Did you miss When Harlem Came to Paris in March? Want to find out more about purchasing the art that was created especially for the event by the talented, James Terrell?

The remaining artwork is available on-line for bidding until July 2nd!

That’s right, the pieces that were not sold are still available for purchase, with a percentage being donated to the Anne Bujon Educational Initiative of the Alliance Francaise de Washington which provides educational outreach to DC Public Schools.

Visit the When Harlem Came to Paris online auction here to bid and purchase one of the hot pieces available for sale!

Did you miss When Harlem Came to Paris in March? Want to find out more about purchasing the art that was created especially for the event by the talented, James Terrell?

We have the remaining artwork available on-line for bidding! That’s right, the pieces that were not sold are still available for purchase, with a percentage being donated to the Anne Bujon Educational Initiative of the Alliance Francaise de Washington which provides educational outreach to DC Public Schools.

Visit the When Harlem Came to Paris online auction here to bid and purchase one of the hot pieces available for sale!

Did you miss When Harlem Came to Paris last weekend? Want to find out more about purchasing the art that was created especially for the event by the talented, James Terrell?

We now have the remaining artwork available on-line for bidding! That’s right, the pieces that were not sold are still available for purchase, with a percentage being donated to the Anne Bujon Educational Initiative of the Alliance Francaise de Washington which provides educational outreach to DC Public Schools.

Visit the When Harlem Came to Paris online auction here to bid and purchase one of the hot pieces available for sale!

Figurative painter, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pastor James Stephen Terrell is a true renaissance man. He is the recipient of a BFA from Howard University, an MFA from Parsons, and a Masters of Divinity Degree from the Union Theological Seminary. James Stephen Terrell has taught throughout the city and lectured at Union Theological Seminary, Howard, Second Baptist Church, Martin Luther King Memorial Library, Corcoran School of Design, and the Sumner Museum. His paintings have appeared in solo and group exhibitions in Washington, D.C, New York City, and New Jersey, the latest of which was at the Smithsonian-Anacostia Museum. To hear James’s music and see more of his art, visit www.myspace.com/crucifiedtothecrossroads.

AV: When did you know that you were an artist?

James: I always wanted to pursue Art.

I was always a creative person, and I inherited my talent from my father who studied Art in college but pursued Religion as a profession. The house where I grew up had fine art on the walls. Growing up in DC, I studied the piano, clarinet, and guitar. But it was not until I enrolled in Pace University for Business Management that I realized that I had to paint, draw, and perform music. Howard University (where I received my BFA ) and Parsons School of Design (where I received my MFA) allowed me to develop and combine my artistic talents.

If I did not pursue art, I would have become spiritually miserable. If I did not expand my knowledge of art through spiritual study, I would have been lost in a sea of worldly confusion. Art give me the opportunity to tune out the world for a moment and meditate on my life experiences. Art allows me to express my concerns and the concerns of humanity. Art has helped me learn about and appreciate other cultures.

Art has expanded my mind, Art is not an easy discipline to master. Art incorporates math, history, reading and writing. Art is commentary on ones environment. Art is an examination of humanity as well as the soul. Although different streams of consciousness, ethnicity, and spirituality exist within all of humanity, the different forms of painting I create convey and explore the concerns, joys and beauty that exist within all of humanity.

Every piece of Artwork I creating is more then just a painting. My artwork is written with color, line, and shapes and can be read by the eye and interpreted by the spirit.

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James Terrell talks about his art during pARTake on March 1, 2010.

AV: How would you describe your artistic style?

James: My art is very linear. It is figurative art. It is art that allows one to take a moment and think about my surroundings.

My art is filled with vibrate colors and various types of line. The art I create is representative of the reality, which lies beneath the natural, physical appearance of the human existence. My paintings are historical, political, psychological, musical and emotional. Art seeks to dig up a deeper understanding, which exposes the truths of life. My art is a visual language, which is devoted to depicting the visual contemplation of the human experience. My art is a doorway, open to expressing various levels of human emotion and thoughts through the forms of pattern, texture, shape, line, shade, and color.

AV: Who or what has been your biggest influence as an artist?

James: My father Rev. Dr. James E. Terrell has been my major influence in art. He told me not to limit myself to just art. He told me to look at everything with an artistic eye.

My mother, Judge Mary Ann Terrell, of the DC Superior Court and founder of the High Tea Society (a non-profit organization for DC teens) who works countless hours and dedicates her time to helping better our community, told me to never give up on my art. My mother encouraged me to use my art as a way to help the youth better express themselves. My mother told me to use my life experiences to create. My mother told me to use my painting to document not just my growth but the growth of my

As an Art teacher in the DCPS School system the youth have also influenced my art.

I am able to reach out to the youth and show them how to use their creativity to change their mood. Art is important because it allows the youth to express many of the issues confronting them today in a positive manner. The Youth show me what they feel to be relevant in art now and at this point in our lifetime.

The electric energy released through the music of Jimi Hendrix is also an influence on my use of color and line in my art.

AV: What are some of the challenges or mistakes that you have experienced as an artist and what did you learn from it?

James: You have to meet people who can help you. Not everybody who likes your art can help you promote it. You cannot take to heart the advice of those who think they know what you want as an artist. You have to know exactly what you want as an artist or people will take advantage of you and your art. As artist you have to be in control of your art. In order to promote your art you have to go to reliable sources and reliable people who genuinely want to help promote your art and not the idea of what they think an artist or your artwork should be.

AV: Who is your favorite Harlem Renaissance visual artist and why?

James: I like the art of Romare Bearden. His colleges are like puzzles that when pieced together form a timeless glimpse into the African American experience.

I also like the art of William H Johnson. He was classically trained and could draw and paint realistic figures but he choose to create a style with vibrant colors and simplified figure to express the history and culture of African Americans in the south and in the north.

AV: What are your thoughts on the DC visual arts scene?

James: The DC Art Scene is starting to expand. There are a lot of new places to show at in DC. DC has a new energy. So much has changed in DC, from the people to the venues that showcase art and music. DC seems to be more supportive of the arts. Some of the area galleries still are not showing work of true contemporary artist of the DC area. Art needs to be seen by the public. Let us all thank the internet and internet galleries like Authentic Contemporary Art for being a creative avenue and outlet that allows art of known, unknown and emerging artists to be seem by the more of the public.

To view some of Terrell’s artwork available for sale for When Harlem Came to Paris, click here.

In addition to celebrating the culture and icons of the Harlem Renassiance period, we are also raising funds for the Alliance’s outreach programs for DC Public Schools.

Very soon, you will be able to view several pieces that will be available for bidding on our Virtual Gallery, however, we wanted to give you a “sneak peek” now:

Don’t envy me (green with envy), acrylic on canvas, 25×28, by James Terrell

Jelly Roll Morton, acrylic on canvas, 37×31, by James Terrell

Now she can see clearly Now she can breath (A whole new world), acrylic on canvas, 21×31, by James Terrell

March 1, 2010
6pm – 9 pm

Alliance Francaise de Washington
2142 Wyoming Avenue, NW-WDC
Free & Open to the public

Lil SoSo Productions, Authentic Contemporary Art and The Alliance Francaise de Washington invite you to rediscover the art and culture of the Harlem Renassiance and its affect on Parisian culture at pARTake: We Remember Harlem. This pre-event to the 3rd Annual When Harlem Came to Paris, sponsored by Lil So So Productions, will feature a panel discussion about the legacy of the visual art and fashion of this exciting moment in history.

Moderated by Sharon J. Burton, creator of the “pARTake” series and founder of Authentic Contemporary Art, a panel discussion featuring LiL SoSo Productions, Alliance Francaise, artist James Terrell and more, will offer some insight into the pull of the Harlem Renaissance and why its relevance is so long lasting.

Attendees will also get the chance to preview a few of the artworks that will be featured for auction at the main event March 20th by artist James Terrell and visit the WHCTP Style Corner with hand-made cocktail hats by milliner Crystal Little and tips from stylist Sharon Cyrus and make-up artist Evelyn Bandoh.

Seating is limited, to RSVP, click here.

pARTake: Remembering Harlem
A “When Harlem Came to Paris” Pre-Event
Panel Discussion/Art Preview/Reception

Alliance Francaise de Washington
2142 Wyoming Avenue, NW-WDC

Monday, March 1, 2010
6PM-9PM
Free & Open to the public

Moderated by Sharon J. Burton, creator of the new “pARTake” Art Salon series and founder of Authentic Contemporary Art, a panel discussion featuring LiL SoSo Productions, Alliance Francaise, artist, James Terrell and more, will offer some insight into the pull of the Harlem Renaissance and why its relevance is so long lasting. Also, attendees will get the chance to preview a few of the works that will be featured for auction at the main event March 20th by artist James Terrell. For more information contact: whctp@lilsoso.com