Radio Park and Fresno Art Museum
2233 North First Street Fresno, CA 93703
A full Festival schedule will be available in September
Bonner Education & Activities Center - Fresno Art Museum
Festival organizers, partners, artists, and Tamejavi friends will gather to reflect on what they learned throughout the process of organizing the Tamejavi Festival during the Reflection Circle. This will also be a space and time for the organizers to share their hopes and expectations for the 5th festival as well as their vision of the future of the cultural life and artistic expression of Central Valley immigrants.
The Reflection Circle will be organized by Fresno Native Devoya Mayo - a poet, play-writer and former radio personality. A long time community organizer with an emphasis on social change via the arts, Devoya dedicates the majority of her time to creating gatherings, workshops and events that bridge the divide between the diverse communities that exist within the Central Valley and beyond.
This event will be facilitated by Maria Bauman, Dancer/Associate Artistic Director for Community Engagement and Bennalldra Williams, Dancer/ Instructor, both with the Urban Bush Women. Maria has played an active part in the company's extensive community engagement and education projects. Bennalldra began her dance training in her native town of Birmingham at the Alabama School of Fine Arts. In 2005 she received a BFA in Dance and a BS in Exercise Science from Florida State University.
Founded in 1984 by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Urban Bush Women is a performance ensemble dedicated to exploring the use of cultural expression as a catalyst for social change. UBW weaves contemporary dance, music, and text with the history, culture, and spiritual traditions of African Americans and the African Diaspora, exploring the transformation of struggle and suffering into the bittersweet joy of survival.
Sculpture Garden - Fresno Art Museum
The Reception will be a time for festival organizers, friends, partners, artists, and sponsors to celebrate the efforts of organizing the Tamejavi Festival and the closing of a cycle of learning and intercultural relationship building.
Fresno Native Devoya Mayo will be organizing this event. Fresno-based band Espacio will be the featured musicians.