Juneteenth Culture Fest at Miller Outdoor Theatre looks to connect art, music, and community

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Houstonians have celebrated Juneteenth for decades, and events are growing to commemorate the day.

That includes the Juneteenth Culture Fest at Miller Outdoor Theatre.

This year's event will include a pop-up gallery featuring five local artists:

• Ramajay Artistry - Contemporary painter who works with acrylic and oil
• Bex Wiegner - Contemporary painter who works with acrylic and textile
• Brittanee’ King (NVSME) - Mixed media
• Elizabeth Martins - Visual art
• Snater George of Gmadixx Art - Contemporary and figurative painting

The Anderson Center for the Arts and the 5th Ward Cultural Arts District partnered for the event.

Organizers tell ABC13 the idea was to create a space that connects artists to the community and showcases their skill sets.

“It was really important to the co-curator and I, Keda Sharber, to create this space where it’s meaningful for these artists to feel seen, to feel celebrated, and to be connected with community," Allison Retina Stewart-Creeks, director of artistic programs at Anderson Center for the Arts, said of the collaboration.

"It’s really important to bring on the 5th Ward Cultural Arts District, and Keda in particular, to be able to share these stories and provide this platform so that the community can not only experience their art but help preserve those stories that each of these artists are coming with,” Stewart-Creeks continued.

Indeed, each artist offers something different.

Contemporary painter Ramajay of Ramajay Artistry was born in Houston, but grew up in a Caribbean household. The vibrance of that upbringing is shared in her work.

"'Ramajay' is a Caribbean culture word, meaning 'to let go and break free,' so a lot of my artwork is about that, embodying freedom," she said. "This is why this Juneteenth event and Juneteenth in general embodies that as well."

"It's important for me to be part of this event because I feel like as artists, this is the new way of being historians, being able to tell the story of what’s happened in the past," said Snater George of Gmadixxart. "This can be put up somewhere and have several different meanings to several different people."

George has produced pieces from a realism perspective, but has recently moved toward a more modern or contemporary approach.

Still, no matter the medium, the message has remained strong.

"The pieces I am going to be presenting feature a few Black women with afros," George said. "It’s big, it’s beautiful, it's bold."

That concept, George explained, is rooted in his stance for Black women.

"It was during an era where there was a lot of turmoil about hair being professional in certain environments, so I like to create work of women with their hair in a natural state to embody empowerment of that, so people can take note that your hair like this is professional still,” he told ABC13.

For all of the artists, what matters is storytelling.

"I started my business because i was shot in my hand by a police officer on my 18^th birthday, so it has always been about storytelling," said King, whose work is inspired by Art Smith.

Smith is known as a pioneering and influential modern jewelry designer.

According to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smith created "wearable sculpture," decorating the bodies of modern dancers and the likes of Duke and Ruth Ellington.

The work King will feature at the festival will be modeled after Smith's pieces.

“He was able to sell and tell stories through metals, precious metals, and abstract pieces, and this is why I'm honoring him and honing in on his piece,” King said.

But the biggest connection is the lasting impact Smith has had from the past to present.

“It’s self-expression of course, but it also digs into legacy," King began. "Celebrating freedom, having the culture being redesigned and showing the new generation."

"It’s never just about jewelry," she added.

Another key art form at the center of the festival is music.

While the art showcase opens Friday at 5 p.m., just a few hours later, attendees can enjoy the sounds of a concert featuring MAZE “The Music Forever” and Grammy-nominated R&B artist Chanté Moore.

Performances at Miller Outdoor Theatre are free, but you can reserve covered seating online starting Thursday at 10 a.m.

And as everyone takes in the festivities, the artists hope to inspire other creatives, too.

"I also want people to come and see other creatives or other people who don’t know if they are an artist and want to tap into the creativity that is there," Ramajay said. "You should hone into it, and you should explore it. Don’t stop exploring.”