Pompano Beach Arts is proud to celebrate Black History Month with a stellar array of educational and entertaining events. Join us for new art exhibitions and events, concerts, film poetry and more, culminating in the Pioneers’ Ball, which honors local business owners, past and present. For full details about each event visit, https://www.pompanobeacharts.org/programs/black-history-month-2022
“We are very pleased to recognize this important celebration with an array of outstanding programming,” said Phyllis Korab, Cultural Affairs Director. “Through arts and culture, we hope to stimulate conversation, broaden understanding and enhance the connection among all members of the community.”
By Kay Renz
Exhibition Openings:
African American Women Changemakers
Pompano Beach Cultural Center
Now to March 30
This exhibition features photographs of African American women educators, activists, artists and more from the Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. First installed at the Ali Cultural Arts Center, the exhibition has moved to the Cultural Center lobby and first floor to celebrate both Black History and Women’s History months.
Example of women profiled:
Nannie Helen Burroughs
Educator, religious leader, and social activist
Born in Orange, Virginia on May 2, 1879
Died in Washington, D.C. on May 20, 1961
Helped found the Women’s Auxiliary of the National Baptist Convention (NBC). As part of a network of strong black club women in the first half of the twentieth century, Burroughs was active in the National Association of Colored Women, the National Association of Wage Earners, and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. In August 1954 she invited Martin Luther King, Jr., the young son of her friends, Martin Luther King, Sr., and Alberta Williams King, to address the Women’s Auxiliary on “The Vision of the World Made New.”
Josephine (Amelia) Silone Yates
Science teacher, writer, and civil rights activist
Born in Mattituck, New York on November 15, 1859
Died in Kansas City, Missouri on September 3, 1912
After teaching in public schools for a few years, she was hired in 1881 as a “female assistant” with a yearly salary of $500 on the faculty of Lincoln Institute, a college established for African American students in Jefferson, Missouri. Her first assignments were teaching chemistry, botany, physiology, and drawing, and by June 1886, she was the head of the Natural Science Department, becoming the first African American female head of a college Science Department. She later returned to Lincoln Institute in 1902, and in addition to teaching drawing, became the chair of English and History as well as the women’s advisor. In 1910, Josephine returned to Kansas City where she taught at Lincoln High School and worked for the Kansas City Board of Education.
Together: An Exhibition Celebrating African American Quilts
Ali Cultural Arts Center
February 18 – May 12
This national juried exhibition commemorates the talent, resourcefulness and ingenuity of early African American quilters and explores early quilting techniques. All the artists chosen responded to a national call to submit their quilt in time for Black History Month.
Home is . . . Exhibition
An Exhibition Created by the Community’s View of what “Home” is
Blanche Ely House Museum
Now to April 26
This newest exhibition at the Blanche Ely House Museum, Home Is…empowers the community to participate in an ongoing installation to explore the nature of home, what makes a house a home and what makes Pompano Beach and the Northwest Community home.
Lunch with Art – Visual Arts
Bailey Contemporary Arts Center
February 2 at 12:15 p.m. FREE
Kehinde Wiley Paper & Magazine Collage. Wiley is a contemporary African-American painter best known for his realistic images of African-Americans, from famous people such as President Obama, to strangers he encounters globally. Wiley holds a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree from Yale University.
Lunch with Art – Poetry
Pompano Beach Cultural Center
Theme: Black History Month
February 3 at 12:15 p.m. FREE
Listen and watch different poems designed to spark creativity. Each workshop encourages participants to escape from the daily stresses of life while remembering how beauty can be found in even the simplest of words.
Lunch with Art – Visual Arts
Bailey Contemporary Arts Center
February 9 at 12:15 p.m. FREE
Nick Cave mix-media costume design. Cave is famous for creating Soundsuits that blend fashion and sculpture. They originated as metaphorical suits of armor in response to the Rodney King beatings and have evolved into vehicles for empowerment.
Lunch with Art – The Lecture Series (Virtual)
Blanche Ely House Museum
February 10
Join consultant Derek T. Davis to learn about Pompano Beach history that unlocks a piece of the past and focuses on the people who made a difference in the community.
A Taste of Jazz
February 10 at 7 p.m., Wine Tasting at 7:30 p.m. A Taste of Jazz
$20 Adults / $10 Pompano Beach Residents / Students Free
Bailey Contemporary Arts Center
THEME: How Jazz was Influenced by African American Musicians
Join Martin Hand and the Gold Coast Jazz Quartet as they explore the origins of the music of jazz, how it moved throughout America and became the music it is today.
February 12 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. FREE
Green Market Pompano Beach
Pompano Beach Cultural Center
Theme: Black History Month & Valentine’s Day
The Green Market providing the community with the best and freshest fruits and vegetables, juices, baked goods, local honey, seafood and other food items, as well as orchids, plants, and health-related products and services. Visitors will also find hand-made crafts, art and culinary products. Yoga on the Great Lawn, led by Samantha Marcum, will take place from 10 – 11 am. Music by DJ Trish. Masks, social distancing and one-way foot traffic required and hand sanitizing stations provided.
Lyrics Lab Café
Bailey Contemporary Arts Center
February 16 from 8–11 p.m. l $10
Theme: Black History Month
Pompano Stand Up Live returns to honor the historic landmark Apollo Theater with a comedy competition to determine who will rock the stage in the season finale and perform with a nationally acclaimed comedian.
Live and Local Concert Series featuring Deep Fried Funk
Ali Cultural Arts Center
February 18 from 7-9 p.m. l $10
Pompano Beach Arts expands the South Florida musical landscape by providing a stage for the area’s best bands in the Ali’s outdoor space, while sipping on craft beers and sampling culinary treats from local food vendors.
Stories from the Front Porch
Blanche Ely House Museum
February 19 l 11 a.m.
Enjoy stories about Black American Heroes, complete a small craft, and tour the home. Guests are encouraged to dress up as your favorite Black hero, community leader, or story character. After story time, families are invited up on the porch to share their stories of Pompano Beach. Light refreshments are served.
Montage – A Virtual Film Series
Pompano Beach Cultural Center
February 24 at 7 p.m.
Montage a Virtual Film Series is designed to engage industry professionals, film lovers and the public to take part in candid discussions intended to inspire emerging filmmakers. Montage is curated and hosted by Cathleen Dean of Black Cat Media
Pioneers’ Ball
Ali Cultural Arts
February 26 at 5:30 p.m. / $20 General Admission $15 Seniors
This dinner event will celebrate local business owners, past to present. Dinner will include a one-hour cocktail reception, a main course and dessert. The honoree program begins at 6:30 pm and features a live band and an inspirational dance performance. Limited tickets are available.
About the City of Pompano Beach Cultural Affairs Department
The mission of the Cultural Affairs Department is to provide cultural programming that includes visual arts, digital media, music, film, theater, dance and public art for the enjoyment and enrichment of residents and visitors to Pompano Beach, Broward County, and the greater South Florida area. The department programs and manages the City’s premiere cultural arts venues, including the Pompano Beach Cultural Center, Ali Cultural Arts Center, Bailey Contemporary Arts Center, and the Blanche Ely House Museum. The department also oversees the City’s Public Art Program and the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts’ Our Town grant awarded to the Pompano Beach Crossroads place-making arts initiative.