Gainesville artists, poets and community members came together for a free event Feb. 7 at the Oakview Community Center to celebrate Black History Month with art exhibits and spoken word performances.
The sixth annual Celebration of Black Love, Art and Poetry drew about 20 guests. Attendees excitedly walked into a room filled with paintings and artist booths showing their crafts.
One of the artists, Theresa Adams, has been creating Black Raggedy Ann dolls for 30 years after struggling to find one for her daughter. In her presentation, Adams explained the background of her dolls in a historical context.
“The slaves knew the importance of having a doll that looked like you,” she said.
After guests walked around and enjoyed food and drinks, Terri Bailey, the founder of the nonprofit Bailey Learning and Arts Collective, welcomed the attendees and motioned for everyone to take their seats.
Bailey started the open-mic portion of the night by presenting a poem about her roots living in Pleasant Street, one of Gainesville’s historically African American neighborhoods.
“In Pleasant Street, God reigned supreme,” she said. “I thank God I’m a Pleasantnite.”
The Bailey Learning and Arts Collective hosted the event along with the A. Quinn Jones Museum & Cultural Center and the city of Gainesville.
Bailey, a seasoned poet, noted the rich collection of artists, poets and musicians in the city. She looks forward to seeing what people have to offer in the event every year, she said.
“I love Black history, I love my community, and I love poetry and visual art,” Bailey said.
The event has changed throughout its six years, including moving from different locations and featuring new types of art.
“This is the first year we’re actually having an art or printmaking activity," Bailey said, referring to a stamping printing workshop artist Turbado Marabou taught to attendees. “We have [had] younger poets in the past. Everybody’s been a little older [this year].”
Attendee Rafael Sierra was invited by a friend. He said he appreciated the opportunity to support both the Gainesville community and the artists involved in the event, especially as a former dancer.
“It's very important to keep the community together,” Sierra said. “I really like to come to this type of event to support the community and support the artists.”
Throughout the event, seasoned and amateur artists alike came up and presented their poems in a spoken-word style, including Cynthia Portalátin, known as Cynthia Rose, who shared a poem titled “Love Must Win.”
“We’re in such a time of division right now. We need more events that are art-focused to bring the community together,” Portalátin said. “The poem I chose … is what I feel needs to happen in order for communities to come together, and this is a perfect example.”
Portalátin and other poets received support from the crowd, with shouts of “mhm” and “rewind!”, telling speakers to highlight a phrase that stood out. Many poets spoke about topics such as identity and freedom.
Two decades ago, Portalátin lived in Gainesville for four years before moving away to Tallahassee. She recently moved back and said the city is a hub for celebrating Black art and culture.
“I love Gainesville. I feel like it’s a very inclusive community with lots of wonderful art events,” she said. “I’ve only been back for three years, and I’m just amazed about how much creativity exists.”
Laura Manzor is a contributing writer for The Alligator.
