Annual Arturo Schomburg Conversation

The Schomburg kicks off an annual conversation on the birth date of our founder, Arturo Alfonso Schomburg. For this inaugural conversation, the audience will be transported to the Schomburg’s past and future, with images of the next phase of renovations. Also joining the discussion will be institutions dedicated to collapsing the distance between history, the present, and the relevance of African-American culture: Weeksville Heritage Center (Elissa Blount Moorhead),  Corridor Gallery (Danny Simmons, Jr.), and Taller Puertorriqueño, Inc. (Sandra Andino).

As Weeksville’s Vice Director and Director of Design, Programming, and Exhibitions, Elissa Blount Moorhead is currently launching a three-year exhibition and programming slate for Weeksville Heritage Center in the contemporary gallery, garden, and performance spaces of their new Museum. Elissa is also providing project direction for the construction of the new building set to open in early 2013. 

Danny Simmons is a visual artist and writer. Author of I Dreamed My People Were Calling But I Couldn’t Find My Way Home, a volume of poetry and paintings, andThree Days As The Crow Flies, a novel about the NYC arts scene in the turbulent 1980’s. He is also the co-creator and and executive producer of the HBO series Def Poetry Jam. He is the founder of Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation and President of Rush Arts Gallery. He sits on the board of trustees of several NYC cultural institutions.

Sandra Andino is Taller’s Education Program Director responsible for leading all the arts education programs for children and youth. Ms. Andino, who has a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from Temple University in Philadelphia, has a long history of project coordination, development and implementation of educational programs in the non-profit sector such as the Philadelphia Folklore Project, the Painted Bride Art Center, the Brooklyn Children’s Museum and WHYY-TV Children’s Service among others. She also has worked with community-based arts organizations and educational institutions as researcher, educator, consultant and lecturer including Temple University, Hostos Community College and College of New Rochelle.

Free! For registration, go to www.schomburgcenter.eventbrite.com or call (212) 491-2040.