This year, Marvel Comics continues its tradition of assembling an extraordinary array of Indigenous and Native talent to celebrate Native American Heritage Month!

In the same spirit as last year’s MARVEL’S VOICES: HERITAGE one-shot, fans will see new adventures starring their favorite Indigenous and First Nations super heroes and see them take center stage on stunning variant covers this November! GHOST RIDER #20 and SENSATIONAL SHE-HULK #2 will both have thrilling backup stories written and drawn by Indigenous and First Nations creators.

These tales will feature the titular heroes fighting bravely alongside fellow Marvel icons: Kushala, AKA the Spirit Rider, and Wyatt Wingfoot.  These eight-page specials will give readers a chance to discover Kushala and Wyatt Wingfoot’s goals and legacy, all while setting them up for exciting future journeys in the Marvel Universe. In addition, these two extra-sized issues will have Marvel’s Voices Heritage Variant Covers that spotlight these pairings by award-winning Cherokee artist Roy Boney. 

Here’s what fans can look forward to!

GHOST RIDER #20

Dozens of artists, writers, curators, scholars, and art collectors came together to celebrate the evolution of the Miami Black arts community Thursday for “Still Here: Generations of Black Miami Artmaking,” the first symposium hosted by the University of Miami’s Center for Global Black Studies, in partnership with Commissioner, an art membership program that supports local contemporary artists in Miami. 

“The goal for this convening is to catalyze scholarship on Black Miami art and artists,” said Donette Francis, a professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences who also directs the Center for Global Black Studies and opened the event. “It’s about the diverse places they are from, and the generational histories and influences.” 

The event began Thursday at the University’s Lakeside Pavilion and is free for students and faculty and staff members. It continued Friday in the Shalala Student Center. Speakers and presenters include artists and scholars from across the country, who grew up in South Florida, or who continue to produce art locally. Francis and other members of the center hope that the event will help draw attention to the wealth of Black artistic talent and knowledge in the greater Miami area.

“Black Miami has an aesthetic shaped by the uniqueness of this place,” Francis added. “There’s an ecosystem among Black Miami artists that registers in how they show up for each other, cross reference each other, and live comfortably among each other. For museum audiences and beyond, I unequivocally believe that the best scholarship about Black Miami art begins here.” 

One of the first presenters was Sharony Green, an associate professor of History at the University of Alabama, former journalist and a University of Miami alumna. Green spoke about her new book, which focuses on the end of writer Zora Neale Hurston’s life. It was a time when the esteemed Harlem Renaissance author of “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” was struggling financially and emotionally, so she escaped to Honduras. 

But Green also explained that Hurston often escaped the New York cold to live in South Florida. Still, even as an award-winning writer, Hurston had to clean homes in Miami Beach to pay her bills. 

“Hemingway had Havana and Zora had Honduras and Miami,” said Green, who was born in Coconut Grove, but grew up in the Miami Gardens neighborhood of Carol City. 

In doing her research on Hurston, Green also discovered that while they lived decades apart, the women had many similarities. They were both writers who grew up in segregated communities in Florida. And Green’s grandmother knew some of the same South Florida leaders that Hurston did. 

Many shared experiences among artists surfaced throughout the discussion panels on Thursday. In a session titled “Migration and Memories,” artist Juana Valdes, who immigrated from Cuba and grew up in Miami, spoke alongside artist Morel Doucet, who immigrated from Haiti, and was raised in North Miami. Both artists use ceramics, painting, and mixed media to explore themes of migration, displacement, and climate change in their art. Moderated by Nhadya Lawes, a University of Miami alumna who now works as an arts associate for the Knight Foundation, the artists discussed how they infuse their immigrant experiences into their work. 

“When we came to the U.S., my family struggled trying to find housing in Miami without speaking English. There was also no space for us in a predominantly white Cuban community in Miami,” Valdes said. “So, my art sometimes has a hard time fitting into shows because they don’t represent blackness in typical ways. It’s made to make you be in an uncomfortable place.” 

Despite their hurdles to assimilate to a new country with a new language, many artists including Doucet, mentioned that several other Miami artists served as mentors and helped encourage them to pursue art further. Those include Loni Johnson, an artist and educator who will participate in a Friday panel, and Charles Humes, Jr. last year’s fellow in the Center for Global Black Studies, who is also speaking on Friday. 

“Along my entire early education, there was never the idea for Black representation of a young artist,” Doucet said. “But my mom gave me the space and representation to excel in the arts.”

In later panels, artists T. Elliot Mansa, Sydney Maubert, and Chris Friday talked about how to illustrate the unique experience of growing up Black in Miami. Maubert, who graduated in 2020 from the School of Architecture, grew up in Homestead as the daughter of a Cuban mother and Haitian father. Maubert is now a Strauch fellow at Cornell University. Her murals have been featured at the School of Law, and at Yale University, where she earned a master’s in architecture. 

Roland Woods, Jr. graduated from the University of Miami in 1971, and was one of the senior Black artists at the symposium Thursday. In 1969, Woods and a few of his classmates formed the Black Arts Workshop and would meet in Coconut Grove and teach art to younger students. The organization continued through the late 1980s, but Woods is still an active painter, creating works in the cubist style, with baroque techniques that feature African themes. He was glad to be a part of one of the panels with watercolor painter Jared McGriff. 

“It’s great to highlight the many accomplishments of the Black arts community,” Woods said. 

Friday, who infuses meaningful images of Black life in her art agreed, and noted that simply bringing together so many people invested in the Miami art community was a major step forward. 

“This room is full of people who before I knew them, I knew their work,” Friday said. “And it keeps me motivated and inspired to continue.” 

Franklin Sirmans, director of the Perez Art Museum Miami and a New York native, said the first day of the conference enlightened him about just how much art history there is in Miami. He, along with Francis, and junior Deitrick Knatt, hope that this is the start of many more gatherings. 

“I’m so glad we have this opportunity because it really sets a precedent for what we can do as Black Miami artists,” said Knatt, an aspiring photographer and storytelling artist. “But it’s also a great networking opportunity to meet other artists.”

Friday’s panels will feature Black photography, a discussion on making art public, and another panel on curating Black Miami with Dejha Carrington, a cofounder of Commissioner and Tanya Desdunes, from Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator.

“Still Here: Generations of Black Miami Artmaking” was sponsored by the Terra Foundation for American Art and the Mellon Foundation.

Details

By Native News Online Staff

September 28, 2023

Here is Native News Online’s weekly round-up of arts, culture and entertainment offerings around Indian Country.

Chickasaw Annual Meeting and Festival
Tishomingo, OK
September 29-October 7, 2023

The event will feature a variety of activities and demonstrations at the Chickasaw National Capital with Governor Bill Anoatubby’s State of the Nation Address. Attendees will enjoy a weekend celebration that includes an Annual Meeting, Cultural Evening and Arts and Culture Awards, princess pageant, entertainment, fellowship and more.  

Introduction to Native Baskets Workshop
Evansville, IN
September 30, 2023

Craft your own handmade basket in this hands-on workshop. Learn about three different styles of baskets that Native Americans of the region make, including watertight ones. All materials and instructions will be provided. 

American Indian Elders Conference
Cherokee, NC
September 28, 2023

The National Indian Council on Aging is excited to announce its 24th conference again in Indian Country that will take place at the Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Resort. The conference is the elder’s opportunity to share wisdom, experience and knowledge with the world. It is an opportunity to carry the legacy of your elders as well as create your own.   

First Peoples Festival
Overland Park, KS
September 30, 2023

More than twenty years ago, Chief Yellow Eyes of the Southern Cheyenne Nation designed and led the construction of the medicine wheel at the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. Native Americans from around the region will come together to acknowledge the contributions to the community by tribes, to educate non-native people and to encourage understanding between all groups. 

No One Ever Sees Indians: Native Americans in Media
Chicago, IL
September 30, 2023

Ernest M. Whiteman lll will discuss the many representations of Native Americans in media, how far back these depictions go, and how these representations inform audiences perceptions of Native Americans and issues. 

Native Games
Phoenix, AZ
September 30, 2023

This event is calling all Native American High School aged youth from Maricopa County. Join as the event focuses on a few native games played by ancestors and elders. There will be rotating sessions so everyone can participate. 

Native American Food Demo with Chef Walks First
Chicago, IL
September 30, 2023

Come learn about Native American food and even get a chance to taste some yourself with Chef Walks First. Chef Walks First is the Executive Chef and Owner of Ketapanen Kitchen, the only Native American Catering Company in the Chicago area. 

Ryedale Largo & Diné/ Mescalero Apache Dance Group
Albuquerque, NM
September 30, 2023

The dance groups will be dancing to celebrate the seasonal cycles through prayer, song, and dance with the Cultural Dance Program. Dances connect us to our ancestors, community, and traditions while honoring gifts from the creator. 

Nihizaad Nihil Nili Fall Conference
Farmington, NM
September 30, 2023

Come join the Nihizaad Nihil Nili Fall Conference for a day of insightful discussion and engaging activities at the San Juan College. There will be keynote speakers, breakout sessions, presentations, and food. 

Painted Raven- Harvest Moon Celebration Concert
Gulfport, FL
September 29, 2023

Come join for a Full Moon Celebration Concert honoring Native American culture and music with Painted Raven at Gulfport’s Catherine Hickman Theater at 7 pm. Painted Raven is an award-winning duo that creates their own signature sound using traditional Native American flute and modern instruments and music styles. 

Triia Beyond Indigenous: Autumn Markets for Creatives
Billings, MT
September 30, 2023

This Autumn season, Triia will be hosting markets that will be available as vending opportunities for Native, and Non-Native vendors. Feel free to invite your friends and family to vend or come stop by for a walk through the market. 

Rocking the Rez Powwow
El Paso, TX
September 30- October 1, 2023

Come join for a weekend of dance, music, vendors, and events. There will be $60,000 in prize money available, as well as the Rocking the Rez Skate Jam. Saturday Grand Entry times will be at 1pm and 7pm, and Sunday at 1pm. 

Native American Games
Goliad, TX
September 30, 2023

Join the fun with Native American games. Playing is an important part of growing up, teaching coordination, strategy, teamwork, and other valuable skills. Learn what kinds of games Native Americans were playing and see how your skill matches up. 

Indigenous Short Films
Williamsburg, VA
September 29, 2023

Richmond’s acclaimed Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival comes to Williamsburg to share a series of short films written, directed and produced by Indigenous artists. This free program features 12 films with subject matter depicting Native American life of today and the past.

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