Layout for Mural, Painting Starts in January!

Layout for the Dance Wing, CVPA Suitland High School. The theme is celebrating African Americans in Dance.   Special Thanks to Wells Fargo for Sponsoring this project!

Painting like Aaron Douglas

Culture Keepers at CVPA, Suitland High School, learned painting techniques of Aaron Douglas.  Next step painting our mural! 



Malaaya, 10th Grade




Maleek, 9th Grade




Majorie, 9th Grade



Malaaya-10th Grade, Joi -10th Grade, Belinda-9th Grade

Anna Holmes visits students to share the history of North Brentwood!


Culture Keepers at Gholson Middle School are writing and producing a play based on Prince George's Historically Black Incorperated Townships; North Brentwood, Eagle Harbor, Fairmount Heights, and Glenarden.  Anna Holmes visited our Culture Keepers to share the rich history of how North Brentwood came to be.

Anna Holmes discussion with Culture Keepers at G. James Gholson Middle School



Anna Holmes discussion at G. James Gholson Middle School about the History of North Brentwood



Sketch by Jordan Mitchell



Students were asked to research the artwork of Aaron Douglas, a prominent African American artist of the Harlem Renaissance.  Students discussed the correlation between the "crucification", and the African American experience during the era of Jim Crow. 

"The Crucifixion" by Aaron Douglas, 1927. Credit: Public Domain / Aaron Douglas.

November 2013: A mural! A mural!

This year, our first Culture Keepers project will be of course...an amazing mural!

The theme...African American history through dance.  The inspiration...CVPA dance department, African American dance companies and visual artists.


The visual...for the mural students and staff are inspired by such artists such as Banksy and Aaron Douglas.

Artist: Aaron Douglas

Artist: Banksy

The Community...students are exploring how to use art to be agents of change in their school and community, the dance department is collaborating with Culture Keepers to give their input on how dance inspire their lives. 



Discussion with CVPA dance department about mural

 The process...Murals and public art, foster community engagment.  To learn more about how artists can successfully collaborate with communities to make amazing artwork, students watched the documentary "Wasteland", a documentary about a famous artist who travels to Brazil to create a series of amazing artwork with actual Trash Pickers.  The documentary is truly an inspiration to our Culture Keepers on how they can use art to positively impact the lives of others. 



watching "Wasteland" Documentary



discussing "Wasteland" documentary


The goals...to create a mural that shares the African American history of dance and the inspirations, dreams, and goals of the CVPA dance department, to allow our Culture Keepers to make a positive impact in their school community through their creative vision. 

Culture Keepers 2012-2013 HERE WE GO!!!

Culture Keepers AFTER-SCHOOL

Every week students will be engaged in visual arts, performing arts, and or docent training.  Workshops are led by trained museum and arts educators.  Through the After-School workshops and Saturday Field Trips, students receive museum docent training and extended hands on experience about African American history, art, and culture.

2011-2012 School Partners: Center for the Visual & Performing Arts (CVPA), Suitland High School

(CVPA students will design and install public art murals for Prince George's Communities)

2012-2013 School Partners: CVPA, Suitland High School & G. James Gholson Middle School

(Gholson Middle School Students will write and produce a play based on Prince George's Historically Black Townships)

 G. James Gholson Middle School students newly enrolled in the Culture Keepers Program!

2012-2013 Orientation of Culture Keepers at CVPA Suitland High School

 Students learned about the purpose of Public Art & Murals

Peter Krsko, guest speaker, spoke about Public Art throughout the region.  He also discussed his non-profit, Albus Cavus http://www.albuscav.us/ , an arts non-profit that focuses on community development and public art. 

May: Afro Brazil Mural Project

Prince George’s African American Museum & Cultural Center (PGAAMCC) will act as host to 6 Afro Brazilian muralists from Sao Paulo, Brazil. The United States Department of State is sponsoring the trip. The artists will assist in creating a series of murals with PGAAMCC at the Center for Visual & Performing Arts, Suitland High School. The muralist will arrive on May 28, 2012 and will have an itinerary that consists of tours of the county, meeting and greeting public officials, and an artist discussion at Hyattsville’s Busboys and Poets.

The artists will begin painting the mural on Wednesday, May 30, 2012 and the mural unveiling will be held Tuesday, June 5, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. at Suitland High School. The large scale mural will reflect African American culture and art forms. The PGAAMCC Culture Keepers will paint alongside the artists and learn about the connection African Americans in Prince George’s County have with Brazil in relationship to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade as well as race relations. Culture Keepers is PGAAMCC’s After School program for middle and high school students.

As host, PGAAMCC, will provide educational and cultural experiences for the Brazilian artists to learn about the rich African American history, art, and culture in the county. This project received support from Museu Afro Brasil, Embassy of Brazil, United States Department of State in Sao Paulo, Wells Fargo, and the Prince George’s African American Museum & Cultural Center. Chanel Compton, Education Director for PGAAMCC, participated in the Cultural Envoy program in Brazil in 2011 and created the program and itinerary for the Brazilian muralists visit to Prince George’s County.

April: National Poetry Month

In Celebration of National Poetry Month, Culture

Keepers participated in a series of Spoken Word

Workshops in April. 

Special Thanks to The American Poetry Museum for

providing spoken word performer Bomani Armah

to instruct the workshops. 

Poetry by Culture Keepers...

"Confused"

By Malaaya Adams

Grade: 9th

Confused whether to be

Open like a book or closed like a locked door

Confused whether to be involved

or to ignore

Confused whether to speak up or

keep quite to stay out of trouble

Confused about what to be

Confused about what music

I should listen to

Confused about how to trust

Confused whether to catch up

or slow down

Confused about how to wear my hair

Confused about what to wear

Confused whether to dare

Should I care?

"Untitled"

By Eric Luis

Grade: 9th

My bass will be like a supernova

My rythym will be smooth like a stream

but also explosive like a roaring avalanche.

I want to be loud as a lion

but I'm quiet as a mouse.

So my music will be like a partner in crime

and I hope it won't leave like baloon to a 5 year old.

"I am Reign"

By Amari Nixon

Grade: 9

I am reign, I cover everything.

My dreams are the truth

Like aging, death, they will happen.

You see me so vividly, with grace as a swan

 you see me.

Amari Canyon is on top.

My Dream never stops.

"I Want to Love..."

By Darian Smith

Grade: 9

 My Art is like the line where the earch and water meet.

My love is like the snow touches rough skin

My dreams are like  the cloud in heaven.

"Dreams.."

By Jimmica Yarbrough

Grade: 10

Dreams so high like the summer weather.

I can do anything when I hold my head up high.

Stumble upon a rock, when I'm in trouble

may sink to the bottom like the titanic

the beauty of my dream

the cooling breeze the spring,

like the multiple colored wild flower, I know

when I look into the sky, and keep my

head up my dreams wont fall stiff or unleveled.

Like the 7 Kwanzaa Principles, that many follow

My dreams are where I reside with the

stars that sparkle oh so bright

If I keep trying I can soar high.

High, high is where I stand, I am a queen

in this once beautiful land.

Your dreams may be rusty but mine is

clean.

won't let anything stop me from reaching my dream!

"Flow Steady"

By Bryanna Rather

Grade: 9

I want to flow steady and constant like a river,

yet run wild and free like an animal

Be rich with minerals like the Nile

yet dull and dry like the Sahara.

Cool and pure like the Arctic yet knowing

and contminated like the Gulf.

I want to be at a stand still only

Occasionally with a slight sway like a tree.

Yet solid only moved by those who

are both willing and unwilling like a shell.

Hollow and molded, I want to be created

and to be known as one of the most

prized possessions to few, like a rare stone.

Or active and dangerous like Kilowaya.



Mural is coming along nicely!

March Field Trip to Bowie State

Culture Keepers took a tour of Bowie State's Fine and Performing Arts Center!

Professor Melchishua and Bowie State students took our students on a tour of the amazing new faciltiy that holds an amazing art gallery, recital hall, dance studio, black box theatre, theatre space, and state of the

art studio spaces in design and music.  The students had a blast!

"I learned that drawing, sculpture, and textile are important foundations to have before

choosing a major, such as graphic design." -Malaaya Adams

Professor Melchishua

Detara and her brother Brandon

Joi Walker

Today we painted and Celebrated Jordan's B-Day!

Happy Birthday Jordan! Jordan Shackelford, PGAAMCC intern and artist is the lead

muralist for the Culture Keepers Mural at Suitland High School. He is also

a CPA Suitland High Alumni!  Special Thanks to Ms. Saldana for the yummy cake!

March Mural Painting!

This month Culture Keepers are painting a mural in their school's entrance!

How to make a quilt...

  Before the Community Quilt Day at the Mall at Prince George's, students learned how to make patches for a quilt.  Making a quilt is hard work, but if you follow the right steps and be creative, the finish product is fantastic.  Students this month learned the history behind Quilting in Prince George's County.


Detara is hard away thinking about her patch





Dr. Joan Gaither (right) and Cynthia York (taking pics so not in photo) showed kids how to create patches for quilt



Dr. Joan Gaither showing the layout of quilt

Culture Keepers COMMUNITY QUILT DAY!

In celebration of Black History Month, area residents  joined the Prince George’s African American Museum & Cultural Center’s Culture Keepers to create patches for a large Community Quilt at The Mall at Prince Georges on Saturday, February 18 from 12pm to 4pm in Center Court. Experienced guest quilters, Dr. Joan Gaither and Cynthia York assisted the public in creating a quilt depicting community life in Prince George’s County.  This month, student members of the Culture Keepers worked together to learn a new skill and the history behind their community.  

This event was sponsored by Wells Fargo.

The patches will be sewn together into a large king sized quilt that will be displayed at the Mall in Prince George's this spring.  The Mall at Prince Georges; Center Court  3500 East West Highway (Route 410); Hyattsville, MD 20782




This Family just finished thier patch!

 


Wow!  Dr. Gaither brought one of her quilts to display at the Event




Dr. Gaither and Bryanna Rathers learning how to transfer images to fabric!




Joi Waller is hard away making her patch





Bryanna, Rachel, and Amira holding up one of Dr. Gaither's Quilts




"Look there"  Cynthia York (Our Guest Quilter) is assisting Bryanna





Dr. Gaither and Jordan Shakelford! Jordan is our Museum's Intern and an ALUMNI from Center for Visual & Performing Arts at Suitland High School!



Hi Ms. Wilson! Art Teacher from Suitland High School came and made a patch! YAY!



Rachel is ironing on the images to the fabric patches!



Beautiful patches created by community residents!