MCC Exhibit Features Historical Collection of Rarely Seen Black American Art

Freedom Place Collection will open Jan. 24 in celebration of Black History Month

During a period when African-American artists were overlooked in the mostly white art world, five black artists followed their vision and passion and paved the way for generations to follow.

Now, residents in the Greater Rochester region and across New York state will have an opportunity to enjoy the rarely seen works of Benny Andrews, Romare Bearden, Robert Freeman, Alma Thomas and Richard Yarde at Monroe Community College. Known as The Freedom Place Collection, the exhibition will be displayed at MCC’s Mercer Gallery from Jan. 24 to Feb. 27, with a slate of events open to the public in celebration of Black History Month. Bringing the collection to the Rochester area and building a series of events around it will provide students and community members with opportunities to further their awareness and appreciation of diversity and inclusion in society.

Events include a gallery talk by Freeman at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2, and an original Sankofa African Dance and Drum Ensemble performance integrating elements of the art collection into their music and movements at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11. (A schedule of exhibit-related events at MCC follows.)

The five artists represented in the exhibition speak with their own artistic style and vision – from abstract to figurative, from rural to urban – in their drawings, collages, lithographs, oils, acrylics and watercolors. Scenes of cotton fields and paintings of jazz musicians and partygoers share space on the gallery walls with portraits and canvases filled with geometric forms.

The Freedom Place Collection belongs to Stuart Marshall Bloch and Julia Chang Bloch, Washington, D.C., residents who have amassed this body of work over the past 35 years and are now sharing it with the public.

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Freedom Place Collection exhibit-related events at MCC■ WHAT: The Freedom Place Collection, an exhibition of rarely seen works of African-American artists

Benny Andrews, Romare Bearden, Robert Freeman, Alma Thomas and Richard Yarde during the Harlem Renaissance and beyond.

WHERE: Mercer Gallery at Monroe Community College, 1000 E. Henrietta RoadWHEN: Jan. 24 to Feb. 27

10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, and 1-5 p.m. Saturday-SundayDuring regular gallery hours, metered parking is available near Building 4 on Arts Lane.An opening reception will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2, in Mercer Gallery; parking available in lot F

DETAILS: Sponsored by MCC’s Diversity Council and the Creative Arts Committee, the exhibit and reception are free and open to the public.Drawings, collages, lithographs, oils, acrylics and watercolors on display.Group tours are available by contacting Kathleen Farrell, director of Mercer Gallery, at (585) 292-3121 or kfarrell@monroecc.edu. For more information about the exhibit and related events, call Mercer Gallery at (585) 292-2021.

■ WHAT: Artist Robert Freeman will give a talk on The Freedom Place Collection and his artwork in the collection.

WHERE: Theatre in Building 4 at Monroe Community College, 1000 E. Henrietta Road; parking available in lot F

WHEN: 4 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2DETAILS: Sponsored by MCC’s Diversity Council, the event is free and open to the public.

A Brooklyn native and a Boston-area artist, Robert Freeman is much admired for his bold, colorful brushwork and figurative paintings of well-heeled African-Americans at sophisticated gatherings. Freeman received his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in fine arts from Boston University. He was artist-in-residence at Noble and Greenough School from 1981 until his recent retirement as well as a lecturer and instructor at Harvard University from 1988 to 1994.For more information, call Mercer Gallery at (585) 292-2021.

■ WHAT: First Friday, a monthly community-wide gallery night for experiencing art in Rochester and showcasing area arts institutions and artists.

WHERE: Mercer Gallery at Monroe Community College, 1000 E. Henrietta Road; parking available in lot F

WHEN: 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 4DETAILS: Sponsored by MCC’s Diversity Council, the event is free and open to the public. For more

information, call Mercer Gallery at (585) 292-2021.

■ WHAT: “A Reading of the Harlem Renaissance and Beyond,” a nonstop reading of poetry, short stories and other works by African-American authors. More than 20 MCC faculty and staff members will participate in the reading.

WHERE: Mercer Gallery at Monroe Community College, 1000 E. Henrietta Road; parking available in lot F

WHEN: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 7DETAILS: Sponsored by MCC’s Diversity Council, the event is free and open to the public. For more

information, call Mercer Gallery at (585) 292-2021.

■ WHAT: Kathleen Farrell, director of Monroe Community College’s Mercer Gallery, and Jethro Gaede, anthropology instructor, will lead a collage workshop, “In the Spirit of Romare Bearden,” and give a demonstration. Participants can try their hand at creating a collage. Materials will be provided.

WHERE: Mercer Gallery at Monroe Community College, 1000 E. Henrietta Road; parking available in lot F

WHEN: Noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9DETAILS: Sponsored by MCC’s Diversity Council and the Mercer Gallery, the event is free and open to the

public. For more information, call Mercer Gallery at (585) 292-2021.

■ WHAT: The Sankofa African Dance and Drum Ensemble will present an original performance, integrating elements of The Freedom Place Collection into their music and movements.

WHERE: Theatre in Building 4 at Monroe Community College, 1000 E. Henrietta Road; parking available in lot F

WHEN: 7:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11DETAILS: Sponsored by MCC’s Diversity Council, the event is free for MCC students and employees.

Tickets are $5 for the general public and available through www.monroecctickets.com and at the door on the day of the show. For more information about the show, contact Rebecca Herzog at (585) 292-2477 or e-mail rherzog@monroecc.edu.For more information about the exhibit and related events, call Mercer Gallery at (585) 292-2021.

■ WHAT: A panel discussion about African-American art of the Harlem Renaissance period. Panelists include Delores Jackson Radney, a teaching artist, performer and co-founder of arts-in-education agency Kuumba Consultants; David Anderson, chair of the Rochester-Monroe County Freedom Trail Commission; and Omobowale Ayorinde, an assistant professor in the Arts & Imaging Studies Department at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

WHERE: Room 5-100 in Building 5 at Monroe Community College, 1000 E. Henrietta Road; parking available in lot F

WHEN: 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13DETAILS: Hosted by the African-American Affinity Group, the event is free and open to the public.

For more information about the panel discussion, contact Yulanda McKinney at (585) 292-3388 or e-mail ymckinney@monroecc.edu. For more information about the exhibit and related events, call Mercer Gallery at (585) 292-2021.