PEMBROKE PINES, FL – Celebrating, embracing and showcasing the many forms of cultural art present among South Florida’s ethnically diverse audiences, Broward College’s Judson A. Samuels South Campus and the newly established South Campus Office of Cultural Affairs – also known as B.SOCA – is playing host to a new series of mostly free, public events. Continuing from October through December 5, the series features exciting, interactive film, live performances and music concerts from minority artists.
Hailing from New York City, the new B.SOCA Director of Cultural Affairs and Student Engagement Lamar Lovelace seeks to involve the surrounding communities of the campus with art programming that speaks to the historical, political and spiritual foundations of South Florida’s populations.
“This series speaks to what makes South Florida unique – the mélange of culture, heritage, music, food, fashion and language,” Lovelace said. “We invite everyone to experience internationally renowned artists, as they bring a piece of their worlds to Broward College. This series is for the entire community because it is the reflective of the community.”
The events will be held at Broward College, 7200 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines, and are free and open to the public. Miami artist Trek 6 kicked off the series with a commissioned outdoor mural on building 70, and Latin Grammy Award winning artist and “The Voice” alum Karina Iglesias will conclude the series with a Holiday Funk concert.
Programming includes:
Against the Wall: Harry Belafonte Canstruction
Constructed: Wednesday, October 9 – display is ongoing
South Campus Art Gallery
Students, faculty, staff and community members helped to erect the first South Campus Canstruction. Using cans, teams built a large 3-D mosaic of Harry Belafonte’s likeness. After the build, the cans will be donated to Feeding South Florida in honor of Harry Belafonte’s work to eliminate hunger and poverty around the world.
Overheard: Masquerade: Calypso & Home
Friday, October 18 at 12:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Performing and Cultural Arts Theatre
Bonair-Agard’s one-person show, “Masquerade: Calypso and Home,” will kick-off the Overheard series at Broward College’s South Campus. Sharing poetry, stories and calypso over a bottle of rum, Bonair-Agard weaves living and breathing tapestries out of politics and the notion of home. In the vein and spirit of the award-winning, Fela!, he tenderly unmasks family secrets, his adolescence in 1980’s Trinidad and life as an immigrant in America.
Adjusted Lens: Short Film Screenings
Tuesday, October 22 at 12:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Performing and Cultural Arts Theatre
In partnership with the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival, Broward College’s South Campus Office of Cultural Affairs will present six short films followed by a Q & A with Kareem J. Mortimer, director of “Passage,” Derek Boyd Henderson, director of “Florida Crossroads,” and others. Films include “Mozayik,” “The Unseen Beauty,” “Florida Crossroads: Florida’s Underground Railroad,” “Frapper Avec Amour,” “Passage” and “Silhouettes.”
“The Unseen Beauty,” Gabriel de Urioste
USA / 2013 / 11 min / BluRay / English
A day inside the studio of Ghanaian-born painter Sam Adoquei - the first time the artist has allowed to be filmed in order to share his wisdom, artistic philosophy and the inspiration that has helped many creative dreamers find their path.
“Florida Crossroads”: Florida's Underground Railroad
USA/ Florida and South Carolina / 2012 / 30 min / BluRay / English
This film is about the underground railroad heading South to Spanish Florida, prior to the railroad heading north to Ohio, Pennsylvania and Canada.
Frapper Avec Amour, Nathaniel P. Lewis
Bahamas/ 2013 / 12 min / BluRay / English
An assassin discovers her latest hit is her mob boss ex-husband.
Passage, Kareem Mortimer
Bahamas/2013/15 min/BluRay/ Haitian Creole w/ English sub-titles
A twenty-year-old Haitian woman, Sandrine and her thirteen year old brother Etienne are being transported from Haiti to the Bahamas in the hold of a dilapidated wooden vessel filled with several other immigrants in search of a better life. When her brother takes ill, she must use her smarts and strength to avoid him being thrown off the boat and save his life.
Silhouettes, Akil DuPont
Florida / 2013 / 31 min / BluRay / English
A tragic adoption from an orphanage in the 1930's separates childhood sweethearts Charles - a painter that sees the world through silhouettes, from his love Sylvia. When they reconnect 15 years later, Sylvia reveals her engagement to a man that she cannot love. A determined Charles sets out to remind Sylvia about a side of herself that she lost so long ago.
Against the Wall: Dorothy Gillespie Tribute and Trek 6 Outdoor Reception
Thursday, November 7 at 7 p.m.
Performing and Cultural Arts Theater
The event will feature a screening of artist Dorothy Gillespie’s life followed by a guided tour to view her artwork. At the end of the tour, guests are invited to enjoy an outdoor celebration to view the first South Campus mural created by Miami artist Trek 6. The celebration will include capoeira, a live DJ, and an artist meet and greet.
Overheard: Emergency!
Friday, November 15 at 8 p.m.
Performing and Cultural Arts Theater
Daniel Beaty’s solo act tells the story of the emotion felt when a slave ship emerges in front of the Statue of Liberty in New York. The performance features his interpretation of what 40 different characters experience as they witness this surreal occurrence. Beaty inhabits each character exclusively and gives a tour-de-force performance of slam poetry, multi-character transformation and music. Learn more by visiting http://danielbeaty.com/wordpress/emergency/
Eargasm: Holiday Funk Concert
Thursday, December 5 at 8 p.m.
South Campus Lake
The holiday concert features Latin Grammy Award winning artist Karina Iglesias and her band. The performance will take place at the South Campus Lake, and guests are invited to bring chairs.
For more information on the series, contact Lamar Lovelace, director of cultural affairs and student engagement, at 954-201-8719 or bsoca@broward.edu.
