DIASPORA: A Beauty Specific

Time: Preview, April 29th-May 3rd. 9AM-5PM
Closing Reception/Silent Auction: May 4th 6-10Pm Lee Shiney Gallery 316-262-1503

70 + artists
70 + diverse backgrounds.
70 + walks of life. Over one hundred works of art.
1 specific task.

Each artist is to show you their individual vision of...
The beauty specific to African descendancy.
To choose any point in 40,000 years of history. Dating back to the time of Babel. When the DIASPORA began, all of our tribes dispersed – wandered, migrated. Developing over 40 millennia, a visual artistry rich and awe inspiring. Each of us sees a different "beauty specific".

The styles and mediums of works are more diverse than the artists themselves. Classical forms in oil and water color.

Counter culture, low brow representations of what is commonly known as "blaxploitation".
Mixed media visions of the sensuality of Nubian Queens
Abstract visions in stone
Whimsical toys by an electronics engineer
Photojournalism of Los Angeles protests
Music that makes your DNA dance
A wall of photos by 40 high school students visiting a retirement community
Video of dancers in Belize
Ancient depictions of mythical fertility gods and goddesses
A multitude of images and sounds that will challenge your conceptions of where we are from, what happened along the way and where we are now.
This gallery event is about the Art, then...about the Patron, then...the artist, the laborer.
It is their task to perform their responsibility to society. It is their job to present to you, to reflect, what is beautiful.

We have gathered together for a single focus. To celebrate "A Beauty Specific."

For more information contact Art Contractor at 316-945-4440 cgulick@swbell.net.

I have lived in this community all my life. I am quite young so I don’t have the years of experience like Chris and others in his generation. But, I do see the "WALL," yes the wall where lots of us are afraid to cross. It’s a cultural barrier among us all. You see people for how they look, what they wear, and how they talk judging them accordingly. Diaspora is my first blow to take down that barrier that hides our eyes to see our city’s cultural beauty. How can we live in a society when we don’t embrace the life around us?
Chris and I put almost all we have to get this show going. "This is something that just needed to happen." Diaspora: A Beauty Specific, specific to you, me, and Wichita. This show is established to bring everyone together no matter who you are. We want you there to embrace beauty.

Chris Gulick:

This vision began for me as a young child. My mother (God rest her weary soul) was my primary art mentor. Her best friend, Harriet was to me the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her slender, dark face must surely have been what "Eve" would have looked like. A portrait of Harriet mother rendered has been a permanent mental vision all of my life. Other works of mothers reflected her interpretation of the beauty and the strife of African descendancy.
This is where the inspiration began. Over the course of my life, I developed a love of ancient tribal art and music. During the past 10 years of participating in, coordinating and curating art shows, this concept has been in the sketchbook "to-do" list. The time is now.

Over the past several years Wichita has developed a strong active visual fine art scene. It is however, at this point in history predominately driven by and supported by male Caucasian artists, and patrons. What we have is a "chicken or the egg" syndrome. There is not a significant support of visual fine art by the Wichita, African America community due to there are few venues for patrons to purchase nor for artists to show.

Artists (all ethnicities) must transcend Caucasian-typical fine art venues. African descendant patrons (and interested patrons) must transcend attending "Blacks Only" visual arts events and art venues. Everyone is responsible to the task of breaking down barriers by ignoring perpetuated segregation and brazenly crossing lines. My partner (Jason Kinchion) and I have done that with ourselves. We discovered broad similarities in one another that we previously believed to be differences. We equally discovered actual differences that are interesting and compelling. We hope the same for you. Please assist us in "evolving" the human race. Take one more small step., into this gallery event.

Pricing of artwork will operate as follows: April 29 ­ May 3rd 9 am ­ 5pm Works will be on display at the high-end "buy-it-now" price. On May 4th (during the closing reception) the silent auction will be in place. Beginning at a minimum price, bidders will compete for purchase from 6 pm ­ 10 pm sharp.