Some are black and white, some are color. They show Altadenans over the decades during treasured moments, such as a birthday celebration or family pool time. They\u2019re part of the exhibition\u2019s more than 20 Black artists, all of whom live in or have family ties to the neighborhood.<\/p>\n
New exhibit ‘Ode to Dena’ explores Altadena\u2019s deep Black artistic legacy<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the first things that I envisioned in my mind was putting together this wall of archival photos, personal family photos, photos of the artists in the exhibition,\u201d said Cameron Shaw, the museum\u2019s executive director. She wanted to show how family and community are critical parts of Altadena life.<\/p>\n
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The photo mural that visitors see at the exhibit entrance.<\/p>\n
\u2018Community curated\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cOde to \u2019Dena\u201d isn\u2019t your traditional tour of place and history. This exhibition is about the neighborhood\u2019s artistic tradition, which blends the past and present.<\/p>\n
Curator Dominique Clayton said the show is bittersweet because it stems from pain, but that it also poses an opportunity for people to learn another part of L.A. County\u2019s cultural history.<\/p>\n
Museum galleries usually take a long time to organize, but Clayton said she was able to put this one together quickly. She started working on it in mid-January, just after the Eaton Fire broke out. She said that speed was in part because of Altadena\u2019s supportive community of artists.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u200aI like to say it\u2019s community curated,\u201d Clayton said. \u201c\u200aI would talk to one artist. I was introduced to another and another. And so it sort of built itself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some of the artists in the gallery lost homes in the Eaton Fire, including Clayton\u2019s friend Kenturah Davis<\/a>, one of the artists on display.<\/p>\n Meaning behind the art<\/p>\n These items were curated by Octavia’s Bookshelf owner Nikki High as a symbol of the Altadena’s Black literary legacy.<\/p>\n There are a variety of styles and subjects in the exhibit. <\/p>\n The beloved Pasadena bookstore Octavia\u2019s Bookshelf<\/a> curated a display that shows the Black literary legacy of Altadena and Pasadena.<\/p>\n John C. Outterbridge<\/a>\u2019s renowned outhouse, a structure<\/a> that calls out institutionalized racism, brings in the Civil Rights era. <\/p>\n Debris from the Eaton Fire also gets a new life here. A scorched flugelhorn sits next to burned tree branches. <\/p>\n A piece titled “From the Ashes” from artist Sam Pace. The work includes a flugelhorn that was found in the ashes of his neighbor’s Altadena home.<\/p>\n The burned sound bowl from the artist Grandfather. <\/p>\n A charred sound bowl \u2014 used by the artist Grandfather<\/a> in several of his audio works \u2014 was the only item found in his home’s ashes after the Eaton Fire. <\/p>\n The show also transcends generations. Davis\u2019 2-year-old son Micah has two watercolor paintings in the exhibit. He\u2019s the youngest artist in \u201cOde to \u2019Dena.\u201d <\/p>\n Watercolor paintings from Micah Zuri Davis-O’Connor. These paintings were done with the help of his grandfather, Keni “Arts” Davis. His paintings, showing before and after looks at lost Altadena places, are also in the show.<\/p>\n Betye Saar’s album artwork for jazz musician Bennie Maupin.<\/p>\n The oldest is 98-year-old Betye Saar<\/a>, who has a mixed media installation and album artwork in the exhibit.<\/p>\n The exhibit is an example of change in America, Clayton said. The arts culture now has multiple generations of Black artists, and Altadena plays a big role in that. For example, Kenturah Davis’ artworks are joined by ones from her parents. Her mother, Mildred \u201cPeggy\u201d Davis, has handmade quilts on display. Keni \u201cArts\u201d Davis<\/a>, Kenturah Davis’ father, painted iconic Altadena locations before and after the fires.<\/p>\n …it\u2019s not so much about destruction and disaster, but really about enlightenment.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u2014 Curator Dominique Clayton<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/scpr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/5f45f47\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/3000x2000+0+0\/resize\/792x528!\/quality\/90\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Ff9%2Ffb%2F558cbf214010824c36e05d877f02%2Fblack-dena-1.jpg\")
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