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Rashad Dobbins text is copyright by Rashad Dobbins All Rights Reserved. Permission Granted.
Aziza Claudia Gibson-Hunter text is copyright by Claudia Aziza Gibson-Hunter All Rights Reserved. Permission Granted.
The text by Aziza Claudia Gibson-Hunter, Rashad Dobbins is permission granted to Hugeaux for the 2010 Black History & Women's Month On-Line Exhibition @ www.Hugeaux.com


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Hugeaux, Aziza Claudia Gibson-Hunter and Rashad Dobbins

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HUGEAUX presents

HUGEAUX: The Text: Celebrating Black History & Women's Month 2010 On-Line Exhibition
by Claudia Aziza Gibson-Hunter, Rashad Dobbins & Hugeaux

January 1 - March 31, 2010
@ www.Hugeaux.com


ACKNOWLEGMENT
Celebration
by Claudia Aziza Gibson-Hunter


This exhibition celebrates the history of two populations, Blacks and women. The efforts to excavate and claim the names, legacies, and gifts to humanity are to be commended. The contributions are tremendous. Each year many are astounded to learn

facts attached to the names of Blacks and women who worked in their own way

to improve the state of humanity. In science, mathmetics, social sciences, politics, the arts, and more, each have been further evolved because there were those who rose above imposed limitations to share, to teach, to be a promise of a better world. The artists in this exhibition worked to capture the unleashed reality and potential of brilliant minds, skilled hands, and just plain old good people in the world, who have been overlooked, or worse, because of the color of their skin, their gender, or both.

Can you hear the shouts of joy? Can you sense the electric in the air? Does the rhythm of the colors, dynamism of the compositions make your eyes dance? The artists in this exhibition worked to induce all of the above. Enjoy.

************************

The History of BADC
(Black Artists of D.C. )

Washington DC

THE BEGINNING

BADC began in 1999 when three artists: Viola Leak, “Planta” Jacqueline Reeder and Aziza
Claudia Gibson-Hunter decided to address the lack of communication and support between local
Black artists. In nine years this group has grown to over 300 members. BADC membership is
composed of artists, arts administrators, educators, dealers, collectors, museum directors,
curators, gallery owners and arts enthusiasts. We come together to assist one another in
positioning ourselves for success. Black artists of DC is a thriving trans-generational community
of Black visual artists who are or have, lived, worked or were educated in the Greater
Washington DC area. Much of the African Diaspora is represented in this group.
We understand the limitations put on “Black Art”, and reject the notion that it is onedimensional.
We see our art as boundless as the various personalities that make up BADC. The
work ranges from conceptual, to realism, and everything in-between. Our artists work in glass,
digital media, performance film, acrylic charcoal and more. The talent is limitless, and we create
a universe of work. BADC is an organization tied to the visual legacy of strong visual artists of
African descent. We are unapologetically Black.


Information is collected and distributed about exhibition opportunities, workshops, residencies,
grants, fellowships, symposiums and more. Support is given to established and emerging artists
with a great emphasis on art education in the public schools and mentoring young artists. Classes
are taught on subjects of documentation grant writing, archival materials as well as the hows and
whys of the business aspects of art. We have studio visits where we share our latest creations.
Critiques take place every month to push each other creatively, technically and conceptually. We
discuss (and address) issues that impact the artistic community in DC. We are adding another
level of in-depth critiques that will be even sharper and more demanding. Last summer we
offered a BADC Summer School Bridge program to bring our emerging artists information to
assist them in becoming solid professional artists. We offered over a dozen courses. Thus far we
have sponsored exhibitions in many Washington DC and Maryland venues. The public response
has always been outstanding. We have art programming showing in NY on cable TV and have
had our programming shown in Washington and Atlanta. In fact, membership has grown
nationally and internationally, including artists from other US cites, Asia, South America, Africa
and Europe.


In 2006 the works of 24 BADC members were selected and exhibited during Art Basel Miami
Beach. The New York Times has called Art Basel Miami Beach “arguably the hottest trade fair in
the hemisphere”. The members have expanded beyond traditional arts exhibitions to on-line
exhibitions, making art available on the world wide web to an even wider audience.
The growth of our individual members is something we are proud of and as you read the pages of
this document you will see some of the outstanding achievements of our people in a single year.

Aziza Claudia Gibson-Hunter
Co-Founder, Former Facilitator

* I, Hugeaux joined in 2006 from Florida

**************************************

Atlantic Hands
by Rashad Dobbins

Drum bones,
sealed mouths
and rust
shackled between Home and Red Land
listen

Drowned stories
betrayed by past
wail silent

Incomplete calls
abandoned by future
remain voiceless
murmuring muted

at Midnight

the Moon
spreads these inaudible whispers
to coasts of former home
and unwanted home

Children that hear in celebration
rejoice
w the Elders' heartbeat in drum

Dance of the Wormhole

begins

rises

Atlantic parts

Souls,bones,mouths,songs
lift off ocean floor
coalescing to silver Hands

as Hands touch coasts
Atlantic unites
bridging tidal path
of stolen lineage

Water trail guides
healing the missing link
w complete identity
and infinite memory

******************************

X children
by Rashad Dobbins

Root pt.1

I am mostly West African
some east(Ethiopian)
part Cherokee
part European

built from love ,rape and desolation

The root of me is seen blinded

The Land under feet
is soaked in blood - fire

This country's mouth
is nourished w genocide
Teeth making biting threats
when I breathe

I am Empty
child of the X People

Food for imperialism

Grateful in the unknown


Tree pt. 2

Fragments of my ancestral experience
are keys
to doors
I HAVE TO CREATE

A colonizer's letters
on my tongue
infiltrating breath and brain
unfortunately graces me w Alchemy

I am X

a physical memory
in a family of dreams

born in a mutilated history
transfigured from cotton flesh

self preserved
as the Sun's reflection -Upright Melanin

An Omni-Being
in the unknown
w Human as the root of me
and timelessness as Identity

*****************************

Epilogue
by Hugeaux

I shall like to thank God almighty for bringing a group of talent artists and friends together. 2010 is a new decade which I have started in THE BLACK. A diversity of artists to celebrate Black History & Women's month shall enrich our ancestry's linage. Heritage is a communal force which is celebrated with other heritages to make this universe a rich cornucopia of God's vision. This on-line exhibition is dedicated to past, present and future artists whose talents are discovered and rediscovered in our art work today. Without our hands we can't bring forth our ancestries legacies, and without legs the future can't run with our legacies to newer altitudes. We, present artists, of today are legacies. We have redefined the tools and visions of the past. Our tools shall be handed to the future, for more fine tuning, and on ,and on, and on, etc.....