SoulScapes takes artists back to their roots

SoulScapes Exhibit by Women of Visions, Inc. August Wilson Center for African American… SoulScapes Exhibit by Women of Visions, Inc. August Wilson Center for African American Culture 209 Ninth Street, Cultural District Runs until Feb. 16, 2008 Call 412-258-2700 for hours

The term “soul” might be used lightly in black jargon, but it carries heavy significance for the 18 artists featured in “SoulScapes,” a multimedia art exhibit currently running the August Wilson Center for African-American Culture.

As members of Women of Visions Inc., an organization devoted to supporting black female artists in the Pittsburgh area, these artists explored the meaning of “soul” and expressed their unique perceptions in various art forms they created specifically for the exhibit.

“SoulScapes” opened on Oct. 5 and will run through Feb. 16, 2008. Co-curated by WOV president, Marica Jackson, and director of education at the August Wilson Center, Cecile Shellman, “Soulscapes” encompasses a vast array of media, including watercolors, acrylics, ceramics, fiber, collage, silver gelatin photography and mixed media.

“As [the WOV members] were brainstorming ideas for the exhibit, themes of tradition and reaching back to your foundations to learn about yourself kept coming up. We talked about how the past can often be viewed as a landscape of the soul, and that led to the idea of ‘SoulScapes,'” said Jackson.

While they share a common ethnic heritage, the artists drew on unique life experiences and represent a wide range of artistic backgrounds, resulting in an extremely diverse collection of artwork.

Preceding the entrance to the first gallery is a totem pole encrusted with baubles and cowry shells, entitled “Go Cry Girl, Go Cry!” The encaustic on wood panel piece was created by one of the original members of Women of Visions, Charlotte Ka, who now lives in New York.

“We thought it was important to start the exhibit with a piece from one of the original members to emphasize the importance of roots,” Jackson said.

Painter and mixed media artist Tenanche Golden’s piece, “ML’s Journey Homeward: We Are Stardust,” hangs at the forefront of the first gallery and depicts a galaxy in swirls of deep purple and black acrylics.

“I’ve always been interested in the metaphysical. Soul for me is very spiritual, closely tied to life and afterlife,” said Golden.

Reflecting on the idea of soul for the “SoulScapes” exhibit led her to recall a dream she had in 2001 about her father, who passed away the previous year.

“He was jumping from planet to planet and having such a good time that he invited me to come with him. I said, ‘I don’t think it’s my time yet,'” Golden said. “ML’s Journey Homeward” is also a response to an untitled piece her father himself created, which is also featured in the exhibit.

Multi-color quilts and other fiber media are the focus of the second gallery. Sandra German, a fiber artist who teaches quilting classes at the August Wilson Center, contributed two quilts to “SoulScapes” – “Brave” and “These Few Precious Days,” which incorporate a rainbow of patterns woven together by thin, glittery thread.

“My quilts are about inner being. My story is made up of so many different layers, colors and pieces, like the patches of a quilt. The stitching is the spirit that weaves it all together,” said German.

Mayota Hill sees soul, not so much as a link to her ancestral past, but as connection to a higher being.

“Examining soul is something that takes you to the core of the self. I see that self as a reflection of the Creator inside me. This is something I have always understood, and this exhibit allowed me to express that to the public,” Hill said. Her mixed media piece, “Soul Engine # 9,” incorporates buttons, beads, thread and other sewing materials into a multi color “engine” that portrays the body as a machine, signifying the Creator’s presence at the core of being.

The final “SoulScapes” gallery features mixed media sculptures as well as a variety of two-dimensional pieces. Situated in the far corner is painter Adrienne Powers’ immense canvas, a representation of the afro as a cultural symbol that embodies soul.

“Everything began in the 60s in [Powers’] mind. The afro was how she identified with her culture the most,” said Jackson.

Photographer Joyce Baucum contributed three silver gelatin prints to “SoulScapes,” including “Nana Adoja Gyeba, Elmina Ghana” which captures an elderly Gullah woman in black and white.

“[Baucum] had the opportunity to travel to the Gullah islands and was in the company of people who still hold knowledge of slavery. Her photograph shows soul through the memory of slavery,” said Jackson.

Although each artist conveyed the idea of soul through different media there are several unifying elements that make “SoulScapes” a cohesive exhibit.

“When I first walked into the exhibit, I noticed that color was the common thread throughout, especially blues and purples, which are the colors tied most closely to memory,” said Jackson. “The older women tended to gravitate towards purple, which represents wisdom.”

Color also played an important role in Jackson’s ceramic’s piece, “Saqui, Lo Do I See My Ancestors.”

“[‘Saqui’] represents preparation for death – she is moving towards it. She wears aqua as a symbol of eternal life,” said Jackson.

“SoulScapes” seeks to further the mission of Women of Visions, Inc. by empowering black female artists and showcasing their work to the community.

“By embracing our culture and heritage, we are also embracing our community,” said Jackson. The idea of “soul” as an examination of self is a concept that reaches beyond the black female population of Pittsburgh.

“I hope that the exhibit will encourage everyone, not just women of color, to begin to understand who they are,” Hill said.