MAVUNO Festival

Sweetwater is proud to present its 15th Annual MAVUNO Festival of African American Art & Culture.
MAVUNO, translated as "first fruit" in Swahili, will begin at the start of the Fall/Harvest season. From early-September through mid-October, the MAVUNO Festival features a wide range of performances, workshops, a visual art exhibition, and much more in celebration of the African American voice and vision of the region.

Historical Tour
Saturday, September 10, 2011, 2:00 p.m.
In honor of Sweetwater's MAVUNO Festival of African American Art & Culture and in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the St. Matthews African American Episcopal Church, join us as we walk through time both outside and within the church at the corner of Thorn and Walnut Streets. Meet us on the steps of what was once known as "the first colored mission." It was nearly 150 years ago when minister Daniel B. Matthews would walk these same streets of Sewickley preaching the good news to the early black settlers. Their current congregation still gives its testimony within its dining room walls with a plethora of mounted photographs.
St. Matthews AME Zion Church, 345 Thorn Street, Sewickley
Free!

The Babatunde Lea Quartet Performance
Friday, September 30, 2011, 10:00 a.m.
"Jazz steeped in the rhythms of the African Diaspora!" Babatunde Lea's music is influenced by the many African drumming/cultural experiences that he has had throughout his lifetime. His music is also inspired by the likes of Pharaoh Sanders, McCoy Tyner, Leon Thomas and Randy Weston, just to name a few. One of Babatunde's biggest influences was Babatunde Olatunji, when he saw him at a concert in NYC/Cooper Union University in 1959. That performance is what let Babatunde Lea know that he was and is a drummer!
Bon Meade Elementary School
*This is an outreach program and is not open to the public.

The Babatunde Lea Quartet Performance
Friday, September 30, 2011, 1:00 p.m.
"Jazz steeped in the rhythms of the African Diaspora!" Babatunde Lea's music is influenced by the many African drumming/cultural experiences that he has had throughout his lifetime. His music is also inspired by the likes of Pharaoh Sanders, McCoy Tyner, Leon Thomas and Randy Weston, just to name a few. One of Babatunde's biggest influences was Babatunde Olatunji, when he saw him at a concert in NYC/Cooper Union University in 1959. That performance is what let Babatunde Lea know that he was and is a drummer!
Cornell School District
*This is an outreach program and is not open to the public.

Stacks
September 30 - October 28, 2011
Reception: Friday, September 30, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
*Featuring live music by DJ Soy Sos from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
*The reception coincides with the Sewickley Fall Gallery Walk and includes complimentary wine, refreshments and light hors d'oeuvres.
The show is titled Stacks based on Bearden's reflections on the influence the smokestacks of Pittsburgh had on his work. Thinking about the idea of stacks as layers, Bearden created work in a collage aesthetic and used color and space all in stacks. Stacks also refers to artistic influence. As artists we stack ideas, techniques and environments. One artist influences another in stacks. Artists including Christiane Leach, Staycee Pearl, Blaine Siegel, and Brett Wormsley share their Bearden inspirations in various ways in this exhibition. Stacks is curated by Alisha Wormsley, a resident and teaching artist for many cultural institutions including The Romare Bearden Foundation.
Sweetwater Center for the Arts
Free!

The Babatunde Lea Quartet Performance
Saturday, October 1, 2011, 2:00 p.m.
(following the African American Heritage Day Parade in Downtown Pittsburgh)
"Jazz steeped in the rhythms of the African Diaspora!" Babatunde Lea's music is influenced by the many African drumming/cultural experiences that he has had throughout his lifetime. His music is also inspired by the likes of Pharaoh Sanders, McCoy Tyner, Leon Thomas and Randy Weston, just to name a few. One of Babatunde's biggest influences was Babatunde Olatunji, when he saw him at a concert in NYC/Cooper Union University in 1959. That performance is what let Babatunde Lea know that he was and is a drummer!

One of only two major arts institutions in the world named for Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright and Pittsburgh native August Wilson, the August Wilson Center for African American Culture engages regional and national audiences in its mission of preserving, presenting, interpreting, celebrating and shaping the art, culture and history of African Americans in Western Pennsylvania and people of African descent throughout the world.

From its new home in a vibrant Cultural District, the sleekly modern August Wilson Center offers multiple exhibition galleries, a 486-seat theater for performances in all genres, an education center for classes, lectures and hands-on learning, unique shopping, and dazzling spaces for community programs and events. The Center is a place like no other for experiencing theater, dance, music, history, film, literature, visual art, interactive education and spectacular entertainment, all under one roof.
More information about the August Wilson Center is available at AugustWilsonCenter.org or by calling 412.258.2700.
August Wilson Center for African American Culture, 980 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh
Free!

FREE MAVUNO Children's Workshop: The Rhythm of Romare - CH27 Ages 6-10
African American artist Romare Bearden created exciting collages that told stories of the music, memories, people, and city life around him. You are invited to create a collage inspired by Romare Bearden using materials like watercolors, colored paper, sheet music and magazines. To inspire rhythm in our collages, we'll listen to jazz music as we learn various collage techniques like layering, overlapping, and composition.
Pre-registration is required.
Instructor: Vanessa Rossi
Time: 1 Tuesday, 4:30-6:00 p.m.
Date: October 4, 2011

Confluence: Diversity at its best
Wednesday, October 5, 2011, 1:30 p.m.
Three Pittsburgh based dance companies MillerDANCE, Wacongo Dance Company of Afrika Yetu, and Nandanik Dance Troupe have joined forces to produce an original performance, "Confluence". Each company's work is representative of river waters, as well as the fish, the birds and the trees on the banks. Each organization brings different approaches and different expressions of dance, art and music to their work. The result is a true confluence of different artistic styles that mirrors the confluence of rivers."Confluence" highlights the strength, integrity and cultural traditions of each company as they converge into an intercultural performance.
Ambridge Area High School
*This is an outreach program and is not open to the public.

Lecture: Stacks - A look on Bearden and his legacy of inspiring and supporting the emerging arts community.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
*Includes complimentary wine, refreshments and light hors d'oeuvres.
Join us for a brief lecture and discussion on the impact of Romare Bearden's work and influence on artists today. Alisha Wormsley, a resident and teaching artist for many cultural institutions including The Romare Bearden Foundation, and fellow artists will talk about Bearden and his support of young artists, the creation of the Cinque Gallery, and his time and legacy in Pittsburgh.
Sweetwater Center for the Arts
Members: Free
Non-members: $5

Machete Kisumontao Performance
Friday, October 7, 2011, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
*Includes complimentary wine, refreshments and light hors d'oeuvres.
Spend a night out enjoying great music in Sweetwater's intimate night club setting. Machete Kisumontao is a 6-piece Puerto Rican music band from Pittsburgh. Their true rustic sound of Afro-Caribbean rhythms captures the feelings of bomba, plena, criollo, nova-trova, reggae and salsa--- music mostly rooted in African beats and Caribbean grooves. Purchase your tickets early and save. Seating is limited.
Sweetwater Center for the Arts
Members: $8 advance / $10 day of event
Non-members: $12 advance / $15 day of event

Rejoice in Gospel!
Sunday, October 9, 2011, 6:30 p.m.
*Featuring The Pittsburgh Gospel Choir
The art of gospel is an inherent aspect of African American culture today and throughout history, along with the tradition of choir days. Sweetwater is honored to host its own choir day where choirs from regional churches come together to perform their favorite gospel songs in this joyous performance. Sweetwater is delighted to have The Pittsburgh Gospel Choir headline the Rejoice in Gospel! event for the second year in a row. Formed as a project of the River City Brass Band, the PGC is intended to catalyze connections among participants of all races, ethnicities and ages while acting as a conduit for the preservation of the rich history of gospel music through its performances of both traditional and new works in the genre. Brother Marlon, host of the Sunday Gospel radio program, will be our Master of Ceremonies. The Sewickley Academy Home and School Association will host a reception following the performance.
Sewickley Academy, Rea Auditorium, 315 Academy Ave., Sewickley
$3 suggested donation

The MAVUNO Festival is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts; The Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh Fund, a partnership of The Pittsburgh Foundation and The Heinz Endowments; and a grant from Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour, a program developed and funded by The Heinz Endowments; the William Penn Foundation; the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency; The Pew Charitable Trusts; and administered by Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation.

Sweetwater would like to thank the Official MAVUNO sponsors: The Sewickley Eye Group, Penguin Bookshop, Allegheny Petroleum and Jennifer Johnsen-Nazareth, State Farm Insurance Agent; media sponsor: Essential Public Radio 90.5 FM; and MAVUNO Community Partners: the August Wilson Center for African American Culture, Sewickley Academy, Bon Meade Elementary School, Cornell School District and Ambridge Area High School.

Jennifer Johnsen-Nazareth
1508 Mt. Nebo Road
Sewickley, PA 15143
www.seejennifer.com

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MAVUNO Festival