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Media contacts: Kim Schuette: 614.297.2314 or kschuette@ohiohistory.org
For Immediate Release
Latino Artists Explore African Heritage at Ohio Historical Center Show
Free Event Oct. 10 Features Dance, Art, History
(COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 4, 2009) – Latinos: Exploring our African Roots will open on Sept. 10 through Oct. 18 in conjunction with the current featured exhibition, Soul! Art from the National Afro American Museum and Cultural Center. This community-produced exhibit addresses spirituality and contemporary cultural traditions through the eyes of four Latino artists. The work of these Ohio artists constitutes personal reflections of their African roots.
Santino Torres, a graphic artist from Lorain, Ohio, will present a collage that represents the slave trade routes from Africa to Europe and to South, Central and North America.
The exhibition will feature two devotional altars. Florence Baquet, an ordained minister, will create one depicting the Christian representation of African deities still worshipped in today’s Latino Culture. Rosa Rojas will install a family memorial altar.
Melissa Peña, an emerging photographer and recent graduate of Ohio Dominican University, will display her work, in which she strives to capture the color, movement and spirit found in this large and ever expanding community that adds to the richness of Ohio’s cultural tapestry.
Accompanying this exhibition is a special day of dance, history and art—Celebrando Our African Roots!—presented in conjunction with the Ohio Hispanic Coalition and Friends of Art for Community Enrichment (FACE) Oct. 10, 2009 at the Ohio Historical Center. The day will feature a presentation by Baquet on spiritual altars and traditional folk and capoeira dance performances by Ohio dance troupes. Break dancing demonstrations with music mixing by DJ Pucho as well as a gesture drawing demonstration by staff artist Karen Hassel will complete the day. All visitors will be welcome to participate in these activities.
The program is from noon to 3:30 p.m. Admission to the museum and parking for Celebrando Our African Roots! is being underwritten by the Ohio Hispanic Coalition.
Soul! showcases 120 paintings, sculpture, prints and textiles from the extensive art collections of the Ohio Historical Society's National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center in Wilberforce, Ohio. The exhibition runs through Feb. 28, 2010.
The Ohio Historical Center is open Thursday 9 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 9 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday noon–5 p.m. For more information, call 800.686.6124 or visit www.ohiohistory.org/soul. Admission to the Ohio Historical Center is $8/adults, $7/senior (age 60 and up), $4/youth (ages 6-12) and free for Ohio Historical Society members and children 5 years old and under. Parking is $4 and free for members.
The Ohio Historical Center is located on I-71 and 17th Avenue. It is one of 58 historic museums and sites operated by the Ohio Historical Society, a nonprofit organization that serves as the state’s partner in preserving and interpreting Ohio’s history, archaeology and natural history.
Photo Cutline: Melissa Peña, "Dancers at the Festival Latino in Columbus, 2009"
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