June 22, 2012

Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator: Realization of a Bold Dream




Harvesting the Creative Reservoir of our Cultural Community 

By Marva McClean

Dreams do take you to far-away places! More than a decade ago, Rosie Gordon-Wallace launched Diaspora Vibe Gallery at the BakeHouse Studio in 1996. What began as a six-month program for emerging artists has now evolved into a yearlong, incubator space, nurturing, celebrating, and affirming the work of artists throughout the Diaspora. Today, Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator has evolved into a platform of multiple levels, including a web village, incubator space and international forum. This has been made possible through the commitment and dedication of both the artists themselves and a group of community stakeholders who have joined the organization in harvesting the creative reservoir of our cultural community.

Throughout the years, Diaspora Vibe has showcased the work of outstanding artists such as Patricia Roldan of Florida, Nicole Wynter of Jamaica, Asser Saint Val of Haiti, Paul Salva from Russia, Deborah Jack from St. Maarten, Caroline Holder of Barbados, Jean Chiang of China, Wura Ogunji of Nigerian and American heritage, Erman from Cuba and Brian Wong Won of Trinidad, Kurt Nahar from Suriname, and Elvis Lopez from Aruba; all working in a variety of artistic media that defy boundaries and typecasting.

The organization’s work has evolved to include production of literature, which goes beyond the traditional collateral to include articles and commentaries on our websites, artist portfolios, and catalogs. Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator has led artistic missions to Grenada, St.
Kitts, Santo Domingo, Aruba, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Trinidad, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico and has introduced their patrons to an eclectic mix of creative people, including authors.

Art in all its diverse forms allows us to tell our story in our words and colors with vibrancy, etching in the nuances that speak to heritage and our cultural identity; for it conveys our values and worldview. With the support of our entrepreneurial team of board members, we have embarked on some very successful fundraisers including Midnight Indulgences, Dining4Diaspora, and Seize the Pen. In addition DVCAI has met with success in securing funding from national foundations such as the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, The Ford Foundation, Surdna Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, State of Florida Department of Cultural Affairs and Miami Dade Department of Cultural Affairs.

As we celebrate Caribbean Heritage Month, I invite you to join us as we continue to challenge society to open its mind to new ideas concerning art and to assert the central role that Diasporic artists play in the shaping of culture and the community. Let’s continue to focus our attention on erasing any residual vestiges of elitism that has impacted the art movement. Together we will work to enrich the history of art across the borders of Dade County through to the state, national, and international levels. Art is what holds the human race together. It speaks persuasively to the mind and spirit of all of us, regardless of our location, disposition, race or gender. Art is truly the magic of the mind.


For further information contact:

Rosie Gordon-Wallace, Ex. Director | Curator
Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator, Inc
686 NE 56 St.
Miami Fl. 33137
786-536-7801
305-542-4277
rogwall3@yahoo.com



***
Blog Disclosure Policy



Geoffrey Philp’s Blog Spot receives a percentage of the purchase price on anything you buy through links to Amazon, Shambala Books, Hay House, or any of the Google ads or Google Custom Search.



***

Disclaimer of Endorsement



The documents posted on this Web site may contain hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links and pointers are provided for visitors' convenience. I do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any linked information. Further, the inclusion of links or pointers to other Web sites or agencies is not intended to assign importance to those sites and the information contained therein, nor is it intended to endorse, recommend, or favor any views expressed, or commercial products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites, by trade name, trademark, manufacture, or otherwise.


Reference in this Web site to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the site's visitors, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by this blog.

No comments: