Artist Yeefah Thurman and Art Instructor Lisa Reitman work with Middle School Students to create a body of work reacting to the effect of the transatlantic slave trade on Yanga, Mexico and Evanston, Illinois. Hosted at 1100 Florence Gallery, May 6-14. 2023.
Assemblage art by Mia
"From Yanga, Mexico to Evanston, Illinois a cross cultural survey of the African diaspora
A cross-cultural experience without leaving your neighborhood.”
Black people around the world have experienced similar and different effects from the transatlantic slave trade. Using two examples that are distant yet in some ways similar, 11 Evanston middle schoolers had a cross-cultural experience while learning new art techniques. They learned the concept of storytelling through visual arts while studying Mexican mural art, art as activism or propaganda and what the assemblage art genre is.
The middle schoolers created artwork using concepts in the assemblage art genre and storytelling to express the effects of the transatlantic slave trade on Yanga, Mexico and Evanston, Illinois. They could choose to tell the whole story or tell a portion of the story. Most of them related to parts of the historical stories like freedom, resilience or separation from family and friends. What you see on display is evidence of 8 weeks of amazing creative work by young middle schoolers.
Thank you Evanston Arts Council for sponsoring this grant and providing this opportunity to our young artists, Evanston Lumber and the Waste Shed for donating materials to our artists and Across the Table for providing the document “What does it mean to have power?” for our introductory conversation.
Curators: Yeefah Thurman & Lisa Reitman
Student work: Mia A
Yeefah Thurman - Entrepreneur, Artist, Advocate, Mentor, Educator, Curriculum Developer, Cosmetologist
Yeefah, in her early twenties, helped plan Austria's first children’s Museum. Her area of focus was the development of the pedagogical program for ages four and under. Additionally, it was her responsibility to procure funding for the program and develop its exhibit. She continued to work with children in preschools and as a lead teacher in after school programs upon returning to the US. While homeschooling her four children she created an advanced art curriculum which helped her daughter win several art contests. Over the years she's created programs and developed curricula for children and adults. For four years, at the Art and Science Salon, she was the principal educator and curriculum developer for highly textured hair. Currently, she is teaching cosmetologists an Afro textured hair curriculum she's developed and has three additional curricula in production. At the age of ten she started her first business. In 2020 she opened her current business in Evanston - Dropn Pearls Hair Artistry. She reignited her art practice seven years ago and maintains a studio in Evanston in the same building where she lives. She's participated in several group shows and in 2021 was awarded an artist residency in Mexico.
Lisa Reitman -Educator, Entrepreneur, Curriculum developer, Artist, Renovator
Lisa Reitman moved to Evanston immediately after graduating from college. She has been teaching, living and raising her family in Evanston for the past 33 years. She and her husband, Christopher, have rehabbed four homes in Evanston during this time. Her career as an educator has spanned the K-8 continuum here in District 65. From 1989-1995 she taught at Orrington (grades 1 & 2) From 1995-2010 she was selected to open up a new D65 magnet school, Bessie Rhodes (5th self contained 6th reading & math) Then in 2010, she moved to Nichols Middle School and taught 7th grade math, transitioning in 2014 to the Fine Arts Team. She is currently teaching 8th grade studio art & 6th grade media arts. While working at Orrington, Lisa completed her masters in Curriculum & Instruction and has been writing/developing curriculum for the past 30 years in a variety of subjects for the district including: reading, math, social studies, media arts and visual arts. Lisa has also implemented/co-found several after school programs in D65, Explorer’s Club, Dance Club, Math-in-Action Club, Innovators Club.
Exhibit Dates and Gallery Hours
Exhibit open May 6 - 14
Opening day Saturday, May 6, 12-5p
Gallery Hours: Saturday & Sundays 12-5p. Or by appointment at 1100florencegallery@gmail.com
1100 Florence Ave., map