MAHOGANY DEW II

More African American Artists in Southampton

  African American Artists in Southampton opening September 18 at the Rogers Mansion, a property of the Southampton Historical Museums and Research Center.

 PROGRAM:          Art Exhibition/Opening Reception

TITLE:   Mahogany Dew II: More African American Artists in Southampton          

LOCATION:           Rogers Mansion, 17 Meeting House Lane, Southampton Village

DATE AND TIME: Saturday, September 18: 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

FEE:                       Free admission for the opening

EXHIBIT DATES:    September 18 through November 6, 2010

DESCRIPTION:      This exhibit will focus on the work of four living professional artists in Southampton who have made a career in the visual arts.  They include Pamela Council, Adger W. Cowans, Richard Mayhew and Reynold Ruffins. This exhibit and the opening reception on September 18 is sponsored by the East End African American Museum and Center for Excellence. This is the second exhibit in a series begun in 2007. Brenda Simmons, curator consultant for this exhibit, will lead a tour and Art Talk on September 23 taking visitors through the Museum's galleries revealing how the artists find inspiration, their methods for creating and little-known information about their personal lives that drive their careers.  Art Workshops for Kids, based on the exhibit, takes place on three consecutive Saturdays beginning October 9.

 PROGRAM:         Adult Program

TITLE:     Art Talk with Brenda Simmons, Curator of Mahogany Dew II

LOCATION:           Rogers Mansion, 17 Meeting House Lane, Southampton Village

DATE & TIME:      Thursday, September 23, 11:00 a.m.

FEE:                       Free admission

DESCRIPTION:      Brenda Simmons, curator consultant for this exhibit and curator at the East End African American Museum and Center for Excellence, will lead a tour through the Museum's galleries revealing how the artists find inspiration, their methods for creating and little-known information about their personal lives that drive their careers.  

PROGRAM:          Kids Program

TITLE:                    Art Workshops for Kids: Series of 3

LOCATION:           Rogers Mansion, 17 Meeting House Lane, Southampton Village

DATE & TIME:      Saturdays, October 9, 16 and 23; 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

FEE:                       $10 for materials

DESCRIPTION:      Art projects based on the current exhibit "Mahogany Dew II: More African American Artists in Southampton lead by one of the artists in the exhibit. Limited to 12, reservations required, call 283-2494.

 African Americans were first recorded in the Southampton Town Records in 1650 and have made significant contributions to the Town's development. Unfortunately very little of their social history or cultural gifts have been recorded or commemorated. A major goal of this exhibit is to promote cultural achievements made by living African American artists in Southampton and, with this commemoration, preserve their history for residents and visitors from beyond.

 "Mahogany Dew II" is the second in a series of exhibits that promotes an important element in the fabric of our community. The first "Mahogany Dew" in 2007 brought in the most visitors in the Museum's history and featured articles in regional and national publications. By exhibiting living Southampton artists of African descent who have received professional recognition, the Museum can promote Southampton's rich cultural diversity and inspire success in people of all races.

 Pamela Council was raised in Southampton and is an emerging installation artist with a BA from Williams College, MA. She has shown at Williams College, Brown Center in Baltimore, Soap Factory in MN and participated in a student show at MOMA.

 Adger W. Cowans is a successful still photographer for the Hollywood film industry. While Cowans' Hollywood photographs are his most widely-seen work, his portfolio also includes fashion and portrait photography and paintings. His most famous image is an often-reproduced portrait of Malcolm X. He lives in Southampton.

 Richard Mayhew has been in exhibits in NYC, Los Angeles, Detroit, and San Francisco. His paintings are in the collections of the Whitney Museum, National Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Los Angeles Co. Museum of Art, and Minnesota Museum of Art. He has taught at Pratt Institute, Art Students League, and Smith and Hunter Colleges. Mayhew was raised by his grandmother, a Shinnecock/African American, on the Shinnecock Reservation in Southampton.

 Reynold Ruffins is legendary in the graphic design and illustration worlds and recognized in New York, Paris and Tokyo.  He has awards from the Art Directors Clubs of NY and NJ, as well as from the Type Directors Club. He is a member of the Push Pin Studio founded by Milton Glaser and has a studio in Southampton.