KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Mall was alive with the sounds, sights and flavors of black culture on Saturday, July 9th.
Members of the Kalamazoo community and beyond gathered at the mall for the 32nd annual Black Arts Festival hosted by the Black Arts and Culture Center. The three-day festival culminated with an outdoor art and concert experience from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Event staff member Jasmine Warren arrived early to make sure all the signs were placed correctly and vendors were directed to the correct locations.
“I like it, it’s cool. I like how it takes over the whole block,” Warren said. “We’ll see, I know it’s still early, so I’m sure people will come out later, but I’m on it for now satisfied. It’s not overwhelming. “
Vendor Hamidou Soi echoed Warren’s appreciation for the cool nature of the festival. He introduced African art, drums and clothing that he sourced from Senegal and Ghana.
“The reason I like this art fair is because the people are quieter and there’s not a lot going on,” Soi said. “For example, right now you’ll find a lady in my booth, she doesn’t know me, I don’t know her, but (I ask), ‘Can you watch it for me’ so I can go and come back because it’s peaceful.”
Some vendors took the opportunity to display and sell their personal artwork. Carl Carter of Muskegon Heights brought full canvas paintings and smaller prints to make his art more accessible.
“This whole table here expresses that these are all small, affordable pieces of art that a teenager can come and get or someone who doesn’t have money can come and get,” Carter said. “All these pieces are really big, and if I were to just sell canvases here, only a small fraction of my art would be able to take home, so I try to keep everything affordable and high quality.”
Later in the afternoon, the crowd started to gather more as the headliners prepared to take the stage. People of all ages gathered in the concert area, who danced, chatted and watched the performances.
Jackie Brown traveled from Indiana to enjoy the Black Arts Festival. He said he feels the festival is culturally rich and has a lot to offer, in part because Kalamazoo is a college town. Brown was intrigued by the dichotomy of Vintage in the Zoo at one end of the mall and the Black Arts Festival at the other.
“Is there any benefit to such mixing or keeping apart? That’s what mostly came to mind, and it’s a very stark difference,” Brown said.
With acclaimed black R&B artist Lauryn Hill echoing over the speakers between performances, Brown continued to say it was important for more people to be exposed to black culture.
“I think it’s important for any culture to be exhibited, celebrated and valued,” Brown said. “That’s what this festival does. It shows the festival in many ways on different levels and shows the value.
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