Futura, "Untitled," 1982
Libraries & Museums: Windows to Culture
Overtime. libraries and museums have formed a unique relationship. Their collective missions are to serve the public through the sharing of materials and through the exhibition of art.
More recently these institutions have become more responsive to what has been overlooked or underrepresented in books and in art.
The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston has an exhibit entitled Writing the Future: Basquiat and the Hip-Hop Generation. It is the first major showing of the art work of Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) along with his Black and Latinx friends associated with hip-hop culture.
Basquiat is credited with elevating graffiti from street art to include music, breakdancing, poetry, and fashion - a mixture of creativty and energy that together is called Hip-Hop.
Listen to what
local artists are saying...
A connection to a library book...
Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat
This 2016 picture book biography by Javaka Steptoe is the first book for a younger audience about the life of Jean-Michel. Using an illustration style similar to Basquiat's own, Radiant Child tells the story of his childhood and early career. It won the 2017 Caldecott Medal and the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for its illustrations.
Listen to the Sounds of Hip-Hop
This playlist was created by "Writing for the Future" co-curator Greg Tate. It features music that both inspired Basquiat and his fellow artists in the 1980's post graffiti period in New York City when the hip hop culture was bringing a new direction to art, music, and design.
Tis the Season - Two interpretations of Tchaikovsky's music and the ballet of The Nutcracker
What do you see that is different in these two interpretations? Which one would you buy tickets to attend? Or would you want to go to both?