Programs
Upcoming Programs
Visit Prince George's African American Museum and Cultural Center today!
We have fun and exciting events planned for your friends and family.
Join us on Tuesday, June 9th at 2 pm for "We Breathe", A Virtual Virgil for the Spirit of Social Justice. We invite you to take a meditative moment to pause and engage in intentional self-care practices with our staff and community.
#justiceforgeorgefloyd #justiceforahmaud #justiceforbreonnataylor #icantbreathe
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Program Proposal Link:
Please feel free to submit your proposal for a public program at The Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center (PGAAMCC). We are looking for programs that focus on showcasing black excellence through various forms such as: music, dance, theater, poetry, talks or panel discussions, film screenings, performance art, etc.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeTpRe7N5PByoM2bprp1v-DX5jDr7f3MPTZ3TUAl4zuM1XJbg/viewform
PGAAMCC Presents: Winter Motherland
1st Annual Winter Motherland :
Get Cultured!
Tis the Season to Get Cultured @ Winter Motherland!
Prince George’s African American Museum & Cultural Center presents: WinterMotherland. A vibrant winter festival, that excites and unites the community around the legacy of black holiday traditions; Christmas, Kwanzaa, Junkanoo.
Our spectacular indoor / outdoor celebration showcases art, music, dance, performance, games, food and pictures with Black Santa, all situated in our unique ‘Buy Black Vendor Village’ for must have holiday shopping. If you’re looking for a vibrant welcoming local space to gather, buy black, give back andget cultured, catch the spirit of the Holiday season at WinterMotherland.
We are centering the legacy and culture of black holidays with a new kind of celebration, Winter Motherland celebrating holidays across the Black Diaspora; Christmas, Kwanzaa and Junkanoo.
DMV Santa services will include, personal interaction with guests, attendees and staff members, including reading Christmas stories, Kwanzaa recognition, sing-a-long activities, photo sessions, meet and greet and participation in some museum related activities.
Support Small Businesses!
Shop small + local by coming to our Vendor Village! Every Saturday!
**CALLING ALL VENDORS!!** We would to extend an invitation for artist, artisans, food trucks, etc to participate in our Winter Motherland activities. Click on the flyer to apply.
Explore the Region’s Premier Winter Festival
By Khadija Pounsel
Winter Motherland, a seasonal festival celebration will feature art, music, food and holiday shopping. The festival will take place at Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center (PGAAMCC) in North Brentwood, Maryland. PGAAMCC is a part of the Gateway Arts District, located less than four miles from Washington, DC; and convenient to get to for Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia residents. An arts and history based museum experience that seamlessly combines local history, arts, education, and social justice; PGAAMCC is excited to curate a season-long holiday experience that is festive, fun, affordable, and convenient.
To jumpstart the Winter Motherland festival celebration, PGAAMCC will host Underground Railroad: Bazaar Under the Stars on Friday, November 15th at 5pm. Live performances, vendors, music and food will contribute to a jubilant spirit of shopping, celebration, and diaspora vibes in the outdoor pavilion. It will also occur Friday, November 29th and December 13th.
Winter Motherland will feature a full slate of events, exhibitions, and programs. Visitors can partake Tuesdays through Saturdays beginning November 16th. Those interested in learning about the legacy of black holiday traditions like Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Junkanoo will enjoy Scholar Talk Tuesdays. Visitors seeking a DIY creative outlet to root out holiday stress and tap back into joy will find Art Therapy Wednesdays right on time. For those who love watching a movie with family and friends, Holiday Movie Thursdays will feature holiday movie favorites. Those looking to connect with loved ones and meet other families will appreciate Family Fridays. Those who want to pick up holiday gifts and support local artisans and entrepreneurs will enjoy shopping at Vendor Village and photos with Black Santa on Saturdays.
In addition to the daily slate of events, PGAAMCC is proud to announce its new winter exhibition: Uhuru Quilters Guild @25. The exhibition features the work of the renowned local black quilting guild. The work of Uhuru Quilters Guild is rich with artisanship, history, and tradition. The exhibition opening reception will occur November 16th at 1pm. The related public programs include a Quilt + Crafts Arts Panel Talk on November 21st at 5pm as well as a Quilt + Learn Family Day on December 14th at 12 pm. Educators who want their students to witness the Uhuru exhibition, learn about local history as well as the importance of museums and the arts are invited to schedule a field trip for a guided museum tour.
Ever proud to serve as an available space for the community, PGAAMCC is available for holiday party space rentals. The 3-gallery museum is a venue for company events, organizational meetings, social gatherings and more this holiday season.
Winter Motherland Festival begins November 15th
Visit pgaamcc.org/wintermotherland
Our family friendly black quilting + Kwanzaa exhibitions on display in our museum galleries, provides a culturally enriching backdrop for students to explore the historical and artistic beauty of the holiday season importance. Book your field trip today for children at your church, school, girl scouts, boyscouts or social groups to experience Winter Motherland! Email: ssmith@pgaamcc.org
Upcoming Exhibition: Chocolate Cities Exhibition Series
Chocolate Cities Exhibition Series:
The History, Legacy, and Sustainability of African American Urban Enclaves
An Artistic Exploration of History and Social Justice
The Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center (PGAAMCC) is proud to present Chocolate Cities: The History, Legacy, and Sustainability of African American Urban Enclaves. This year-long series of exhibitions and programming will examine African American self-sustained enclaves throughout the United States, focusing specifically on Washington, DC and Prince George’s County, MD.
The term Chocolate City has historical significance in Washington, DC. Coined in the 1970's by local radio personalities and made popular by the funk band Parliament, the term did not solely indicate the color of the population but also the vibrant communities and cultural pride among its residents. For Deejay Bobby “The Mighty Burner” Bennett, Chocolate City “was the expression of DC's classy funk and confident Blackness;" it was about being Black, proud, and in power. Not only were Black people the majority, but they also had strength within the city through politics, business ownership, music, and culture. Now, during a time of dramatic demographic and cultural shifts, PGAAMCC’s Chocolate Cities Exhibition Series will explore the legacy of and track the continual changes within the nation's capital and Prince George’s County.
Chocolate Cities will feature three exhibitions featuring Washington, DC and Prince George’s County based artists and youth: Chocolate Cities Group Show, Sacred Cows: Works by Imar Hutchins, and Culture Keepers Presents: Chocolate Cities Youth Exhibition. These exhibitions will run in conjunction with PGAAMCC’s two permanent exhibitions – Sharing Our Stories: Treasures from Our Collection, a display of objects from the Museum’s Collections and Footsteps from North Brentwood, a photographic exhibit celebrating the history of Prince George’s first African American Incorporated Township, North Brentwood. PGAAMCC Executive Director Chanel Compton states, “As Prince George’s County towns and municipalities evolve and diversify, it is ever more important to keep local history and culture preserved. Prince George’s County is a model for Black mobility, and our Museum is actively preserving that history of community leadership and ingenuity for new generations of innovators.” PGAAMCC will host a monthly series of Chocolate Cities public programs at the Museum for audiences of all ages and backgrounds. This exhibition program series is in partnership with Chocolate Redux, an arts and social justice non-profit located in Washington, DC.
Chocolate Cities Group Exhibition - February 8, 2017-September 26, 2017
Chocolate Cities Group Exhibition is a multidisciplinary art exhibition highlighting the changing cultural and economic landscape of Washington, DC and Prince George's County, MD through the eyes of local artists. In the past decade, Washington, DC has dramatically changed due to population growth, gentrification, and government policy. It is no longer the same Chocolate City that the funk band Parliament referred to in the 1970s, but it still remains distinctively DC. The work included in this exhibition seeks to open up a discourse on gentrification, cultural sustainability, and economic growth in a way that recognizes individual experiences as well as collective memory. Through an examination of the history of Chocolate Cities, and an interrogation of current challenges such as economic segregation and gentrification as a form of cultural castration, this exhibition will open up a discourse on historical legacy as well as methods of sustainability in the face of a rapidly changing cultural and economic landscape. Chocolate Cities Group Exhibition is curated by Martina Dodd and showcases original works by featured artists: Tim Davis, Lloyd Foster, Lionel Frazier, Sheila Crider, Michael Booker, and Larry Cook.
Sacred Cows - February 8, 2017-May 19, 2017
Imar Hutchins’ portraits are not only adorned in elaborate jewelry and colorful symbolism, but also cloaked in honor. Inspired by the reverence bestowed upon cows in India, Hutchins’ latest series of collage and mixed media work – Sacred Cows – offers unique commentary on the treatment of Black people in America. Through the blending of species, cultures, and belief systems, the artist calls attention to the parallels and paradoxes of sacred cattle and exploited chattel. Sacred Cows is curated by Martina Dodd.
Culture Keepers: Chocolate Cities Youth Exhibition - June 2, 2017-September 26, 2017
The Chocolate Cities theme takes lead in the Museum’s teen after-school program, Culture Keepers. Students in the program are currently researching historically African American counties, neighborhoods, and cities - locally and nationally. Under the guidance of PGAAMCC’s Scholar-in-Residence and Teaching Artists, Culture Keepers students will create artwork based on their findings, which will to be featured as an exhibition at the Museum in June. PGAAMCC Education Coordinator Dr. Synatra Smith states, “Our Students, who come from all walks of life and ethnic backgrounds, are very excited about the Chocolate Cities theme this year; they get to learn about Black history and culture through a contemporary and creative lens. For example, we just led a presentation about the Netflix show Luke Cage and explored the significance of an African American bulletproof superhero charged to protect a historically African American community: Harlem. They loved the presentation and post-discussion because it incorporated their pop cultural interests into engaging scholarly discourse.” In partnership with Prince George’s County Public Schools, the Culture Keepers after-school program takes place weekly at three school sites: Suitland, Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr., and Northwestern high schools.
Chocolate Cities Exhibition Series Public Programs:
Opening Reception
Friday, February 10th, 2017
6:30-9pm
Well Rooted: Black Townships in Prince George’s County
Sunday, February 26, 2017
2-4pm
Black Wall Street: Pathways to Community Wealth
Saturday, March 11, 2017
2-4:30p
Chocolate Cities Artist Talk
Thursday, March 16, 2017
6-8pm
Designed for Decay: Unpacking Environmental Racism
Thursday, April 6, 2017
6-8pm
First Fridays with Chocolate Redux
Friday, May 5, 2017
7-9pm
Family Day: A Taste of Chocolate City
Saturday, July 1, 2017
2-6pm
Culture Keepers Opening Reception and Panel Discussion
Thursday, June 1, 2017
6pm-9pm
Artist Spotlight: A Legacy of Service Rush Baker Exemplifies a New Generation of Artists in Prince George’s County
North Brentwood, MD (December 27, 2016) – Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center’s most recent exhibition, Through Their Eyes – Art, Education, and Influence, features works by some of today’s most prominent visual artists, all of whom honed their skills in the Prince George’s County CVPA (Center for Visual and Performing Arts) Programs at Suitland and Northwestern High Schools. Rush Baker IV, one of the exhibition’s featured artists, is a testament to the impact of arts education in the County. As a native Prince Georgian and the son of the current County Executive, Baker is deeply connected to Prince George's past as well as its future. From his contributions as a renowned visual artist to his work as Assistant Director of the Brentwood Arts Exchange, Baker’s dedication is equal parts creativity and public service.
Baker credits his experiences as a student in Suitland High School’s CVPA Program as the catalyst for his later career. This year, Suitland CVPA marks its 30 year anniversary and has shaped careers of many of today’s known talent such as J. August Richards of ABC’s Notorious and Daniel Harder of Alvin Ailey Dance Company. Baker states “These programs – from dance and theater to TV production, graphic design, and the visual arts – attract young talent and cultivate a love and respect of our chosen professions from an early age,” Baker reflects. “I definitely came out of the program with a bit of a head start.”
Baker’s artistic reach has since expanded across the country. After earning a BFA from Cooper Union and an MFA in Painting/Printmaking from Yale, he has gone on to be featured in exhibitions from Los Angeles to New York City. But it was Baker’s experiences in the Suitland High School CVPA program that provided him with the foundation for his future achievements. “[The CVPA] experience made us all much better artists than we were coming in,” Baker says, “and I can’t ever thank them enough for that. I attribute [the CVPA] experience to helping to get me into Cooper Union’s BFA program and later going on to Yale… The rigorous formal training I received early on gave me the tools down the road to push the boundaries of my practice.”
Now, as an artist whose work is rooted in giving back to the community, Baker has truly come full circle. In hindsight, he realizes that his CVPA teachers exemplified what it means to be an artist that not only creates, but also gives back.
“It’s worth mentioning that all of my teachers [had] art practices of their own, and teaching us was truly a labor of love,” Baker says. “It was not something they had to do, and we can all agree that there are easier professions… Looking back, their commitment to us and to public service inspires me to this day.” Led by the example set by his CVPA teachers and his family’s legacy of service to the County, Rush Baker IV exemplifies a new generation of Prince George’s artists in service. To promote and connect Prince George’s artist community, particularly artist alumni from Prince George’s CVPA programs, PGAAMCC will host an artist and creative community networking event: New Year, First Friday – CVPA Edition; Friday January 6th, 2017, 6pm – 9pm.
Through Their Eyes – Art, Education, and Influence: Creative Expressions Inspired by Prince George’s County CVPA Alumni will be on display at PGAAMCC through January 21st, 2016. Join us for our final Through Their Eyes program: New Year, First Friday – CVPA Edition; Friday January 6th, 2017, 6pm – 9pm
The Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center is recognized nationally and internationally for its innovative approach to the documentation, interpretation, preservation, and presentation of local and regional African American history, art, and culture. PGAAMCC is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10am-5pm. Admission to the museum is free. For more information, call (301) 809-0440, email programs@pgaamcc.org, or visit the Museum’s website at www.pgaamcc.org.
Dedication Ceremony Watch Party
NMAAHC Dedication Ceremony will be streamed live
Complimentary brunch and mimosas
Free entry; suggested donation: $5
All ages admitted; must be 21+ to drink
Location: Prince George's African American Museum and Cultural Center
4519 Rhode Island Ave, North Brentwood, MD 20722
Click here for more information
Call for Artists
CALL FOR ARTISTS
Fall 2016 Exhibit: “Through Their Eyes- Art, Education, and Influence: Creative Expressions Inspired by Prince George’s County CVPA Alumni”
Duration: October 12- Friday January 20
Submission Deadline: August 31
PROPOSALS
“Through Their Eyes- Art, Education, and Influence: Creative Expressions Inspired by Prince George’s County CVPA Alumni” showcases the work of select alumni of the visual arts programs at Suitland High School and Northwestern High School. We are seeking art works and other narrative expressions inspired by curricula, teachers, pedagogical approaches, peer interactions, overall CVPA program experiences, and the schools themselves.
ELIGIBILITY
This call is open to:
- All artists who are aged 18 years or older.
- Of African origin/descent
- Attended or graduated from the Center for Visual & Performing Arts at either Suitland High School or Northwestern High School
Alumni Call for Artists Invite
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Laura Perez, Director of Education and Programs at
301-809-0440 ext 110
lperez@pgaamcc.org
Happy Kwanzaa!
Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday which celebrates family, community and culture. Celebrated from 26 December thru 1 January, its origins are in the first harvest celebrations of Africa from which it takes its name. The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase "matunda ya kwanza" which means "first fruits" in Swahili, a Pan-African language which is the most widely spoken African language.
The first-fruits celebrations are recorded in African history as far back as ancient Egypt and Nubia and appear in ancient and modern times in other classical African civilizations such as Ashantiland and Yorubaland. These celebrations are also found in ancient and modern times among societies as large as empires (the Zulu or kingdoms (Swaziland) or smaller societies and groups like the Matabele, Thonga and Lovedu, all of southeastern Africa. Kwanzaa builds on the five fundamental activities of Continental African "first fruit" celebrations: ingathering; reverence; commemoration; recommitment; and celebration. Kwanzaa, then, is:
- a time of ingathering of the people to reaffirm the bonds between them;
- a time of special reverence for the creator and creation in thanks and respect for the blessings, bountifulness and beauty of creation;
- a time for commemoration of the past in pursuit of its lessons and in honor of its models of human excellence, our ancestors;
- a time of recommitment to our highest cultural ideals in our ongoing effort to always bring forth the best of African cultural thought and practice; and
- a time for celebration of the Good, the good of life and of existence itself, the good of family, community and culture, the good of the awesome and the ordinary, in a word the good of the divine, natural and social.
Source: http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/origins1.shtml
Holiday Sale and Membership Offer
HOLIDAY SALE
20% OFF OF ALL MEMBERSHIPS
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR MEMBERSHIPS
20% OFF OF ALL PGAAMCC MERCHANDISE
ADDITIONAL 10% OFF FOR MEMBERS
December 1st-December 31st
Stop by to get your official PGAAMCC merchandise today!
Call 301-809-0440 for more information.
THE PG County Youth Poet Laureate Program
THE PG COUNTY YOUTH POET LAUREATE PROGRAM IS HERE!
Win a book publishing deal and represent PG County across the region!
The PGC – YPL program will bring light to our future leaders through poetry, performance, education, human relations & civic engagement across Prince George’s County. The 12 finalists & 1 laureate will perform & be honored at the Inaugural Prince George’s County Youth Poet Laureate Coronation at
MONDAY, DECEMBER 21ST
PG PUBLICK PLAYHOUSE
5445 LANDOVER ROAD
CHEVERLY, MD 20784
DOORS 6:30 PM
FREE FOR STUDENTS UNDER 18 & SENIORS WITH ID / $12 GEN ADMISSION
HOSTED BY EZ STREET OF 93.9 WKYS!!
THE PGC – YPL Program is a joint venture of Urban Word of NYC and DIALECT of PG County, along with LYRIKAL STORM, with additional collaboration by the American Poetry Museum, the PG County African American Museum and Cultural Center, ECO City Farms, and the Prince George’s County Social Innovation Fund, with generous support from county residents like you.
From October 19th till November 16th, online submissions were accepted at www.dialect-usa.com from county residents ages 14-19 who are poets, rappers, youth leaders and activists interested in representing PG County abroad. A panel of esteemed judges will select 12 finalists to be given the distinction of Youth Poet Ambassador for PG County, and one teen will be honored with the title of PG County Youth Poet Laureate.
Along with winning the prestigious title of Poet Laureate, the winning poet will also win a book deal from Penmanship Books to publish their first collection of poems, as well as a reading tour. The Laureate and County Ambassadors will have numerous opportunities and platforms to share their talent and energy at various events across the DC Metro area.
Urban Word and their partners recognize that youth voice and community engagement are vital for empowering young people to create lasting change in their immediate and global communities. Local and national partners include Youth Speaks, PG Parks and Recreation, and Penmanship Publishing.
For More Info contact:
Patrick Washington 301 237 6684
Neville Adams 240 426 2629
Or email blackpicasso@gmail.com
District 6 Genealogy Workshops
| The Prince George's African-American Museum & Cultural Center at North Brentwood, Inc., in partnership with the Prince George's County African American Genealogical Society and the Prince George's County Memorial Library System, presents Finding Your Historical and Genealogical Roots, a series of workshops focusing on the fundamentals of African-American historical and genealogical research. The sessions will provide the attendees with a step-by-step "how to" guide to in tracing African-American lineage. They will show participants how to identify sources, records, and other tools needed to organize and manage research materials. Activities will include surfing genealogical websites on the Internet, preparing for a research trip, developing a family tree, conducting oral interviews, understanding DNA testing, planning family reunions, unlocking the mysteries of genealogy for children, etc.
Courses will be held at the Largo Kettering Library on the following dates:
Tuesday, August 25, 2015, 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Introduction to Genealogical Research Tracing your family's history is a fascinating journey. The instructor will guide the participants along the way by offering how-to articles, genealogy classes, and other resources, e.g., newspapers/yearbooks, obituaries, funeral records and programs, bibles/diaries, organization records (fraternities, sororities, companies, clubs) that will help them dig deeper into their families' past.
Saturday, September 26, 2015, 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Planning a Family Reunion The instructor of this workshop will provide the participants with the basics of planning a family reunion. The most successful reunions begin with a spirit of inclusion and cooperation. The planning process will help determine what works best for the family. The participants will learn to create the family reunion budget, plan, activities, and develop recruiting strategies. The goal is to make the family reunion a memorable and fun experience for all.
Saturday, October 24, 2015, 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Preparing for a Research Trip This workshop provides participants the methods of preparing for research trips to libraries, conferences, state, local and national archives, cemeteries, or their ancestral homeland. It is very exciting to get out into the "field" and explore genealogy in a hands on way but it is also important to do a little preparation to make the trip efficient and fun
Date TBD Genealogy for Children As history comes alive, this workshop will inspire children to search for their ancestors. Children can unlock the mysteries of other cultures, places, and times as they look for their families - when they were born, where they lived, and what they did to survive. The hands-on learning that a project brings to the classroom can help motivate students to learn, as well as encourage retention of the covered material. Family history can be used to teach not only history, but also language arts, writing, math, geography, and even science. Family history projects can also be used to teach and encourage communication, information-gathering, research, computer, analysis, and evaluation skills. It is also an excellent method for encouraging the acceptance of individual differences.
For more information, please contact the Largo Kettering Library at (301) 336-4044. |