Contemporary African Art Breaks Boundaries

Contemporary African Art Breaks Boundaries
Exhibition of Leading African Contemporary Artists, October 2-5,2008, New York City


New York, New York, May 14, 2008 ….From October 2-5, 2008, Art Off The Main will showcase a panorama of contemporary African art at New York City’s historic Metropolitan Pavilion, 110 West 19th Street, Chelsea. Art Off The Main is an annual art fair of contemporary African, Caribbean and Latin American art which was launched in 2004 to address the substantial lack of appreciation of art from these regions. While enjoying much support in Europe, contemporary African art is relatively unknown here in the United States. Art Off The Main not only provides a platform for exposure of the artistic expressions of cultures from across Africa it also exhibits art’s potential role in promoting intercultural understanding.

For many Americans, African art is limited to the traditional wood carvings and masks, which are the work predominately featured in art shows and museums. However, Art Off The Main brings together an impressive group of talented contemporary African artists who skillfully illustrate that there is more to African art than tribal masks. This annual staging creates a venue where viewers are exposed to the less-known side of African Art and serves to educate the public about the noteworthy contemporary artwork that is being produced in Africa today. Ethiopia’s Wosene Kosrof is among the artists whose works will be on exhibit along with Ghana’s Tafa, Senegal’s Souleymane Keita and Nigeria’s Olu Oguibe and Victor Ekpuk, to name a few. These artists speak to the realities of Africa while redefining African art for both the international and native audiences.

African artists are creating works equal in quality and creativity to that of their Western counterparts. Some artists have chosen innovative abstract subject matters demonstrating that these topics and stylistic modes are not unique to Western societies and that African artists are working in new ways with new and old materials, addressing their art to a wider public. However, while many contemporary African artists are exploring new mediums and modes of expression, they still hold true to African artistic traditions which fuses visual imagery with spiritual belief and social purpose. For example in Wosene Kosrof’s paintings, “the calligraphic forms of Amharic are broken apart, abstracted, and reconfigured to create a new visual language that draws upon the artist's Ethiopian heritage while incorporating his experiences as an expatriate living in the United States” . So although African art is rooted in its native communities, it is global in impact- it empowers audiences to see beyond geographic divides and explore the multilayered diversity and complexity of a contemporary Africa.

Art Off The Main creates a greater awareness and knowledge of contemporary African art and shows the American audience that in spite of (or perhaps because of) the hardships and adversities Africa faces, its visual artists are producing a remarkable body of work General admission to the show is $17. For tickets or information, contact Crawford Billings Associates, Inc., P.O. Box 1659, New York, NY 10276; 646-438-9958 or visit artoffthemain.com

“ART OFF THE MAIN": Bringing the Outside In

“ART OFF THE MAIN": Bringing the Outside In
Innovative Art Fair Showcases Contemporary African, Caribbean & Latin American Art


New York, NY, May 16, 2008… For four exciting days, October 2-5, Art Off The Main: The African, Caribbean and Latin American Art Fair returns to New York City’s landmark Metropolitan Pavilion, 110 West 19th Street. Now in its 5th year, this acclaimed annual exposition provides curators, seasoned collectors and novices the opportunity to view and collect paintings, sculpture, photography and original prints by established and emerging artists from over 20 countries.

Despite New York City being one of the world’s major art centers and home to numerous art fairs each year, until Art Off the Main, fine art from these regions was difficult to find at a New York art fair. According to Loris Crawford, the show’s executive producer, “Art Off the Main fills an important niche in the art fair market. While there has been a recent surge in gallery and museum shows featuring contemporary African, Caribbean and Latin American art, and record auction values in the world's art capitals, the works of art produced by these artists are still underrepresented in the United States; Art Off The Main provides a much-needed annual platform for exposure”. Art Off the Main opens with Paint It Pink , a benefit reception, on Thursday, October 2, 6pm -10pm. Paint It Pink raises awareness of the issue of breast cancer and young women of color-a major public health issue in the United States; ticket sales benefit the diversity program of Young Survival Coalition, a community of young breast cancer survivors seeking to educate the public, and the medical, research and legislative communities on the issue of breast cancer in women 40 years old and under.

Friday, October 2nd to Sunday, October 5th are general admission days. The cost of admission to the Opening Night Gala is $100 and $17 for general admission. For additional information, contact Crawford Billings Associates, Inc., P.O. Box 1659, New York, NY 10276; 646-438-9958 or visit artoffthemain.com