A celebration of black artists
Sistrunk-a-Fair in Fort Lauderdale kicks off with reception, exhibit.
Emmanuel George has watched Flagler Village’s high-rise condos and arty FAT Village prosper from across the street on Sistrunk Boulevard, and now he wants a piece of the cultural action.
Which is why the Fort Lauderdale art gallerist helped create Sistrunk-a-Fair, a weeklong bash spotlighting art, films and performances from artists living in Broward’s historically black communities.
“If it comes to that day when FAT Village expands to the other side of the train tracks, people will see that we already have a voice, that we already have a vibrant arts community,” George says.
Named after Dr. James Sistrunk – one of Broward’s first black doctors – and curated by George and gallerist Al Huggins, the fair aims to celebrate South Florida’s black pioneers while embracing the neighborhood’s current makeover.
Sistrunk Boulevard, George says, is already being swept into Fort Lauderdale’s cultural renaissance, with a chef-driven food hall and brewery set to debut this spring. Miguel Pilgram, who won a $52 million lotto jackpot in 2010, also has invested millions in the neighborhood, with plans to open a second location of NYSW Memphis Blues Spot this year.
Here are the biggest events not to be missed during the Sistrunk-a-Fair.
What’s happening?
A lot. The fair, part of Fort Lauderdale Art and Design Week, will kick off 5-8 p.m. today, with a reception for “B.A.S.E.” (short for “Broward's Artistry N Soul Experience”) at Old Dillard Museum (1019 NW Fourth St., Fort Lauderdale; 754-322-8827). The show features portrait-style paintings of Broward’s black pioneers and biggest names past and present, such as Dr. James Sistrunk and Von D. Mizell, late Pompano Beach-born actress Esther Rolle (“Good Times”) and rapper Kodak Black.
The exhibit “We Love Art Too,” curated by Huggins, follows from 4-6 p.m. Friday at the AfricanAmerican Research Library (2650 Sistrunk Blvd.). The festival closes with “Spoken Word Anni'Floetry” on Jan. 26 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts (201 SW Fifth Ave.; $25-$35; 954-462-0222).
For the full lineup of events, go to SistrunkaFair.com.
How else will Sistrunk-a-Fair celebrate Broward’s black pioneers?
There will be “What’s the 411 in the Community?” a 4:30-7:30 p.m. Jan. 23 panel at the library, which George describes as a conversation about “black leaders in their communities doing phenomenal things.” The panel will consist of community leaders from Broward’s historically black neighborhoods in Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, Dania Beach and Hallandale Beach.