Artists throughout the Pioneer Valley were asked to paint portraits of African American musicians from the era. Over 30 artists responded to the invitation to interpret these musical legends through their own creativity. The show, “Call and Response”, will be exhibited at both The Rendezvous and Great Falls Harvest Restaurant during the month of February. The exhibition will travel to the Caribbean Literary and Cultural Center in Brooklyn and be on view throughout the month of March. The paintings will reside permanently with the Gill- Montague Regional School District where they will serve as inspiration for black history education for years to come.
Artist receptions are in conjunction with performance of Vienna Carroll and Keith Johnston (2/10) at Great Falls Harvest Restaurant and Kim Kalesti (2/27) at The Rendezvous.
PORTRAITS INCLUDE:
Ma Rainey, Charley Patton, Memphis Minnie, Son House, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Led Belly, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Bessie Smith, Blind Willie Johnson, Skip James, Muddy Waters, B.B. King|, John Lee Hooker, Robert Johnson, Lil Harden, Mary Lou Williams, “Jelly Roll” Morton, Thomas “Fats” Waller, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Louis Armstrong, Coleman Hawkins, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgereld, John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk. Influential African American Jazz and Blues Musicians
THANK YOU to the artist who made this project possible!
Jen Audley, Allen Fowler, Johanna Hoogendyk, Harry Hallman, Nell Koenings, Julianne Jones, Jan Atamian, Hannah Hurricane Sanchez, Leah Caldieri, James English Dresser III, Robert Bent, Wednesday Nelena Sorokin, Margaret Fitzpatrick, Paul Root, Edite Cunha, Marjorie Morgan, Whitney Robbins, Diana Pedrosa, Nina Rossi, Terry Atkinson, Kenny Atkinson, Heidi Schmidt, Allison Cooke, Johnna Crockett, Amodeos Rivera, Ashley Williams, Rodney Madison and Eric Grab.
“Call and Response” is made possible by support from Turners Falls RiverCulture and community volunteers with funding from The Town of Montague, The Massachusetts Cultural Council, FirstLight Power, Greenfield Savings Bank, Montague Elks, Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), and the Local Cultural Councils of Montague, Bernardston, Deerfield, Erving, Gill, Leyden, New Salem, Northfield, Shutesbury and Wendell.