The Black Student Union kicked off this year’s Black Arts Festival in high style Tuesday night with a showcase of local paintings and jazz music in the Gerlinger Lounge.@@checked@@
“Throughout the year, we put on many events, and this portion is just dedicated directly towards the arts and acknowledging everything that happens,” BSU Co-Director Ashley Brown said.@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Ashley+Brown@@ “This is a space for everyone; uniting us all together as one.”
The festivities were centered around the collaborative performance of two local jazz bands that highlighted songs and instruments central to African-American culture. The work of University senior Torri Kendrick,@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Torri+Kendrick@@ an aspiring art therapist, was also featured.
“I heard about the Black Arts Festival and figured it was a good opportunity to show my art,” Kendrick said. “Whenever I paint, I’m painting a figure. They’re almost always black because, you know, that’s my heritage.”
About 50 people attended Tuesday’s gathering, which was the first of five scheduled for this year’s Black Arts Festival — a program that goes back at least 40 years, according to Brown. BSU’s weekly Wednesday meeting will focus on theatrical culture with an improvised session. The group will also go see the University Theater’s “I Ain’t Yo’ Uncle”@@http://tickets.uoregon.edu/@@ this Friday, June 1. The festival wraps up Saturday with several events.
“Black Women of Achievement, our sister organization, is going to be doing their annual ‘Ebony Man’@@http://leadership.uoregon.edu/get_involved/student_groups/454@@ event where they recognize men on campus who do positive things for the African-American community,” said BSU Co-Director Whitney Grant.@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Whitney+Grant@@
“After that we’re gong to have a ‘Pajama Jam’ party at the Red Lion Hotel,” Brown added.
Both Brown and Grant spoke of the importance of having events such as the Black Arts Festival throughout the year as a way to recognize the achievements of those within the BSU and other artists who might not otherwise receive the attention.
“When we do events, we try to strengthen the community within one another,” Brown said. “We’re trying to get people to see that we haven’t forgotten about the arts.”
With African-Americans making up about 2 percent of the University’s population, according to numbers from the Office of the Registrar, Grant said BSU’s goal is to highlight African-American achievements in arts.
“Most of the attention is towards athletics,” Grant said, “so it’s nice to recognize the people in our community who are the artists who aren’t noticed as much.”