Supporting the arts in SL during Black History Month
News / February 11, 2023 February 16, 2023 / By Plum
The first of February marks the beginning of Black History Month (BHM), an annual celebration of the endless contributions people of the diaspora have made to society. With the arts in mind, there are notable movements in RL including the Harlem Renaissance; an influential movement of African-American art, literature, music, and theater. Artistic activism during the civil rights movement and (although not solely focused on art) the Black Lives Matter movement have led to large-scale murals and public artworks that convey hope and solidarity. Black art gives voice to those previously silenced. At the same time, several art movements have celebrated the beauty, prosperity and just plain ole joy of Black culture. Personally I am looking forward to the rise in Afrofuturism. Imagining speculative futures and technologies that blossom out from Black experiences. Artistic expression in the black community expands the globe!
Many organizations in Second Life have launched special events and exhibitions in celebration of BHM, and here, SLEA is compiling a roundup of galleries, museums and installations to be explored. Additionally, it’s always a good time to engage with institutions across the grid that are dedicated to championing underrepresented people’s history year-round and diversifying their engagement. This Black history month is the first of many “History Months” where we use our platform to highlight artists that support the genre. SL is a vast and complex world so obviously this list is not exhaustive of all of the arts in SL, and admittedly this is mostly from my personal favorites. Please add your favorite artist, gallery, exhibit or museum in the comments if to add to my collection!
Enjoy! ~PlumQueen, SLEA Liaison
Center Ground Gallery of Art: Home to one of the longest SL artists in the list, and perhaps my favorite, JudiLynn. “The Center Ground Gallery of Art presents the artwork of Real Life artist JudiLynn India. Owned and curated by JudiLynn India, they occasionally host the work of other great RL painters. Feel free to browse the gallery and relax in the gallery gardens where you’ll also find space to dance or bike ride through the Center Ground region.” Bloomsbury House by Aruba DeCuir: Aruba has showcased her art in SL since the early days of Sunrise Mansion and Art Gallery. Aruba created art, paintings collages and actively updates her pieces regularly. Her gallery sits in a cute french inspired town along with two of her own smaller galleries. Aruba is also the owner of The Art Messenger, an art promotion group. IM her for an invite.Eatonville Living History Museum: A living, interactive museum paying homage to the strength and beauty of the African-American diaspora through an examination of popular Black Literature. Walk around the town and turn your sounds on to feel lived experiences of African-Americans through the times, through an exploration of culturally-affirming Black literature.Meroe Museum: A new favorite of mine. Founded by Ras Solaris. MEROE Museum is the Home of Black and Aboriginal cultures in Second Life. This month Meroe is featuring Artist Skullobius Marques and his collection called Colorism: Dividing our People and Culture. The Museum’s purpose is to provide a safe space for the repository of black culture from across the diaspora, and a place for dialog in an effort to resolve many of the conflicts that plague our communities. Meroe has events all month! More info at: meroemuseum.com and Facebook.Scribbled! by Chioma: A newer artist on the grid (but not new to the arts!) Chioma Namiboo debuted at the SLEA Sky Galleries in 2022 and she has been non stop ever since! Chioma loves to create Ethnic, Ebony, Nubian, SciFi, fantasy, Mixed Media and Ai Generated art. I secretly cannot wait to see her take on Afrofuturism but no pressure 🙂Intuitive Art by Naveah Lochkart: I found Naveahs gallery while exploring and ended up purchasing on of her pieces entitled “Woman” I hope to see her in more galleries around the grid.Zummiiez Art Gallery: Urban artist Zummii showcases her talent through a digital medium. I can best describe her art as black pop culture expression. Colorful visuals of black style, musicians and various aspects of culture through her eyes.
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