The City of Pembroke Pines and The Frank C. Ortis Art Gallery Present On The Samara’s Wing: Ethnobotanical Negotiations of Cultural Space
The new in-person exhibition is on display from October 21st through January 23rd
The City of Pembroke Pines and The Frank C. Ortis Art Gallery are pleased to present On The Samara’s Wing: Ethnobotanical Negotiations of Cultural Space, an in-person exhibition centering artists who explore immigration, diaspora, transnational identity, race and belonging through dramatic allegories of landscape, botany and organic materials. From time immemorial, human survival has hinged upon our ability to recognize and navigate the botanical landscape. Cultures, known and unknown, antiquitous and contemporary, withstand the jagged contours of evolution by maintaining a cultivated awareness of plant-life. Plants provide nourishment, healing, shelter and in essence, through oxygen-life itself.
Ethnobotany considers these details critically; how do the interrelations between person and plant contribute to the collective? How does said collective impact natural divinity? These notions of culture, language, belief, knowledge, and procedure unearth a flurry of inquiry which leaves little room for unvariegated analysis or hasty conclusion. On The Samara’s Wing amplifies the unflinching individual voices confronting these notions, their intersections and the often unspoken dilemmas therein.
Curated by The Frank’s Chief Curator Taryn Möller Nicoll, On The Samara’s Wing features works by John Alleyne, Edouard Duval-Carrié, Gonzalo Fuenmayor, Rhea Leonard, T.Elliot Mansa, Lisyanet Rodriguez, and Onajídé Shabaka. The exhibition’s tenure boasts a robust assembly of workshops and events, ranging from artist talks, panels, pop-up exhibitions, professional meet-ups and more. One such addition features Green Space Miami, a burgeoning art space established by the Green Family Foundation focused on centering marginalized stories in a space for dialogue. Green Space Initiative grant recipient Alma Leiva will exhibit her photography series Celdas in The Frank’s Third Space Gallery. Leiva’s works will remain on view for the duration of On The Samara’s Wing.
As the exhibition draws to a close, deconstruct prevailing archival suppositions with Reshaping History through Arts & Media, on January 13th from 6 PM to 8 PM. This panel and artist talk will be moderated by the inimitable, Dr. Tameka Bradley Hobbs, Associate Provost of Florida Memorial University. Panelists include: African American Research Library Regional Manager Makiba J. Foster, NPR journalist Wilkine Brutus, and On The Samara’s Wing artists Edouard Duval-Carrié and Rhea Leonard. Our esteemed speakers will discuss how arts, research, and communications empower them to reveal and record histories, confront archaic stereotypes, articulate identity and synthesize belonging.
On The Samara’s Wing takes flight on Thursday, October 21st at 6 PM. The opening reception will feature an exclusive performance by Haitian singer and guitarist Inez Barlatier at 7 PM.
Complimentary refreshments and hors d’oeuvres will be served at the reception. Admittance to The Frank is free. No appointments or registration required. Mask-wearing at The Frank is strongly encouraged.
The Frank Gallery is open for viewing Tuesday-Saturday from 11 AM to 5 PM. The Frank is located in the Charles F. Dodge City Center in Pembroke Pines at 601 City Center Way. For more information, call 954.392.2120 or email: thefrank@ppines.com.
Connect with the On The Samara’s Wing artists:
• John Alleyne: http://johnalleyne.com/
• Edouard Duval-Carrié : http://duval-carrie.com/
• Gonzalo Fuenmayor: https://gonzalofuenmayor.com/home.html
• Rhea Leonard: https://cargocollective.com/rlart/
• T. Elliott Mansa: https://teliottmansa.com/
• Lisyanet Rodriguez: https://www.lisyanetrodriguez.com/
• Onajídé Shabaka: https://onajide.com/
As we celebrate On The Samara’s Wing, we invite you to explore the stories, techniques and insights of the artists who brought it the exhibition to life. Our free, fun and educational virtual workshops, lectures and events are suitable for all ages. For more information, visit www.thefrankgallery.org/p/other/virtual-classroom.
About The Frank
The Frank is a two-story art gallery named after Pembroke Pines Mayor Frank C. Ortis for his decades-long commitment to the cultural arts. The Frank C. Ortis Art Gallery, located in the Charles F. Dodge City Center, showcases multi-disciplinary inclusive exhibitions to foster connections, initiate cultural change and promote innovation. The gallery’s exhibition and learning spaces serve as a site of convergence for artists, performers, thought leaders and community members to create partnerships for social engagement, leveraging the power of the arts to create a sense of place.
Stay connected and follow The Frank on Facebook and Instagram at “The Frank Pembroke Pines”/ @thefrankpembrokepines. For more information, call 954.392.2120 or email: thefrank@ppines.com. Funding for this organization is provided in part by Broward County Cultural Division, Culture Builds Florida, Hello Sunny-Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Center and Visitors Bureau and National Endowment for the Arts. This project is sponsored in part by the Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council of Arts and Culture and the State of Florida.
