#black-artists

#black-artists

Over the last few years, I've been reading unappreciated and erased novels by Black artists from the twentieth century.They've helped me think about the idea of illegibility-about what the literary world has historically deemed too wild, complex, radical, experimental, or challenging to be included in the precarious and burgeoning Black canon.

Ed Sheeran's much-awaited copyright-infringement trial started last week in Manhattan federal court.Sheeran stands accused of copying Marvin Gaye's legendary R&B song "Let's Get It On" in his 2014 hit "Thinking Out Loud."This lawsuit, filed by the heirs of the song's co-writer and composer Ed Townsend, claims Sheetan unlawfully employed the "heart" of Gaye's song - that is, "harmonic progressions" and "melodic and rhythmic elements."

Resident Berghain and Panorama Bar DJs Lakuti and Tama Sumo are heading to The Standard this week for an edition of their LGBTQ+ cultural conversations series TheirStories.Two of the world's most in-demand house music selectors, Lakuti and Tama Sumo are both partners in life and in music.Lakuti grew up in South Africa before moving to London and, eventually, Berlin and has spent much of her career championing Black artists within dance music; Tama Sumo made a name for herself DJing at underground Berlin house music clubs during the 90s and has been a staple of the scene ever since.

I am here because you were there, reads the black neon sign, glowing bleakly.It quotes the now shadow foreign secretary, David Lammy, from an impassioned 2018 speech in response to the Windrush scandal.The neon, by Southend-based artist Elsa James, hangs over the entrance to Rites of Passage, a group exhibition of 19 black artists who all, in different ways, have their own stories and histories of migration.

This week brings the final days of Black History Month and the dawn of Women's History Month.There are plenty of things to do around the area, including Yards Park's annual Ice Yards winter festival, a party celebrating Black beer companies at Metrobar, the return of the D.C. Independent Film Forum and the final weekend of Wunder Garten's Après Ski pop-up parties.

The National Gallery of Art's "Gallery Nights," which feature live music and themed activities, have proven very popular.Now the museum is rolling out First Saturdays .Think of the new events as similar to Gallery Nights, but during the day and geared to all ages.The newest monthly event series will be, you guessed it, the first Saturdays of each month from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

When Kiki Somerville was Growing up in Fort Totten, her mom would throw parties to sell work by Black artists to people in the neighborhood.Somerville didn't anticipate that when she was an adult, she'd be doing the same thing-only on a much bigger stage.Somerville now runs the Fearless Artist, an organization that helps get creators' work seen and sold.

By Nardos Haile | Associated Press NEW YORK A night in music brimming with shocking upsets, historic wins, tributes for artists like the late rapper Takeoff and hip-hop's 50th anniversary, the 65th Grammys were back in full swing Sunday.Once again, Beyonce was in the running for the top honor.Once again, the show ended with someone else winning album of the year.

I used to give a lot more parties.The older you get, the more you realize that everyone is busy; two years go by with just text messaging.This dinner was the opportunity to actually connect with people outside of formal art world events.I wanted to create a moment to hang out  something we haven't been able to do since early 2020.

LAST DAY IN LAGOS, by Marilyn Nance Two young women hold the keen gaze of the photographer with equal intensity; a woman clasps a man's hand and he greets her with a coy, perhaps shy, tilt of his head.There's a timelessness to the black-and-white photos in Last Day in Lagos, unpublished until now.The first few images emerge like frames from a film long forgotten, rendering legible the everyday experiences of Black people  specifically, the 17,000 Black artists and musicians who in 1977 made their way to Lagos, Nigeria, for FESTAC '77, a monthlong Pan-African celebration of Blackness in its many forms.

Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson is opening his first new restaurant in New York City in almost a decade.The 5,000 square-foot, 125-seat Hav & Mar is now open at 245 11th Avenue at West 26th Street, in Chelsea.Like Red Rooster, which opened in 2010 in Harlem, Hav & Mar is designed to be a neighborhood restaurant.