Community Folk Art Center to display works of Napoleon Jones-Henderson and Marjory Wilkins in inaugural exhibits

Community Folk Art Center to display works of Napoleon Jones-Henderson and Marjory Wilkins in inaugural exhibitsFebruary 07, 2006Teri Turnerteturner@syr.eduCommunity Folk Art Center (CFAC) will host two inaugural exhibitions in its new home, 805 E. Genesee St. “Requiem for Our Ancestors and Other Warriors: Works by Napoleon Jones-Henderson” and “I, Witness: A Marjory Wilkins Retrospective” will be on view through March 18 and are free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Tuesday–Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be an artist reception featuring a gallery talk by Napoleon Jones-Henderson Feb. 11 at 2 p.m.

“Requiem for Our Ancestors and Other Warriors: Works by Napoleon Jones-Henderson” will feature recent works in a variety of media. Jones-Henderson has exhibited extensively in the United States and internationally and is one of the founding members of the AfriCOBRA collective. AfriCOBRA (African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists) began in Chicago in the late 1960s as a group of visual, performing and literary artists who sought to capture the vibrancy and spirit of African American urban life through elements found in traditional African art. Henderson is also a noted teacher, consultant and lecturer. He is currently executive director of the Research Institute of African and African Diaspora Arts, Inc., in Roxbury, Mass. He has studied at The Sorbonne in Paris, the Art Institute of Chicago, Northern Illinois University and Maryland Institute College of Art.

“I, Witness: A Marjory Wilkins Retrospective” will feature photography taken by Wilkins through the years. Wilkins began taking photographs at age 10 and acquired her first camera at 12. In that time, she has documented several decades of local history and culture, focusing in particular on Syracuse’s African American community. According to Wilkins, “I feel that you view the world a little differently through a camera. It just makes life more interesting.” Her lifelong passion for photography has been an inspiration to many, including her family members. “All my children are very aware of their surroundings because of the camera. They all take pictures. I wish all children could have access to a camera of some sort, just to view the world a little differently.” The exhibition will feature the people, places and events that have shaped the local community through the years, as seen through the lens of one of Syracuse’s most prolific photographers.

CFAC is a unit of the Department of African American Studies in The College of Arts and Sciences. For more information, contact CFAC at (315) 442-2230 or visit http://www.communityfolkartcenter.org.