The Norton celebrates the art and cultural histories of black Floridians during the month of June. This series runs from June 4 – 25 and features live performances, virtual programs, art workshops, tours of works by artists of African descent, and more!
This series was organized by the Norton Museum of Art in conjunction with the 2021 Celebrating Black Florida Committee. The Norton Museum would like to acknowledge and thank the committee members: Darryl Bey, Anthony Burks, Sr., Reed Daniel, Tiffany David, Wayne Perry, Trina Slade-Burks, Ericka Squire, Sybille Welter.
Schedule of Events
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June 4 / Kick off the Celebrating Black Florida series at Art After Dark: Jazz Friday!
Live in-person concert presented in the Norton’s Sculpture Garden, weather permitting.
Women in Jazz South Florida presents Dottie Kelly, a powerhouse blues singer with over 20 years of performing experience, joined by the Rock the House Blues Band and special guest Sabrena Rich, a singer-songwriter known for her sultry sounds. Free with museum admission.
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June 5 / Family Studio: Afrofuturism
Live in-person program presented at the museum. Pre-registration required.
Afrofuturism looks towards a future with no boundaries! Join us for futuristic fun as your family dives into the past and learn more about the Black visionaries whose imagination redesigns the future. In this studio design super cool goggles that give you astronomical vision! Live at the museum.
$3 per family. Limited capacity. -
June 9 / Keynote Speaker: Dr. Catherine Lowe
Live, virtual program presented on the Norton’s YouTube channel.
A keynote address on the culture and history of Black Floridians and how Juneteenth and Florida’s emancipation relates to the arts. Dr. Lowe is a Board Certified-Ophthalmologist with a strong commitment to community service and the arts. She is one of the four Chair Emeriti of the Palm Beach Cultural Council, served at the state level on the Florida Arts Council, and is a founder of Artists Showcase of the Palm Beaches, a community-based arts organization.
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June 10 / Bike, Art, and Beer
Join Juan Orellana, from UpCycle, to tour murals by Black artists and public works of art celebrating Black history and culture around downtown West Palm Beach. Enjoy a leisurely bike ride while learning about the artists and stories behind each public art project. The tour concludes in a nearby brewery in West Palm Beach.
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June 16 / Mini Book + Art
Premieres on the Norton’s YouTube Channel.
Book: Thank You, Omu! / ¡Gracias, Omu! by Oge Mora
Art: Super Blue Omo by Njideka Akunyili CrosbyEnjoy a bilingual story time presented by a museum educator and the Palm Beach County Library staff. Listen to the book reading and then focus on a work of art from the Museum's collection. Participants can reserve a copy of the featured book at any Palm Beach County Library System location or at www.pbclibrary.org.
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June 18 / Blues Women: First Civil Rights Workers
Premieres on the Norton’s YouTube Channel.
Art After Dark features a discussion and music based on the book by Dr. Joan Cartwright, Blues Women: First Civil Rights Workers.
Retired Jazz and Blues vocalist and composer Dr. Joan Cartwright discusses how Black singers in the United States of America emerged from Spirituals and Blues to develop Jazz. Their free-spirited songs delivered messages of liberation, signaling to Africans in America that they could be free. This lecture features songs performed by vocalists Dottie Kelly and Sabrena Rich.
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June 18 / Art After Dark: What’s the Story?
Live, virtual program presented on the Norton’s YouTube channel.
Alisha R. Winn, Ph.D., Applied Cultural Anthropologist, discusses the iconic jazz venue, the Sunset Lounge, and highlights the rich history of the predominantly African American community of the Northwest District. What’s the Story? invites neighboring cultural and community organizations to share their distinguished histories as part of the Norton’s 80th year anniversary celebration.
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June 19 / Juneteenth Summer Festival
Live in-person festival presented at the museum. Free for residents of Palm Beach County.
Join the Juneteenth Summer Festival and commemorate the day the announcement of the abolition of slavery was made in Texas in 1865.
Hosted by MC Wayne “Mister Trombone” Perry, this event celebrates freedom and spotlights the African American experience with live musical performances, tours, African Dance and Drum workshops, storytelling sessions by the Literacy Coalition, and a creative community art project using African print textiles led by fiber mixed media artist, Gillian Kennedy Wright.
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June 24 / Art Workshop
Live in-person program presented at the museum. $5 Member, $10 Non-Member.
Shawn Henderson, Florida artist and educator, leads a found object assemblage project based on Alison Saar’s Rio Dulce, 1993. -
June 25 / Performance by Hued Songs
Live in-person program presented at the museum. Free with museum admission.
Mark the closing of the Celebrating Black Florida series at Art After Dark!
Hued Songs presents Dark Like Me, an interdisciplinary performance inspired by the works of Langston Hughes exploring the intersection of Blackness & Queerness through classical and contemporary music, dance, and spoken word.