(Jan. 11, 2006)
MEET THE ARTISTS PAYING TRIBUTE TO PAUL LAURENCE DUNBARAT SUNDAY, JAN. 15, RECEPTION AT EBONNIA GALLERY
DAYTON, Ohio — Seventeen local African-American visual artists will be on hand from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 15, at an artists' reception at the EbonNia Gallery to show off new works that explore poet Paul Laurence Dunbar's legacy and influence.
The reception is free and open to the public. The exhibit, ''In Praise of Dunbar: The Man, the Dream, the Voice,'' will be on display at EbonNia Gallery, 1135 West Third St., until Jan. 28. It then moves to the lobby of the Schuster Center, Second and Main streets, where it will be displayed Feb. 2-29. For information, call (937) 223-2290.
''The work turned out better than I expected, and I'm an optimist,'' said Willis ''Bing'' Davis, curator of the exhibit and one of 17 artists who offered paintings, sculptures, fabric art and digital images. ''It has been an honor and a source of inspiration to work with the artists on the project. The artists were challenged to lift their visual voices in praise of Dunbar. They were only given a few months to research, read and create. The artwork produced is of high quality and a fitting tribute to literary giant, Paul Laurence Dunbar.
''We've had an invitation to travel it. I'm hearing a lot of buzz around the country about the exhibit."
Besides Davis, the artists include Mason Archie, Curtis Barnes, Tom Clements, Abner Cope, Dwayne Daniel, Cliff Darrett, Lois Fortson, Jerome Ingram, Robert Parkey, James Pate, Thelma Patterson, William Pettiford III, Paula Ramey, Francis Turner, Reggie Weaver and Ronnie Williams.
The exhibit is part of a series of yearlong community events paying tribute to Dunbar during the centennial marking his death. He was a Dayton native and the first African-American poet to garner national critical acclaim.
A nearly complete inscribed collection of Dunbar's first editions are currently on display at Wright State University's Dunbar Library through June. For information, contact Dawne Dewey at (937) 775-2011. The National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center in Wilberforce will hold a 2 to 4 p.m. opening reception on Saturday, Jan. 28, to kick off a yearlong exhibition, ''Celebrating 100 Years: The Life and Legacy of Paul Laurence Dunbar." Envisioned as a ''costumed tea party,'' visitors are asked to wear period clothing, though dressing up is optional. During the year, visitors also will be treated to such diverse events as interpretative readings, writing and creative thinking activities, musical presentations and writing competitions. For information, call Valena Randolph at (937) 376-4944, ext. 115.
Plans are shaping up for an annual graveside ceremony at Woodland Cemetery at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 9 — the day marking the centennial of Dunbar's death. Since 1989, Dunbar aficionados have been paying tribute to the poet's legacy with music, song and poetry at his grave. The event has grown from five people to about 500.
Sinclair Community College is offering a short course, ''Dunbar: Life, Work and Legacy,'' from 11 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Feb. 13-March 19. To register for Furaha Henry-Jones' course, call (937) 512-3078. Herbert Martin, the University of Dayton's poet-in-residence, is also teaching an upper-level literature course, ''The Legacy of Paul Laurence Dunbar,'' that started at UD in early January.
