The hype surrounding the recent release of George Lucas’ RED TAILS underlined the importance of supporting African-American films in theaters during their first weekend of release. Not every independent producer has the marketing budget to make sure that every person in America knows about their release, but with smart planning, a resourceful producer can recoup their initial investment by staging a limited theatrical release in select markets in advance of their home video, VOD and TV premieres. On Monday January 23, Art Sanctuary, in collaboration with Reelblack, The Greater Philadelphia...

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A few weeks ago I had one of those right-place-at-the-right-time opportunities that prove that the universe is not devoid of a sense of good timing. The Art Sanctuary invited a group of Parkway students to attend a special student matinee performance of selections from Can You Hear God Crying? The finished work is expected to premiere in Philadelphia in June, but composer Hannibal Lokumbe and a group of singers and musicians that included students from Philadelphia and Camden were ready to give a sneak preview to hundreds of Philadelphia-area students as part of the Reading in Concert program....

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Music. Breath. Life. Jamal Dickerson, who directs the Camden Creative Arts High School band, first met Hannibal last week after playing at a funeral and rushing back to school. At the funeral, Jamal said, the mother of the deceased, a 25- or 26-year-old man, called the young men to come stand with her. Once they did, she told them that her son, whose body lay so close to them, would not have a second chance. She said outright that she knew some of them were into drugs, even selling them, but that unlike her son they could walk away from this funeral and grab a second chance at life. She urged...

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Hush I thought it would be impossible—silencing 1400 school age kids in less than 20 seconds. In fact, I held my breath (well partially), and inched a little closer to the edge of my seat as I waited to see if it would happen. Hush Amazingly, as the lights of the Kimmel Center inched toward darkness and the spot light fell upon the Liberian Choir who had come to share “Can You Hear God Crying?” with Art Sanctuary, a hush fell on the 1400 young lips and I leaned back in my chair and took a deep breath. Hush – We are ready. Hush – We are hungry. Hush – We are excited. Upward...

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Although the premiere of the Can You Hear God Crying? has been postponed until June. The student matinee presents an extraordinary opportunity for young people to learn: about the middle passage, our own ways of liberating our minds, and the process of artistic creation. For that reason, the program scheduled for the morning of December 13th will take place as scheduled. It will feature exciting excerpts of the work as well as a conversation with and performance by composer Lokumbe, soloists, and select musicians and interactive call-and-response exercises to help young people feel what it's like...

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So far, we’ve used our modest gallery space—OK call it storefront—for cultural engagement. It’s been where we’ve held after-school classes, Zumba, yoga, African dance, meetings, teacher events. But on November 30th, for the first time, we’ll use it for beautiful fundraising in order to help us continue, in this difficult economy, to provide great arts events at a cost that regular folks in the city can afford: like $5 or less or like free or low-cost matinee events for school children. For the holidays, then, please join us for “The People of Maasai Mara,” a stunning exhibit...

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We’d talked to Charles Smith about attending the Teachers Reception for composer Hannibal Lokumbe’s “Can You Hear God Crying?” at the Kimmel Center and sent him an invitation flyer.  The staff had been working hard to make this evening reflect the complexity of our arts and education work for the last year to support this project. Along with Art Sanctuary’s instructor, trombonist Brent White, Charles was scheduled to talk about his experience studying writing and music inside the Philadelphia Detention Center last spring. But, something happened to the flyer; Charles did not have...

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Take a break from your hectic schedule this Friday evening to relax at a social event with an exceptional community of dynamic professionals at "Cocktails for a Cause" happy hour. This monthly event endeavors to facilitate networking, socializing, and most importantly, having fun with urban professionals just like you while also raising money to positively impact Philadelphia nonprofits. The host committee includes: Tumar Alexander, Lamont Brown, Monica L. Burch, William Carter, Esq., Kristen Hart, Raheem Islam, Loree Jones, Dr. Keith Leaphart, Roman McDonald and Joe Meade.   This...

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Funeral Services for the late children's book author Muriel Feelings will be held on Friday, October 7, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. at the Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, 230 West Coulter Street, Philadelphia Pa 19144.

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There was barely a moment to mourn the death of civil rights pioneer Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth before news of the passing of another pillar of the community, Derrick Bell, hit. The Legal scholar was 80 years old when he died Wednesday of carcinoid cancer. Full Story.

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