The Appleton Museum of Art will celebrate all things Brazil in combination with the upcoming exhibition “Bandits & Heroes, Poets & Saints: Popular Art of the Northeast of Brazil,” opening June 17 and closing Aug. 13.
The exhibition, which features engaging photographs and works of popular art, including sculptures, paintings, prints, religious objects, toys, and booklets of poetry, explores how the ancient cultures of Africa blended with indigenous and colonial Portuguese traditions to form the vibrant and complex cultural mosaic of modern Brazil.
Exhibition events include:
- Sunday, July 16, 2 p.m., “Brazilian Extravaganza,” a presentation on the history of Brazilian music, and a recital featuring classical and popular instrumental and choral pieces. Performers include: Dr. Sarah Satterfield (flute), Dr. Hingrid Kujawinski (piano and voice), Dr. Fabiana Magrinelli Dahmer (flute), Dr. Samuel Dahmer (double bass), and Dr. Fagner Rocha (violin).
- Tuesday, June 27, 2 p.m., “Brazil: An Inconvenient History,” a 47-minute documentary that peers behind the glitter and gloss of modern Brazil to show a history many would rather forget. For many, Brazil possesses a truly energetic and alluring way of life, synonymous with heady carnivals, samba, football and a bewildering ethnic diversity. But behind this glittering facade lies a much more disturbing story: the history of the biggest ever slave population.
- Sunday, July 30, 2 p.m., “Festival Brazileiro,” a family-friendly festival where you can listen, learn, watch and participate! Activities include a Capoeira demonstration by Professor Mico, Allied Capoeira League Gainesville; a performance by Maca Reggae Samba, mixing Jamaican reggae with Brazilian samba; and a performance by Flores do Samba, a dance group that specializes in Afro-Brazilian dance.
- Thursday, Aug. 3, 2 p.m., Richard Kirk, CF humanities professor, will give a talk, “Forged From the Fire: Slavery’s Lasting Impact on Brazilian Culture,” examining the impact of the slave trade in Brazil, and how the blending of African, Portuguese and native Brazilian cultures eventually produced a distinct artistic heritage for the region.
These events are free for CF students, faculty and staff, Appleton members and included with admission fee for nonmembers. For more information, contact Patricia Tomlinson, tomlinsp@cf.edu, or 352-291-4455, ext. 1837.
“Bandits & Heroes, Poets & Saints: Popular Art of the Northeast of Brazil” was curated by Marion E. Jackson, Ph.D., and Barbara Cervenka, O.P., Con/Vida–Popular Arts of the Americas, and organized by Con/Vida–Popular Arts of the Americas and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit, Michigan, in partnership with NEH on the Road/Mid-America Arts Alliance, Kansas City, Missouri.
The exhibit-inspired education programs are sponsored in part by Northern Trust.