this year after coming close to not happening at all due to major changes in organizational structure and funding alone was something I was happy about. Thankfully, the third time was a charm. For the second time, I also joined TPPI/APPP's graduation celebration for a round of painting fun (group photo pictured above). The last time I did that was for their 2017 group (and I wrote about it here). Below, I share more photos, a video, and summer memories related to Seeking The Self 2019. The video below shows an overview of this year's STS Program. The growth I got to witness in these kids during STS was super rewarding. As we worked with the students this summer, sharing other Artists' work and interpretations, I heard Will describe some of his work in a way I never experienced it before. I was inspired instantly. I wanted to try to replicate it his portrait style. I wanted to find out more. I got to see how many times he shared images of people with themselves as their own "twin" via his social media, and about how long he's been doing that. What I heard him say for the first time was that these portraits were all about love. Self love. The series was an investigation of what that self love look like. Below are some images he has shared in the past with one of my own following. Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed; and please leave any questions or comments below if you have any!
Summer is a busy time for an Artist that's involved in camps. As the time for longer and warmer days end each year, I get a little nostalgic and reflect on all of the great things the season brought. This year I returned to Hidden Voices and Blue Ribbon Mentor Advocate's Seeking The Self (STS) Camp as an Assistant Art Instructor and also joined SEEDS' Summer Camp as a Guest Teacher to [finally] complete my North Carolina Environmental Education Certification Program's Community Partnership Project. Working with the kids lesson-by-lesson to come up with a concept for a mural we designed together and began painting was a challenge, but very rewarding. I met many talented young artists and it was a pleasure to teach them some of the basics of art and design. Photos from SEEDS' Camp directly follow. Read on for more about STS Camp after that! As Autumn's onset brings in lovely outdoor changes, I wanted to reflect on the fun art classes and a summer camp I was involved in over the summer. I had the wonderful opportunity to work in the art spaces of UNC-CH with middle school-students participating in Seeking The Self 2017, a summer camp hosted annually by nonprofit organizations, Hidden Voices and Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate (BRMA). The photos below are some highlights of my time there and the video following shows more about the camp. I'm thrilled to have participated and look forward to doing more work with Hidden Voices in the near future. |
|
|
Sunday|Aug. 31
We headed straight to my sister's house to visit her family afterwards. They had fried rice, peppered cajun seafood, and drinks waiting for us. SCORE! While there, my brother in law ran out to buy some fruit that I agreed to help him carve into a "wagon". More visitors came and we had a great time bonding with each other. It wasn't until close to midnight when we headed back home to get some rest. We all had a splendid time and I'm glad we convinced Shadlyn not to hit the road until early Monday morning. It's a blessing to be people rich.

::Flashback to February::
I posted in February of 2013 about an Arts Entrepreneurs' Conference at UNCG that I was considering going to. However, I did not make it to the conference then, but this past February I registered and drove out to Greensboro, NC to attend this year. You can check out the social media feed using #SEAC2014. Anyway, the conference was very helpful and a great place for all kinds of artists to network. This is how my current art show got its wings.
I met Nicole Canty, Abstract and Experimental Artist and Owner of Arts Manifold at SEAC 2014. We exchanged information and as she was looking for artists to exhibit in her space, I found it to be a great opportunity and followed up with her about it.
Friday, March 28th was our opening Reception date for my show, but we have another reception being planned due to a lower turn out than expected. Below, please find two pieces that are on display, "The Drum That Spoke" and "Instant Message" along with my Artist Statement for the show and a short picture slideshow. During the reception, I got a chance to explain the inspiration and meanings behind each of the seven acrylic paintings being displayed. Stay tuned for more information about the show or visit www.artsmanifold.com for more information.
Artist Statement
Art and design have been a long time fascination of mine. Returning to the art scene in 2011, after becoming a North Carolina resident allowed me to become part of a growing arts community as well as capture my own feelings and voice them through paint and pencil. This exhibition, my first solo art show, is entitled "Interlingual" to describe the many places I have drawn inspiration from whether it be the language of the natural hair community, the science in being an environmental steward, or the rhythm behind any song that moves my spirit. I hope this work speaks to you. It took a huge leap of faith to leave the dreaming phase and I look forward to the journey ahead.

- Why not?
- I like to learn and share art techniques
- Blogging is a cool way of sharing/storytelling.
- I can share my art work, designs, and anything related.
- Art Walks...
- Museum visits...
- Conferences... etc.
About the Author
Cynelsa
(pronounced "sa-nəl-sa")
I go by C y... and I'm an artist and art lover making a major transition from hobbyist to professional.
Archives
August 2021
March 2021
November 2020
June 2020
April 2020
October 2019
July 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
December 2018
November 2018
September 2018
July 2018
May 2018
December 2017
November 2017
September 2017
June 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
March 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
August 2013
July 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
January 2013
October 2012
September 2012
Categories
All
Animation
Art
Celebrity Feature(s)
Creative Allies
Dance
DCRHM
Design
Digital
DIY
Durham Art Guild
Emerging Artists
Exhibit(s)
Film
Illustration
Lettering
Nature
Paint & Sip Events
Sewing
TFAAA
Triangle Sketch Crawl
Vector Art
Vending
Watercolor Painting