Events
H.O.A.S.T. — October 15–16, 2011
Download the Event Flyer The 6th Annual H.O.A.S.T. (Harlem Open Artist Studio Tour)
Saturday, October 15, 2011 from 12:00 pm to 6 pm &
Sunday October 16, 2011 from 12:00 pm to 6pm
Event map can be downloaded
Work Space Harlem, 2340 Fifth Ave. (at 141st St.)
Free workshop: "Mark-Making"
with oil pastels and water colors
Studio 3-D Saturday and
Sunday 10/15 & 10/16 from 3:00–4:00 p.m.
Harlem once again shines as a beacon of art in New York City. A celebration of Harlem's artistic prowess is marked by the 6th annual Harlem Open Artist Studio Tour (H.O.A.S.T.) -- a two- day, self-guided walking tour of artists' studios, museums and galleries in historic Harlem.
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month – October 2011
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
As mentioned in the NY Daily News
Tune in to see a portion of my journey as a visual artist and breast cancer survivor, featured in CUNY-TV documentary. “I’m Not Alone” will air numerous times during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month on Channel 75.
Airtimes:
Sunday, October 16 at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Wednesdays, October 5 & 19 at 8 a.m., 2 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Saturdays, October 8 & 22 at 7:00 p.m.
Additionally you may watch it now on cuny.tv/iamnotalone
Breast Cancer Documentary – April 2011
Breast Cancer Documentary Premiere
I am delighted to let you know that the Breast Cancer Documentary called Study With The Best Special: "I Am Not Alone" is premiering Sunday, April 10, 2011 and will air throughout the week.
It will be on YouTube starting Monday, April 11th where you can get to it at this address.
Also it will re-air two weeks later. The documentary is about the journey that a CUNY producer went on when she found out that she had breast cancer and learned she was "not alone" because of so many people in CUNY community who have been affected by breast cancer and are doing something about it.
The documentary also features aspects of CUNY-Hunter College Alumna, visual artist Wilhelmina Grant's story and the art exhibit opening "Clock Strikes Thirteen."
"I Am Not Alone" will be shown on CUNY TV Channel 75 on Time Warner and Cablevision, Channel 30 on FIOS in the 5 boroughs on this schedule:
April 10: Premiere
Sunday, 4/10: 8AM, 8PM
Wednesday, 4/13: 8AM, 2PM, 10PM
Saturday 4/16: 7 PM
April 24 Rebroadcast (same broadcast schedule)
Sunday, 4/24: 8AM, 8PM
Wednesday, 4/27: 8AM, 2PM, 10PM
Saturday 4/30: 7 PM
Workspace Harlem – Dec. 5, 2010
December Open Studio — Art Show and Sale
SISTAAH (Survivors Inspiring Sisters Through Art & Advocacy for Health, Inc.)
presents
Wilhelmina Obatola Grant, Visual Artist
December 5, 2010, 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Workspace Harlem
Studio 3D
2340 Fifth Avenue (btw. 141st and 142nd St.)
New York, NY 20037
Get a Free Art Fan (featured in the NY Daily News)
Wendy Williams Show – Oct. 19, 2010
Wendy Williams Show
The Wendy Williams Show got wind of the Pink Glove Dance phenomenon and invited us to appear on her show on October 19, 2010 for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. There is no video of the Pink Glove Dancers but there is a photo of Wendy thanking us for coming. See below.
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Saturday Morning Rally, WLIB Radio
On October 9, 2010 Wilhelmina Grant was invited participate in the Saturday Morning Rally, Broadcast Live on WLIB Radio at the National Action Network in Harlem. Wilhelmina introduced listeners to the SISTAAH Fan Project.
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October Open Studio and Art Exhibition – Oct. 8–12, 2010
WorkspaceHarlem Presents "Perspectives" as Part of Striver's Arts Circuit
On Saturday, October 9 and Sunday, October 10, WorkSpaceHarlem will be hosting a group exhibition entitled "Perspectives" as a part of the Striver's Arts Circuit self-guided walking studio tour.
"Perspectives" is a group exhibition showcasing an exciting and diverse range of mediums that include drawing, painting, photography, mixed media, collage as well as installation. In addition, the work addresses expressive content from commentary on social issues, to the use of deeply personal symbolism whether figurative or abstract, to the reconsideration of the mundane and whimsical. It is co-curated by Jill Austen and Dionis Ortiz.
The Strivers Arts Circuit event will also include an art market, where vendors from WorkspaceHarlem will be selling original wearable art, jade art, prints and apparel.
"Perspectives" will remain on view through Wednesday, October 20, 2010 and will feature the works of Gloria Adams, Gabriel Antoine, Jill Austen, Jasmine Balmat, Ard Berge, Sanford Biggers, Kristin Bressert, Jack Cesareo, Mila Dau, Raquel Fica, Corbin Frame, Emily Gibson, Wilhemina Obatola Grant, Constance Gruen, June Kosloff, Bill Liebeskind, Wen Wen Lin, Ray Llanos, Alexis Neider, Dionis Ortiz, Risa Schneider, Jonathan Villoch, Booker T. Williams, and Jing Yu.
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Pink Glove Dance
The Pink Glove Dance has become a national phenomena! My face and hands were in the crowd when the Pink Glove Dance came New York City to spread awareness about breast cancer. We danced in Times Square for YouTube and again in Rockefeller Center for FOX News. Also click here to view my own personal video of the taping of the Pink Glove Dance at FOX Studios.
We arrived before dawn for the Pink Glove Dance at FOX Studios' (NYC) live segment during the morning news. We had a blast!
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Survivorship Sunday in Harlem – July 18, 2010
SURVIVORSHIP SUNDAY IN HARLEM OBSERVED ON JULY 18
Celebrating Survivorship of Cancer of any Kind in Women and Men in Harlem
(A Special Event Sponsored by Senator Bill Perkins)
Survivorship Sunday in Harlem for Cancer Survivors, Caregivers and Health Professionals will take place on July 18, 2010 from 2:00–6:00 p.m. at the Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. State Office Building, 163 West 125th Street in the Art Gallery on the second floor. Senator Bill Perkins is sponsoring the first Survivorship Sunday in Harlem, a celebration of survivorship of cancer of any kind in women and men in our community. Cancer survivors, caregivers, family members, friends and healthcare professionals will unite to honor survivors for their strength and courage, and also recognize the contributions of their supporters.
Survivorship Sunday in Harlem will feature a 60-piece mixed media art exhibition of visual artist and two-time breast cancer survivor, Wilhelmina Obatola Grant, and include an art talk and lunch reception. Clock Strikes Thirteen, a visual art homage to well-known Black women who lost their lives to breast cancer will be on display alongside other assemblage art works which address early detection, advocacy issues and cancer survivorship.
Cultural animator, Jeremiah Kyle Drake of the Riverside Church will conduct Watch What You Watch, an interactive workshop focusing on the Aesthetics of Health using techniques from the Theatre of the Oppressed. In addition, the recently released documentary, Survive & Thrive: Hope, Laughter and Truth which features eleven breast cancer survivors (including Grant and two other New York residents) sharing survivorship experiences during an Alaskan retreat, will be screened.
Admission to Survivorship Sunday in Harlem is free. Reservations are required as space is limited. Please call (212) 926-3517.
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Clock Strikes Thirteen … Again!– July 17, 2010
Clock Strikes Thirteen … Again!
You are invited to join mixed-media artist Wilhelmina Obatola Grant for an art talk and refreshments at the opening reception of visual art exhibition Clock Strikes Thirteen, an homage to 13 well-known Black women who lost their lives to breast cancer, on Saturday, July 17, 2010 from 2:00 – 5:30 p.m. at the Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. State Office Building, 163 West 125th Street in the Art Gallery on the second floor.
Clock Strikes Thirteen will be on display alongside other assemblage art works which address early detection, advocacy issues and cancer survivorship from July 1-31, 2010 by appointment by calling (212) 926-3517 or by emailing:
Admission is free. Photo I.D. is required to enter the building.
Click to view streaming video from 3/11/10 Opening Reception of Clock Strikes Thirteen Visual Art Exhibition
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Harlem Relay for Life – July 15, 2010
Harlem Relay for Life
Sponsored by the American Cancer Society on July 15, 2010.
Click to enlarge:
The Creative Power of Women Awards – March 26, 2010
The Creative Power of Women Awards
On March 26, 2010, I was one of nine women presented with The Creative Power of Women Awards by State Senator Bill Perkins for using the creative arts to bring public awareness and attention to social issues.
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Alain Locke Arts & Action Award – March 3, 2010
Alain Locke Award
On March 3, 2010 the Harlem Arts Alliance presented the Alain Locke Arts & Action Award to Wilhelmina Obatola Grant for outstanding efforts to increase awareness through the arts.
Alain Locke was an artist who used the arts to bring awareness to cultural and social issues. The Harlem Arts Alliance presents this award to those who use their membership to illuminate issues and empower people to act to address them.
Click to read article from New York Beacon.
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The Black Art History Maker’s Awards – February 26, 2010
The Black Art History Maker’s Awards
Honoring Faith Ringgold, Ademola Olugebefola and Wilhelmina Obatola Grant
Keynote Speaker: Achamyeleh Debela, Professor of Art and Director of the Computing Center for the Arts, North Carolina Central University
See the flyer or click here for more information.
Article in The New York Amsterdam News
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Danny Simmons' Corridor Gallery – January-March 2010
It's 10 PM -- Do You Know Where Your Children Are?
I had the privilege of exhibiting a piece entitled "It's 10 PM -- Do You Know Where Your Children Are?" in the Black Artist As Activist exhibition. Upon examination of the piece, one of the youth exclaimed "This is mad cool -- and I so get it." (see photos below)
The Black Artist As Activist exhibition features artists from the African Diaspora whose work depicts the notion of the artist as an environmental, ethical, humanistic and social activist. The exhibition is a core project of The Black Artist As Activist (BAAA) program, which explores the concept of artists as transformative agents from social, cultural, and political perspectives. This program provides venues for literary, visual and performance artists to create art, to engage in conversations about the impact of their art on society, to exhibit their art and to raise societal awareness for the use of art as a tool for liberation.
The show can be viewed from January 31 - March 28, 2010 at Danny Simmons' Corridor Gallery, 334 Grand Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11238 - 718.230.5002 www.corridorgallerybrooklyn.org
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Countee Cullen Branch of the New York Public Library – March 2010
CLOCK STRIKES THIRTEEN
A mixed-media visual art exhibition during Women’s History Month to commemorate the stellar journeys of 13 well-known Black women lost to breast cancer
(New York, New York, January 25, 2010) Visual Artist and two-time breast cancer survivor, Wilhelmina ‘Obatola ‘ Grant will unveil her newest mixed media assemblage exhibition, Clock Strikes Thirteen, which pays homage to trailblazing Black female ancestors who have impacted society significantly, and who would have undoubtedly made even greater contributions if they had lived longer, healthier lives. The exhibition features depictions of Fannie Lou Hamer, Hattie McDaniel, Audre Lorde, Minnie Riperton, and nine others who died of breast cancer before age 60. On March 11, 2010 The Countee Cullen Branch of the New York Public Library will host the Opening Reception for this Women’s History Month Art Exhibition from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. in their Art Gallery at 104 W. 136th Street, New York, NY 10030. Admission is free and the exhibition may be viewed daily except Sundays from March 3 through March 27 from 2:00 p.m. until ½ hour before library closing.
Clock Strikes Thirteen is the latest addition to Grant’s breast cancer awareness assemblage art exhibition and highlights the alarming fact that the Black community suffers a disproportionately higher mortality rate due to breast cancer than other ethnic groups even though diagnoses are less frequent. Clock Strikes Thirteen is the result of Grant’s exhaustive research which revealed only two (2) high profile Black women survivors of breast cancer as compared to a list bearing the names of hundreds of famous white women living with breast cancer today.
Wilhelmina Obatola Grant, as a mixed-media assemblage artist, uses discarded or found objects which she repurposes into art to inform and educate the community to increase awareness about the benefits of early detection of breast cancer, survivorship and advocacy.
Columbia University in the City of New York – November 2009
Triumph and Transformation: Life After Breast Cancer
Presented by: The Office of Government and Community Affairs - Columbia University in the City of New York
A mixed-media assemblage art exhibition focusing on breast cancer awareness. Download flyer.
Click to read
1/6/10:
Dear Colleagues, Family and Friends,
I am delighted to share the attached article, “Art Seen Uptown” which was featured in the Manhattan Times newspaper last week.
I am also pleased to announce that Triumph & Transformation: Life After Breast Cancer will be extended an additional week with a new closing date of Friday, January 22, 2010.
Wilhelmina Obatola Grant, Visual Artist.
Opening Reception Tuesday, November 17, 2009 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Russ Berrie Medical Science Pavilion 1150 St. Nicholas Avenue (at 168th St.)
Ongoing exhibition at 2 locations:
November 16, 2009 - January 14, 2010
Russ Berrie Medical Science Pavilion
1150 St. Nicholas Avenue (at 168th St.)
Open Monday through Friday during regular business hours
Lasker Biomedical Research Building
3960 Broadway (entrance on 166th St.)
Open 24 hours, 7 days a week
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Countee Cullen Branch of the NY Public Library – October 2009
Opening Reception Breast Cancer Awareness Art Exhibition
New York Public Library
Countee Cullen Branch
Click to read article from the New York Beacon:
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Riverside Church, Sundays, May 31, 2009 – March 28, 2010
WHAT “CAN WE DO” TO BREAK THE CHAIN OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN?
Riverside Church
91 Claremont Ave., Room 9T
New York, NY 10027
1–4pm
More information
Artists: Aubu, Valerie T. Kirk, Obatola, Jeremiah Kyle Drake and the Actors of CTO Riverside
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The Pen and Brush, May 30, 2009
63rd Sculpture Exhibition
Pen & Brush Building at
16 East 10th Street
in New York’s Greenwich Village
More information
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Riverside Church, March 29, 2009
WHAT “CAN WE DO” TO BREAK THE CHAIN OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN?
Riverside Church
91 Claremont Ave., Room 9T
New York, NY 10027
1–4pm
More information
Visual Art by Jeremiah Kyle Drake, Aubu, Obatola W. Grant & Phoenix
Come and join us to experience ourselves as “spectators” and “actors” in the story of violence against women. This is an action to reinvent the past, better understand the present, in order to invent the future.
Facilitator: Jeremiah Kyle Drake with Speakers from CONNECT, SAFE HORIZON and AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Carver Federal Savings Bank, March 26, 2009
Press Conference: 125th Street Business Improvement District BID ON CULTURE Project
Click to read Harlem News Group story, "Art Across 125th Adds Color and Excitement"
Click to read New York Amsterdam News story, "BID on Culture street banners unveiled"
This event recognized the artists whose designs were selected
through the BID ON CULTURE banner design competition.
BID ON CULTURE is a new initiative developed through the partnership between the 125th Street BID and the Harlem Arts Alliance to help build a community-based vision of Harlem's heritage, its role as a vibrant cultural center, and to promote the continued revitalization of 125th Street as the commercial and artistic heart of Harlem.
BID ON CULTURE Banners will extend the brand of 125th Street as the center of culture in Harlem, a diverse community with an unparalleled history of contribution to the nation in all fields of human endeavor.
Pen & Brush Building, March 5–29, 2009
Art into Life / Life into Art: Celebrating Women's History
Pen & Brush Building at
16 East 10th Street
in New York’s Greenwich Village
T–F 4-7pm
Sat–Sun 1-5pm
More information
The Pen & Brush proudly presents Art into Life/Life into Art, an international multi-media exhibition curated by Midori Yoshimoto. This exhibition consists of art works that forge new connections between art and life in the 21st century. Within the context of women's history, these artist's consider the reaction of artists in the 1960s to the modernist credo of "art for art's sake".
Midori Yoshimoto is an ass ociate professor of art history and gallery director at New Jersey City University. Her exhibitions include, Yoko Ono: Imagine Peace (2008), and For My People: The Art of Elizabeth Catlett (2006). She specializes in Japanese avant-garde art of the 1960's. Her publications include: Into Performance: Japanese Women Artists in New York (2005), which interweaves art and life of five Japanese women artists including Yoko Ono and Yayoi Kusama; an essay in Zen'ei no Josei 1950-1975 (2005); and entries in Yes Yoko Ono (2000). She is currently editing an issue of Women and Performance on "Women and Fluxus" and co-editing a volume of Positions on "Collectivism in 20th century Japanese art." Dr. Yoshimoto serves as the Chair of CAA's Committee of Women in the Arts.
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Metropolitan Museum of Art, February 2009
National Conference of Artists Celebrates 50th Anniversary
Obatola led a discussion on art and censorship. A video of the event is being shown on Arts and Culture on public access TV.
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Pen & Brush Building, Feb.12–March 1, 2009
First Response: Artists Imagine…America. How will President Obama's election change our world?
A Multi-Media Art Exhibition
Pen & Brush Building at
16 East 10th Street
in New York’s Greenwich Village
T–F 4-7pm
Sat–Sun 1-5pm
Opening Reception: Thursday, February 12, 4–7pm
The Pen & Brush proudly presents First Response: Artists Imagine…America, a multi-media
exhibition curated by Jerelle Kraus, former art director of The New York Times. This exhibit brings
together multifaceted viewpoints that contemplate our current cultural climate and celebrate this
pivotal moment in history.
Jerelle Kraus is a Fulbright scholar, fine artist, writer, and illustrator. For thirteen of her thirty years at
The New York Times she art directed its Op-Ed and Editorial pages. Throughout her career, her
award-winning contributions to the arts have been exhibited and published internationally. Her
recent book, All the Art That's Fit to Print (And Some That Wasn't): Inside The New York Times
Op-Ed Page, reveals the inside story of the Op-Ed page from its conception to today.
Founded over 115 years ago, The Pen & Brush, Inc., is an international non-profit organization for
women in the visual, literary and performing arts. Our rich history is a chronicle of persistence,
passion, dedication, and a commitment to equal opportunity. Some of the countless inspirational
women in our number include Eleanor Roosevelt, Pearl S. Buck, Ida M. Tarbell and Jessie Tarbox
Beals.
While honoring the ideals and contributions of the women from our vibrant past, The Pen and Brush also reaches forward, serving as an open, diverse, and global forum. Our exhibitions, competitions and
programs are open to all professional women artists internationally. The Pen & Brush is a
contemplative cultural resource for its members, non-member participants, the professional arts
community, and the general public.
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Bank Street College, Feb. 2–28, 2009
The Artists in Bank Street's Backyard
an art exhibition sponsored by
the Priscilla E. Pemberton Society
Bank Street College
610 W112th Street
M-F 10am-8pm
Sat 10am-3pm
featuring the work of:
Anna Alvarez * Sonia Barnett * Michelle Bishop * Denise Bradley * Aleathia Brown PJ Cobbs * Valerie Deas * Ife Felix * Laura R. Gadson *
Obatola Wilhelmina Grant * Pat Mabry * Robyn Mahone Lonesome *
Dindga McCannon * Misha McGlown * Ruth Miller * Dionis Ortiz *
Eduardo Alexander Rabel * Ayanna Ricco * Barbara RusselL * Shimoda
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New York Public Library, Oct. 25, 2008
Celebrating Strength, Perseverance and Triumph Over Challenges of Breast Cancer Art Exhibition
Artist’s Statement
Assemblage Art is something I have been doing for quite some time, but only recently did I discover that this activity has a particular name. Lately I have been creating pieces made from discarded objects found in various locations throughout Harlem. It interests me to use found object art as a concrete way to interpret abstract emotional and psychological aspects of human behavior; it is my sincere hope to have an impact in the realm of visual art. Many of the ideas that stimulate the creation of my work are reflective of my experiences in the community.
The eighteen pieces in The Celebrating Strength, Perseverance and Triumph Over Challenges of Breast Cancer Exhibition are meant to inspire and impart information. The African-American community in particular is suffering a disproportionately higher mortality rate due to cancer. Earlier detection and treatment can make a difference. My goal is to enlighten and change attitudes about cancer by using myself as a positive example of survivorship. The introduction of visual art is another unique way to disseminate this vital information.
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