by: The Gadsden times
The Gadsden Museum of Art and the Lambda Eta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority have combined forces to plan the activities of the celebration of Black History Month at GMA.
The festivities begin with the opening reception from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Music for the occasion will be presented by Desmond Mitchell and T.A.D. of Jazz, an accomplished group of musicians from Gadsden and Anniston. This is the group that recently played for the Lambda Eta Omega Chapter's presentation of the 2010 Debutante Ball.
African-American artists Komeh Ottison and Henry McShan from Birmingham; Yvonne Wells from Tuscaloosa; Habiba, Tony Reddick and Willie “Toson” Coleman from Gadsden; Edward Jennings from Talladega; and Larry Allen from Leeds will have art work on display.
Their works range from art quilts by Wells featuring Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King to large urns by Allen featuring the unity symbol. Reddick's figurative works include logos of AKA and Gadsden City High School Titans while Coleman's works are nonrepresentational. Habiba presents portraits of strong African-American women in her figurative works. Komeh's figurative works are contemporary in style and vibrant in color. McShan's watercolors are of scenes from Birmingham, including the 16th Street Baptist Church as well as a self-portrait. Jennings, a native of New York now residing in Talladega, works in a variety of media, from classical wood cuts to traditional oils and watercolor to contemporary mixed media. His works feature both realism and fantasy.
