Art Community Events

15th Annual Community Gala expected to be a meaningful, fun, social event

Featured photo: Glenn Wilson, president of Communities First, Inc. is one of 49 men from the Flint community whose photographs are being featured “Sons: Seeing the Modern African American Male” exhibition. Communities First, Inc. is also the signature sponsor for an upcoming gala.

Written by Tanya Terry

The 15th Annual Community Gala was postponed from January 22 to Saturday, April 2-but to many, it is a meaningful, fun and social event worth waiting for. The gala is presented by the Flint Institute of Arts and Communities First, Inc.

Tracee Glab, curator of collections and exhibition at the Flint Institute of Arts (FIA), said the FIA is excited to celebrate the local men featured in the Sons: Seeing the Modern African American Male exhibition.

“We’ve heard from people how much of an impact this has made on their lives,” Glab said.

Jerry Taliaferro, the photographer whose work is featured in the exhibition, will be present for the gala on Saturday, April 2 and on Sunday at 2 p.m., as part of a free event for those who would like to meet him.

Taliaferro will talk about his idea for the project and how he is continuing it all around the country.

Redwood Steakhouse is catering and the menu. The menu includes Korean beef Asian chopped salad, pad Thai chicken lollipops and shrimp cocktail with cocktail sauce and fresh lemons, as well as other foods on the seafood display and main buffet table, as well a variety of beverages and desserts.

The band that is performing is called Reichlin Small Group. They play a lot of jazz and blues.

Glenn Wilson, president of Communities First, Inc., said it was important for Communities First support the exhibition as signature sponsor for the gala for many reasons.

Wilson said Communities First saw the opportunity for a minority-led organization to be able to support some minority causes in the community.

Wilson also spoke to the Courier about how he feels the exhibition itself helps open the eyes of community members who tend to look at African American males as “scary.”

Glenn Wilson, president & CEO of Communities First, Inc., participated in a panel discussion on March 5, moderated by ABC 12’s Matt Franklin. Wilson and three other men featured in the Sons: Seeing the Modern African American Male exhibition, discussed their experiences as Black men in America.

“From a perspective of it’s consistent of who we are around narrative change as an organization and trying to change the narrative about how people stereotype individuals in the community,” Wilson said of the exhibition.

Wilson is one of 49 men from the Flint community whose photographs are being featured in the exhibition. He was photographed by Taliaferro in black and white and color, as well as interviewed by him in order to provide those who see the exhibition with honest information about Wilson and the others featured.

Wilson has had several people call him and tell him what they thought of the exhibition. He also appreciates the opportunity the exhibition provides to help community members learn about each other.

“It was great that there were so many other African Americans there and people in the community to come visit the FIint Institute of Arts. Usually museums are not places African Americans visit often. It also gave an opportunity for people to have some exposure to things they may have not have seen.”

Glenn Wilson

Funds from the gala will fund the museum and allow the FIA to purchase more work by historical and contemporary African American artists.

The artist discussion takes place at 6 p.m. April 2, followed by a reception from 7-9 p.m.

Reservations may be purchased online, by calling the FIA at 810-234-1695 or visiting in person, at 1120 East Kearsley Street.

 

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