Join us Friday, May 3rd in the Blackbox Theater for a night of incredible live music and spoken word with house band SMX Shawn Seals and other local artists. Doors open at 6:00 PM and the show will begin at 7:00 PM. General admission for this event is $20.00. To purchase tickets please get in touch with event headliner, Tony Eiland at 315-876-2284.
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CommuniVersity : Estate Planning Seminar
Join The Community Folk Art Center and The William Herbert Johnson Minority Bar Association of Central New York for an empowering Estate Planning Seminar where you’ll gain invaluable insights into securing your legacy and protecting your loved ones. This informative discussion will be led by Vicki R. Brackens, ChFC President & Financial Planner of Brackens Financial Solutions Network, and Mazaher E.G.E Kaila, Esq. Associate Attorney of Bousquet Holstein PLLC
This event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided.
Saturday, April 27th 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Community Folk Art Center, Gallery
Poetic Black Fusion Writers Workshop
Save the date for session two of Poetic Black Fusion Writers Workshop! In this innovative writing course led by Cedric T. Bolon and Kofi Antwi , you’ll have the opportunity to study the greats of poetry, flex your creativity with fun writing prompts, and connect with other artists. Poetic Black Fusion is a writers’ workshop that provides access and opportunities to poets of the African diaspora living in Central New York. This program is a social outlet for community members to develop as writers, and express themselves from the page to the stage.
This program is free and open to everyone
Tuesday April 30th 6:30 PM
Community Folk Art Center
Snaps & Taps At CFAC Open Mic Night
Happy National Poetry Month from the Community Folk Art Center! Join us for an awesome evening of creativity and talent at Snaps & Taps Open Mic Night hosted by the incredible Ari Wilson with music by DJ Shy Guy. This event is free and open to the community. Whether you’re a poet, musician, or just love to appreciate raw talent, this open mic is the place to be. So grab your friends, bring your snaps and taps, and let’s make some magic together.
Wednesday, April 24th Doors Open at 6:30 PM
Community Folk Art Center, Black Box Theater
Turning the Lens: Building Community through Family Photographs
Join the Turning the Lens Collective for an evening of community storytelling and photo sharing. This event will feature guest speakers from the Syracuse community and a presentation of recorded interviews from our collective’s “Family Pictures Syracuse” launch events in October 2023. We encourage attendees to bring along their own family photographs to share as a part of the event.
Saturday April 6th, 5:00 PM | Refreshments will be served at 4:30 PM
Community Folk Art Center, Black Box Theater
Tony International Live Jazz Under Spoken Word
Celebrate spring with the smooth sounds of Tony International! Join us Friday, April 5th in the Blackbox Theater for a night of live music and spoken word with house band SMX Shawn Seals and other local artists. Doors open at 6:00 PM and the show will begin at 7:00 PM. General admission for this event is $20.00. To purchase tickets please get in touch with event headliner, Tony Eiland at 315-876-2284.
“Chromatic Expressions” by Megan Lewis: A Celebration of Vibrant Diversity at the Community Folk Art Center
On View from March 25th – May 4th 2024
The Community Folk Art Center is thrilled to announce the opening of “Chromatic Expressions,” a captivating art exhibition by the esteemed artist Megan Lewis. The exhibition will be on view from March 25, 2024, to May 4, 2024, inviting art enthusiasts to immerse themselves in Lewis’s vivid world of figurative painting and muralism. Lewis will also have an artist talk on April 17, 2024, at 6:00 PM at the Community Folk Art Center where she will delve into her creative process, inspirations, and the themes explored in “Chromatic Expressions.”
About the Artist: Born in 1989 in Baltimore, MD, Megan Lewis is an accomplished artist who graduated with a BFA in Illustration from the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida. Her artistic journey has been marked by a commitment to celebrating the beauty, resilience, and complexity of the Black experience. Lewis’s work as a figurative painter is characterized by her masterful use of the palette knife, infusing her creations with bold colors, geometric patterns, and intricate textiles. Through her fantastical subjects, Lewis invites viewers to contemplate the thoughts and emotions of her characters, each embodying a unique narrative shaped by chance encounters and the artist’s boundless imagination. Embedded within Lewis’s layered canvases are profound conversations on the social and historical portrayals of the Black body. In her statement, Lewis shares her journey of self-discovery and artistic expression, rooted in her experiences, memories, and aspirations.
The Community Folk Art Center is honored to host “Chromatic Expressions,” a testament to Megan Lewis’s extraordinary talent and unwavering commitment to artistic innovation and social justice, says executive director and curator Tanisha Jackson. As a beacon of cultural and artistic pluralism, CFAC is dedicated to promoting the work of artists of the African Diaspora and fostering dialogue, understanding, and appreciation within our community and beyond. Join us in celebrating the opening of “Chromatic Expressions” and experiencing the transformative power of Megan Lewis’s art. The exhibition promises to be a journey of discovery, inspiration, and celebration of the rich tapestry of human experience.
Art Unveiling Ceremony: The Ancestor as Foundation
You are cordially invited to witness the unveiling of “The Ancestor as Foundation,” crafted by the esteemed artist Dr. David MacDonald, Professor. Emeritus. This captivating artwork has been commissioned and generously gifted to the Department of African American Studies in honor of the legendary Toni Morrison by the esteemed Dr. Janis A. Mayes, Emerita faculty.
Dr. Mayes served the Department of African American Studies, teaching Black World Literatures in English and French languages, from 1982-2020. Toni Morrison was the Jeannette K. Watson Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Humanities at Syracuse University in 1988. Recipient of the 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature, Toni Morrison completed her first novel, The Bluest Eye, (1970) in Syracuse, New York.
Date: March 28, 2024
Time: 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Location: Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee Street, Syracuse, NY 13210
Poetic Black Fusion Writers Workshop
Calling all Poets! If you’re looking for a writing community to enhance your skills and creativity then look no further. Join Cedric T. Bolton and Kofi Antwi on Saturday, March 30th at 12:00 PM for Poetic Black Fusion writer’s workshop.
Poetic Black Fusion is a writers’ workshop that provides access and opportunities to poets of the African Diaspora living in Central New York. This program is a social outlet for community members to develop as writers, and express themselves from the page to the stage.
Snaps & Taps Open Mic – Celebrating Women
Join us on Wednesday, March 27th at 6:30 PM for Snaps & Taps Open Mic Night in celebration of Women’s History Month. Hosted by the one and only Sofia Rodriguez with music by DJ Shy Guy! Whether you’re a poet or musician this open mic is the place to be. So grab your friends, bring your snaps and taps, and let’s make some magic together.
