Photos by Katherine Rountree
On Thursday evening, the SCAD Museum of Art hosted an evening of live jazz to celebrate the Walter O. Evans gallery exhibit entitled “The Modern Era.” The soulful music and the vibrant paintings complemented each other to celebrate the legacy of African American Art from the 1920s through the 1960s.
SCAD Museum of Art supporter Walter O. Evans owns one of the largest collections of African American art in America, second only to Bill Cosby. “The Modern Era” displays pieces from the Harlem Renaissance that reflect the development of African American art and the changes of the time.
“Despite what one would think of the era it’s set in, especially for African Americans, the message is not necessarily plight, which tends to be the only story told,” said museum docent and fourth year fashion design major Lulu Mutuli from Nairobi, Kenya. “There’s elements of that going on, of course, but there’s also an artistic quality to it that’s deeper than that.”
SCAD professor Maggie Evans excites the crowd with her guitar and vocals.
Arranged chronologically around the gallery, the art boldly conveys a sense of the dejected yet robust mood of mid-century African American Harlem. Color is unapologetically applied around strong, deliberate lines to depict scenes of everyday life in a study of identity and culture.
Maria Megrin, a first year animation student from Miami appreciated the diversity of the artistic technique used in the exhibit.
“I liked this one piece from Charles White. I really like ink as a medium, and to look at the way he used it was really interesting and inspired me to use his techniques to experiment with my own drawing,” said Megrin.
The bluesy sounds of local Savannah jazz guitarist Howard Paul, enriched by the vocals and bass accompaniment of SCAD professor Maggie Evans, invited guests to meander from the gallery into the museum courtyard to add another dimension to the sensory experience.
“Jazz is another sort of self expression through a form of art,” said Mutuli. “Even though the topic may be something that’s sad, it’s another medium that allowed African Americans to express more than just the hardship that they went through.”
Evans’ light, sweet voice balanced out the heavy notes of the jazz band to create a relaxed atmosphere for the audience.
Melissa Terry, a graduate sound design student from Atlanta, came to the event as part of her media class. She said she appreciated the quality of the band and their authentic Harlem sound.
“It’s really fun to hear each of the instruments sort of pick up and improvise in certain sections, and everybody else kind of back up and let them play around,” said Terry.
Rachel Evans, the coordinator of visitation and outreach at the museum, said she hopes the music will encourage guests to take a deeper look at the artwork.
“Every time we do an event, we try to link it to the artist somehow, so that people can further engage, and will want to go in and see the artwork and will be able to think about it in a new way,” she said.