The effort to provide Middle Georgians with a diverse range of culturally enriching experiences continues as local visual artist DeWayne Kendrick partners with the Tubman African American Museum and communications vehicle Visionary Communications during the month of February. In honor of Black History month Kendrick has created a series of paintings from eight movies prominently featuring Black actors; directors; cinematographers; writers; producers and other film professionals bringing to life real and fictitious accounts of the Black experience. “Memory Lane: An Artistic Journey Through Black Cinema” is the name of the exhibit.

Using oils and acrylics, Kendrick has captured powerful and memorable scenes from the cinematic masterpieces: Breakin’; The Color Purple; Love Jones; Malcolm X; Raisin in the Sun; Red Tails; Roots and The Wiz to grace the walls of the Tubman as a tribute to Black contributions to the film industry and the impact that their work has had on international cultures and Black pride world wide. “My work as a visual artist has been influenced by the energy, focus and commitment that those who made these movies brought to the set each day they were bringing these movies to life”, says Kendrick. “Through this exhibit my desire is to share my most memorable and favorite scene from these movies on canvas. In turn this will provide an opportunity to relive those scenes over and over by putting them in a medium that is pleasing to the eye, and that sparks conversations and positive reactions.”

The exhibit will open February 1st during the Tubman’s regularly scheduled First Friday activities but will be officially rolled out during a February 8th reception and entertainment event presented by Kendrick, Real Talk Hip Hop and members of Macon’s spoken word community. Tubman African American Museum representatives enthusiastically embraced Kendrick’s idea and agreed that the exhibit and the February 8th event’s interactive entertainment would be another opportunity for the museum to express its commitment to providing appealing programs to all citizens. Macon Telegraph Business Editor Harold Goodridge will serve as the event’s emcee.

Kendrick in known for his ability to draw observers into his paintings through the use of prolific color combinations and well formulated figures and scenes. The eight paintings will be joined by two other yet to be crafted pieces that he will construct in person during the February 8th event. The rising artistic phenomenon will paint live to the sounds of Hip Hop performers and spoken word artists. This winning formula began last July during Kendrick’s Macon debut, “Beauty and Power”, where he and members of Real Talk Hip Hop, Poetic Peace and B.L.A.C.K. Poets pooled their talents at Roasted Café and raised over $500.00 for a struggling kidney transplant patient. The spirit of that event will continue during “Memory Lane: An Artistic Journey Through Black Cinema” much to the delight and benefit of local art, music and language lovers.