MOJA Arts Festival - A Celebration of African-American and Caribbean Arts

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25: 5:30-7:00PM Opening Reception & Awards Ceremony for MOJA Arts Festival Juried Art Exhibition Avery Research Center, 125 Bull Street Admission: Free Artists selected to participate in this year's exhibition are Jim Amella, Amami Antia-Obong, Karole Turner Campbell, Cassandra Gillens, Alvin B. Glen, Bob Graham, Katherine Houghton, Lori Starnes Isom, Reynier Llanes, Charles Measter, Judy Mooney, Bridget Murray, Hampton R. Olfus, Jr., Georgette Sanders, Curtis Stephens, Andrew Tate, Elliott B. West, and Gerald Williams. Cash awards will be given for first, second, third place, and three ribbons for honorable mentions. Jonathan Green, this year's juror, was born in 1955 in Gardens Corner, South Carolina and graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1982. He also holds an honorary doctoral degree from the University of South Carolina. As a result of his tremendous and prolific talent, Green's work has been embraced by critics around the world. Exhibit on view September 26-October 30, open Monday-Friday from 10am-4pm.SPONSORED BY: Berkeley Electric Cooperative. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29: 6:00-8:00PM MOJA Arts Festival Opening Reception Dock Street Theatre, 135 Church Street Admission: Free Celebrate the opening of the festival season with delicious Caribbean cuisine catered by Joe's Catering and visit with the official festival poster artist, Jonathan Green. SPONSORED BY: Berkeley Electric Cooperative.   SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2:  2:00-4:00PM Reception In Honor of the Artist Lowcountry Reflections: The Fine Art Prints of Jonathan Green The Art Institute of Charleston, 24 North Market Street Admission: Free Jonathan Green, painter and printmaker, was born and raised in the small Gullah community of Gardens Corner located near the South Carolina Sea Islands and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in 1982 from The Art Institute of Chicago. Green's early life was greatly influenced by his grandmother who relied heavily on oral traditions to instill in him the values and traditions of his African and African-American heritage. The customs and mores internalized by Green stressed the importance of the work ethic and a commitment to community values with a respect for the dignity and integrity of others. While his appeal and perspective are truly modern and cosmopolitan, Green looks to the familiar images of his ancestral home for the subjects of his paintings. In his art, Green draws upon his own intimate personal experiences, steeped in the traditions of family, community and life in the Southern United States. Each of his paintings is a testament to the motivating power of place capturing the continuity of the past combined with the energy, exuberance and creativity of the present. Exhibit on view September 29-October 30, open Monday-Thursday from 9am-8pm, Friday from 9am-5pm, Saturday from 9am-2pm.SPONSORED BY: The Art Institute of Charleston. Join Our Mailing List!