Concerts & Lectures
LECTURE
What is the Black Aesthetic?
Date: Sunday, December 8, 2019
Time: 2-4 PM
Admission: Free
Woman in Interior by David C. Driskell, 2008. Silkscreen, collage, and woodcut. 48/75, 42×30 in. Loan from David C. Driskell Center at the University of Maryland, College Park.
In conjunction with the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts special exhibition “The Blues and the Abstract Truth: Voices of African American Art,” the WCMFA will present a public interpretive panel discussion, “What is the Black Aesthetic?” The panel discussion will involve professional artists, art historians, art dealers, and collectors from Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region. The panel will examine the question of what constitutes a uniquely black aesthetic in relation to African American cultural heritage, history, philosophy, literature, and the arts.
Dorit Yaron, Deputy Director, David C. Driskell Center, University of Maryland, College Park. She will discuss individual artists and artworks in the exhibition and offer key insights into their relationship to literature, comparative religion, and the performing arts.
Eileen Berger, Owner of Just Lookin’ Gallery, Hagerstown, will address issues related to the representation of artists and their relationship to the regional art market.
Schroeder Cherry, Artist, Washington, DC, will speak about his work represented in The Blues and the Abstract Truth as it relates to African American history, society, and cultural heritage in Maryland.
Halima Taha, Author and Art Consultant, Hoboken, New Jersey, will discuss African American art and its relationship to the international contemporary art market.
David Smedley, Artist, Washington, DC, will speak about his work represented in The Blues and the Abstract Truth and the important role that the nation’s capital has played in shaping the career and work of African American artists.
David Whettstone, Public policy advocate and writer with more than 20 years of national and local experience will address issues such as civil rights and criminal justice. Presently, he serves as the host and producer of the current affairs program Community Watch and Comment –The Wednesday Edition on WPFW FM (Pacifica Foundation, Washington, D.C.).
Moderator: Daniel Fulco, Ph.D. Agnita M. Stine Schreiber Curator, WCMFA. He will offer a range of perspectives about individual artworks as they relate to criticism and theory of the arts.
Discussant: Kellie Mele, WCMFA Museum Educator, Museum Literacy Liaison to Washington County Public Schools, and Artist
CONCERT
Museum Consort
Date: Sunday, December 15, 2019
Time: 2:30 PM
Admission: Free
CONCERT
Rahmat Shabazz Jazz Trio
Date: Sunday, January5, 2020
Time: 2:30 PM
Admission: $10 for general admission, FREE for WCMFA Members
EVENT
Frederick Douglass: Historical Interpretation
Date: Sunday, February 9, 2020
Time: 2:30 PM
Admission: Free
Join us to experience the historical interpretation of Frederick Douglass, portrayed by Nathan Richardson. Frederick Douglass was one of the most prominant human rights leaders of the 19th century. His oratorical and literary brilliance thrust him into the forefront of the U.S. abolition movement, and he became the first Black citizen to hold high rank in the U.S. government.
CONCERT
Shepherd University Honors Recital
Date: Sunday, March 1, 2020
Time: 2:30 PM
Admission: Free
CONCERT
Washington County Public Schools Honors Recital
Date: Sunday, April 5, 2020
Time: 1:30-2:30, 3-4 PM
Admission: Free
CONCERT
John Bullard: Classical Banjo
Date: Sunday, May 17, 2020
Time: 2:30 PM
Admission: $10 for general admission, FREE for WCMFA Members
As a classically trained musician and the first graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Music to earn a degree in performance with the banjo, John Bullard has established a critically praised performing and recording career dedicated to exploring the artistic marriage of banjo and classical music. Bullard understands that accepting the banjo—a “folk” instrument with a complex pedigree—into the classical fold is a challenging proposition for
traditionalists; the guitar once had to navigate a similar journey to mainstream acceptance. But through three album-length recordings, live performance, and workshops, Bullard continues to introduce the classical banjo to a growing audience worldwide. Bullard’s concert repertoire includes solo, duet, and quartet performances of works from Bach, Vivaldi, Handel and others of the Baroque Period, along with later-period pieces by Schumann and others. More recently, Bullard has begun featuring new work by contemporary American composers, including a Caprice in D minor in the Romantic style, from composer Frank Mullen, and a set of 24 Preludes for Solo Banjo, commissioned from Adam Larrabee. In addition, Bullard is now working on a new collaboration with the genre-fusing composer Joshua Stamper. More information, including recent videos of Bullard in performance, can be found at JohnBullard.com.
CONCERT
Hiroya Tsukamoto: Guitarist, singer/songwriter
Date: Sunday, June 7, 2020
Time: 2:30 PM
Admission: $10 for general admission, FREE for WCMFA Members
Hiroya is a one-of-a-kind composer, guitarist and singer-songwriter from Kyoto, Japan. He began playing the five-string banjo when he was thirteen, and took up the guitar shortly after. In 2000, Hiroya received a scholarship to Berklee College of Music and came to the United States. He formed his own group in Boston “INTEROCEANICO (inter-oceanic)” which consists of unique musicians from different continents including Latin Grammy Colombian singer Marta Gomez. The group released three acclaimed records (“The Other Side of the World”, “Confluencia” and “Where the River Shines”). Hiroya has released three solo albums (“Solo”, “Heartland” and “Places”). Hiroya has been leading concerts internationally including several appearances at Blue Note in New York City with his group and Japanese National Television(NHK). In 2018, Hiroya won 2nd place in International Finger Style Guitar Championship. Learn more at HiroyaTsukamoto.com.
CONCERT
Thomas Pandolfi
Date: Sunday, June 28, 2020
Time: 2:00 PM
Admission: TBA
