Events

For over 15 years running, Akua Allrich has curated and performed a soul-stirring tribute presentation, honoring Nina Simone and Miriam Makeba. Akua Allrich pays homage to these two powerhouse artists, who have inspired her and millions of other jazz and music lovers around the globe. Allrich, whose own musical genesis comprises the blues, jazz, R&B, and pan-African music, features songs that Nina Simone and Miriam Makeba made their own. Join us in a musical experience based in freedom and self-expression, and particularly African expression. Allrich’s Nina Simone, Miriam Makeba tribute will leave you feeling both empowered and inspired!

The M-NCPPC Black History Program returns to Montpelier Arts Center with its annual exhibition in honor of Black History Month. For more than 40 years, the Black History Program has worked to preserve, honor, and celebrate Prince George’s County’s rich African American heritage. Come out and explore stories from our county’s past that highlight the challenges and triumphs of the African American community.

James Stephen Terrell’s Transcendence: Beyond the Terrestrial Plane weaves line, shape, and pattern into a mesmerizing collage. Figures emerge, surreal and otherworldly. Drawing from the legacy of David Driskell and Romare Bearden, he launches into uncharted territory. His work captivates the eye, demanding time for revelation. The unseen emerges, like light through stained glass windows in Black and Roman Catholic churches. Terrell’s art pulses with the vibrancy and movement of optical art, echoing Bridget Riley and Victor Vasarely.

Maryamm Abdullah, once a child enamored with painting, now finds her passion in ceramics. After a decades-long hiatus, she returned to clay, mastering the art of throwing pots. Seeking surface treatments, she drew inspiration from her love of Spain and the Moorish Aesthetic, with its vibrant patterned tiles and archways. Revisiting middle eastern art through pottery, she developed a unique approach: “Gestured Geometry.” This departure from precision allows her to capture the essence of this exquisite art form. Seemingly impossible freehand geometry thrives in her artwork, granting Ms. Abdullah boundless creative space.

Ta-Nehisi Coates’ lyrical novel “The Water Dancer” weaves tasker Hiram’s inhuman separations, fear, toil, and the supportive African American community on Lockless plantation into a quest for freedom. His mastery of spiritual conduction, work with Harriet Tubman, and determination triumph! Join Dr. Karen Arnold for a deep dive into history.

This is a two-part discussion, happening on Feb. 4 and 11. Please register for both Part 1 and Part 2.