Un-monument Presents: Finding Ourselves in Public Spaces

In conjunction with the end of the year celebration of the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture (MOAC), the National Center of Afro-American Artists (NCAAA) presents Finding Ourselves in Public Spaces as its culminating event. The event consists of the premier documentary screening of Cancel Violence: Artists Speak, a public conversation and a first ever video projection onto the museum's prized sculpture Eternal Presence by John Wilson.

During this year end celebration and culminating event, music will be provided by Zack Wilson, grandson of famed artist John Wilson who also created Eternal Presence, and Jamila Gordon on percussion. The premier documentary screening of Cancel Violence: Artists Speak was created by FPoint Productions will showcase artists including Paul Goodnight, Rob “ProBlak” Gibbs, L’Merchie Frazier, and others talking about causes of violence and possible correctives that can guide the community toward social healing. A special feature of the discussion will be a conversation between Alexis Smith, a homicide survivor, and Laurence "Larry" Pierce, an artist and retired teacher,  moderated by Edmund Barry Gaither, director emeritus of NCAAA. Lastly, in collaboration with ILLUMINUS and FPoint Productions, images and video interviews of Roxbury community members will be projected onto  the monumental sculpture Eternal Presence at dusk thus providing another grand scale, artistic screening on the historical Roxburian grounds.

Finding Ourselves in Public Spaces was convened by the Un-monument project and Cancel Violence: Artists Speak under the auspices of the National Center of Afro-American Artists with funds from the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture through a grant from the Mellon Foundation.

We cannot wait to see you there!