Visual arts join the legacy of performing arts at the Attucks Theatre
Briefly

Visual arts join the legacy of performing arts at the Attucks Theatre
"The Gallery is an outgrowth of converging forces: cultural shifts in response to COVID and Black Lives Matter; a National Endowment for the Arts grant to Norfolk Arts to bring together smaller local performing arts groups for rich discussions; and increased grant funding for these groups from the Norfolk City Council. The meetings sparked collaborations and a desire to connect with the theater's heritage."
"The Attucks was built on Church Street, a vibrant hub of African American life and culture, especially during the segregation era. It earned the moniker "The Apollo of the South," because it had a roster of world-class shows like the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York. But it closed in 1953 and was designated as a Historic Landmark in 1977."
The Attucks Theatre opened in 1919 and became the nation's oldest venue designed, developed, financed and once operated solely by African Americans. The theater hosted headliners such as Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington and Audra McDonald and earned the nickname "The Apollo of the South." The venue closed in 1953, received Historic Landmark status in 1977, and reopened in 2004 after a three-year restoration. A new 1,500-square-foot Gallery at the Attucks now opens as a visual arts venue to connect visual art, performance and community storytelling and to reinforce the theater's legacy amid recent cultural shifts and increased local arts funding.
Read at WHRO Public Media
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