RELEASE II @ The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts

"Summer Storm - Brighton Beach, NY," 1998

Luis Carle
Toned silver gelatin print, 24" x 36"

image source

\

The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA)
in collaboration with Visual AIDS

proudly presents:

"RELEASE II"
Reception: Friday, November 11, 6:00pm to 9:00pm

MoCADA
The James E. Davis 80 Arts Building
80 Hanson Place, Brooklyn, NY
http://www.mocada.org

The featured artists, Luis Carle, Niccolo Cataldi, Jose Luis Cortes, Edwin Lacend, Kenneth Mitchell, Ricardo Morin, and Clifford Smith bring an innovative approach to HIV/AIDS awareness through many unorthodox mediums, which lends itself to new debates, discussions and conversations on HIV/AIDS awareness.

RELEASE II is a continuation of AIDS-related exhibitions that MoCADA will present every two years to ensure that HIV/AIDS remains an important topic of concern, discussion and action.

more about MoCADA, via NYFA:

MoCADA
The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporian Arts (MoCADA) is Brooklyn, New York's first and only museum with a focus on the art, culture and history of African Americans and the African Diaspora at large. From its inception in December 1999, MoCADA has remained committed to fostering a greater a wareness of the art and culture of the African Diaspora as it relates to contemporary urban issues through innovative exhibitions, public programs and interactive tours.

The "little museum that could" has quickly become a significant part of the cultural fabric of Brooklyn, partnering with organizations such as the Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn Children's Museum and Brooklyn Academy of Music. Currently, MoCADA mounts four exhibitions per year and organizes thirty public programs related to these exhibitions. Integral to the mission of MoCADA is our commitment to community outreach; we have created several successful programs that bring our work to the community, including the P.S. 262 Artist in Residence Program, the High School Internship Program and the KIDflix Film Festival of Bed-Stuy held each year in historic Fulton Park.   

...and via NY1, November 01, 2005:

Brooklyn's New MoCADA Museum Seeks To Build A Bond With The Community
by Jeanine Ramirez                                                    

Brooklyn will soon have a new museum now taking shape in the cultural district growing up around the Brooklyn Academy of Music. As NY1’s Jeanine Ramirez explains in the following report, this museum is a bridge between art disciplines and communities.

The sign says "Coming Soon," and after six years of planning and working out of temporary spaces, the MoCADA Museum's new permanent space is definitely coming together.

But museum officials are not waiting for the construction to be done to showcase what Brooklyn's newest art institution will offer. They decided to put up their first exhibition in the lobby.

"It kind of gives you a little bit of a taste that yes, even though it says we're coming, we really are," says Kimberli Gant, the museum’s Education and Program Director.

The exhibit is called “Release II,” and it's a collaborative effort between MoCADA and Visual Aids, a group that uses art to increase awareness about HIV and AIDS. MoCADA officials want to make sure the artwork provides a connection to contemporary social issues, and that the community uses the institution as an educational resource.

While MoCADA stands for the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Art, its founder and executive director says it's for all Brooklynites.

"I think that's the mission that we want to move forward with, that this is a borough-wide project, and that African-American culture is not just for African-American people, it's for everyone," says Laurie Cumbo. "It’s part of the American landscape."

The MoCADA Museum is part of Brooklyn's emerging artists landscape. It's located in what's known as the James E. Davis 80 Arts Building, which falls within the cultural district being built around the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

The James E. Davis Arts Building is named after the late City Councilman who represented this Fort Greene community and supported the BAM Cultural District. Along with MoCADA, it houses about a dozen not-for-profit arts organizations.

With this exhibition, the MoCADA Museum is trying to form an artistic synergy in the building, and tie its theme in with the work of other groups here.

"In the educational programs that we've also come up with, we show you how different artistic methods can be applied to that same purpose," says Gant. "So we have a release through dance, a release through writing, and a release through film series."

Officials would like to keep that cohesiveness going within the building as the museum continues to take shape.

The Release II exhibition will be up in the lobby through February. The museum is scheduled to officially open its doors in March.