Celebrate Black History Month in Sarasota throughout February. From film to visual arts to theater and song, check out ways to celebrate:
Film
Historic Asolo Theater at The Ringling
Friday, February 4, 6:30 p.m. Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am.
Profiling one of the greatest writers in American literature, the movie gives a candid look into her life and how she became who she was. From a small-town girl in Lorain, Ohio, to teacher, to editor at Random House, to Nobel Prize winner, the movie chronicles how Morrison’s love for words and the power they hold led to creating some of the 20th century’s most beautiful and controversial literary masterpieces. Interviews with Morrison, fellow authors, and public figures like Angela Davis, Fran Lebowitz, and Oprah Winfrey make an intimate and candid documentary.
Historic Asolo Theater at The Ringling
Moonlight, Thursday, February 17, 6:30 p.m.
The 2017 Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay winner features Janelle Monáe and Mahershala Ali in a coming-of-age drama that chronicles the life of one man as he journeys on a path to self-acceptance. The film follows Chiron—a young man growing up in Liberty City, Miami—through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood as he struggles to find his place, overcome his past and accept his sexuality.
Visual Arts
Visions in Black –Black Identity in the Arts: Generational Perspectives. Thursday, Feb. 10, 6 – 8 p.m.
Visions in Black is a juried art exhibition showcasing artists of African descent who reside in Florida. Enjoy wine or refreshments in the garden, view the art in the gallery, and talk to the artists. The show will run through Saturday, March 5. Admission is free. Must RSVP here.
Music
“Voices of Color” Concert, Thursday, February 17, 5:50 – 6:30 p.m.
Four composers share life-affirming music born of their African American experience in a concert that showcases music by composers William Grant Still, Florence Price, and Valerie Coleman. Nikki Giovanni’s poetry inspires the program. Tickets are $38. Register here.
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe
“Songs and Stories of the Civil Rights Movement,” Thursday, February 17, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Listen to the songs that defined a movement at this outdoor concert event by the Bayfront. Jazzlinks collaborates with Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, the Jazz Club of Sarasota, and Sarasota County Schools. Admission is free.
College Hall, New College of Florida
Sur La Bay: A Festival of Music from the African Diaspora, February 25, 7 – 10 p.m.
A celebration of Black music and culture, this event will have attendees grooving to R&B, soul, Jazz, Afro-punk, and Afrobeat music, with dance artists and a DJ spinning the latest dance music, as well. Admission is free.