Blkgrrrl Planning Crew
The 1st annual BlkGrrrl Book Fair was insane!! It is one of the best new things to hit Los Angeles and I'm not just saying that because I curated the Julie Dash film festival section. This is what happens when you put Black women together that have vision, drive and determination. LA weekly picked the book fair as one of the top places to be that weekend and I won't be surprised if it remains at the top for many years to come. The BlkGrrrl book fair set a tone and a reference for Women's month in Los Angeles. There was definitely something for everyone with a wide variety of literature for children and adults. Art exhibits, open poetry, panels, workshops, food, and vendors kept the stimulation going all day.
Every chair was filled and people stood in the back of the room to watch the Julie Dash film festival. I will always remember the belly laughs when watching the comedy LA'Temperamental and the sniffles around the room while women were deeply engaged in Beyond Suicide In "Tristesse." From my observation, the audience was fascinated by the making of Black Cotton. I screened three short films by Los Angeles based filmmakers Patsy Moore, Lisa Holly and Tomeekha Pitre Escott El.The films touched on topics like Black women and depression, self care, guilt, shame, perseverance and determination. Piddle Productions pop up zine library was also posted up in the lounge area.
Use #BlkGrrrl and #BGBF2015 to find several photos floating around and feel free to add yours if you attended. I am still trying to process the greatness of this complexity. Being Black is political. Being a woman is political. Being a BlkGrrrl and reading a book is political. It was a joyous occasion not only because it was a success but because people were relieved to finally have a safe space that related to their experience. The book fair was a direct image of what it looks like to uplift and empower Black girls and women. I witnessed powerful programming in a safe space for book lovers. It can only get better from here!
I'd like to thank all the people who came out to support an event that at times was misunderstood and underestimated but in the end proved to be fun, full of substance and passion. I would like to thank Teka Lark Fleming / founder BlkGrrrl Book fair for pulling me into this project, Skira Martinez / Owner Cielo Galleries, Thomeekha Pitre Escott El / Workshop, and Reese Charleswell / Workshop for such a dynamic and memorable experience.
The future looks bright,
see you next year !
Zoe Blaq / Film Curator BlkGrrrl Book Fair 2015
The 1st annual BlkGrrrl Book Fair was insane!! It is one of the best new things to hit Los Angeles and I'm not just saying that because I curated the Julie Dash film festival section. This is what happens when you put Black women together that have vision, drive and determination. LA weekly picked the book fair as one of the top places to be that weekend and I won't be surprised if it remains at the top for many years to come. The BlkGrrrl book fair set a tone and a reference for Women's month in Los Angeles. There was definitely something for everyone with a wide variety of literature for children and adults. Art exhibits, open poetry, panels, workshops, food, and vendors kept the stimulation going all day.
Every chair was filled and people stood in the back of the room to watch the Julie Dash film festival. I will always remember the belly laughs when watching the comedy LA'Temperamental and the sniffles around the room while women were deeply engaged in Beyond Suicide In "Tristesse." From my observation, the audience was fascinated by the making of Black Cotton. I screened three short films by Los Angeles based filmmakers Patsy Moore, Lisa Holly and Tomeekha Pitre Escott El.The films touched on topics like Black women and depression, self care, guilt, shame, perseverance and determination. Piddle Productions pop up zine library was also posted up in the lounge area.
Use #BlkGrrrl and #BGBF2015 to find several photos floating around and feel free to add yours if you attended. I am still trying to process the greatness of this complexity. Being Black is political. Being a woman is political. Being a BlkGrrrl and reading a book is political. It was a joyous occasion not only because it was a success but because people were relieved to finally have a safe space that related to their experience. The book fair was a direct image of what it looks like to uplift and empower Black girls and women. I witnessed powerful programming in a safe space for book lovers. It can only get better from here!
I'd like to thank all the people who came out to support an event that at times was misunderstood and underestimated but in the end proved to be fun, full of substance and passion. I would like to thank Teka Lark Fleming / founder BlkGrrrl Book fair for pulling me into this project, Skira Martinez / Owner Cielo Galleries, Thomeekha Pitre Escott El / Workshop, and Reese Charleswell / Workshop for such a dynamic and memorable experience.
The future looks bright,
see you next year !
Zoe Blaq / Film Curator BlkGrrrl Book Fair 2015
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