Events pay homage to Black artists before Art Basel weekend
Erick Johnson | 11/5/2014, 2 p.m.
But it will take more than just an early start to reap a good harvest from the world-renowned festival, according to Ludlow Bailey, a curator consultant for the University of Miami.
From Opa-locka to Coconut Grove, Black organizations will join South Florida’s burgeoning art scene as thousands of wealthy art collectors, curators and celebrities from across the globe will descend on Miami Beach for the fifth annual Art Basel.
It starts with Overtown’s “Soul Basel,” a funky, urban spin on Art Basel which will kickoff with a special ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at the old Clyde Killen’s Pool Hall, located at 920 NW Second Ave.
The event will feature a paint party where local artists will create a mural inside the Clyde Killens Pool Hall, which was owned and operated by the popular nightclub promoter Clyde Killens, who is credited for bringing entertainers such as Count Basie, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King to perform in Overtown in the 1950s and ’60s. The event will showcase dozens of works from emerging Black artists. A groundbreaking ceremony will also be held to begin renovations and improvements on the building.
The public is invited to participate in the painting of the community mural.
Bailey, who has curated several Art Basel satellite events, has more than 30 years of experience in the glitzy and high-powered art industry. He has hosted and curated high-end art shows in London, Paris, Milan and Frankfurt. He will host an art-related event himself when Art Basel rolls into town Dec. 4-7.
Bailey said he appreciates the efforts and initiative of the Black community to build on the success of Art Basel. He said he admires Opa-locka’s upcoming Art of Transformation festival that promotes local artists. But to take full advantage of the success of Art Basel, Bailey advises Black organizers to retain professionals who know how to attract the best and most discerning crowds.
“It’s not about starting early,” Bailey said. “The art community here is rich and savvy. But they are not in the limelight so it’s hard to connect got them. And the art world is very elite so you need professionals to reach that one percent.”
Bailey will host a panel discussion on the Art of the African Diaspora on Sunday, Dec. 7 at 11 a.m. at the University of Miami’s College of Arts and Sciences Gallery, located at 1210 Stanford Dr.
Babacar M’bow, director for the Museum for Contemporary Art (MOCA), credits Art Basel for boost an interest in local Black artists showcasing their work. M’bow said this is a step in the right direction given that Black art is fundamental part of American culture.
“Art Basel is a multicultural event that has given Black art more visibility,” he said.
At Overtown’s Historic Lyric Theater, The Black Archives History and Research Foundation of South Florida will exhibit, “A Man Among the Peoples,” a salon-style exhibition dedicated to the life, art and legacy of late Overtown urban expressionist artist, Purvis Young, who died in 2010.