Arts & Culture

This is the 19th interview in a weekly series presenting highlights of conversations between leading Black visual artists in New England. In this week’s installment, artist James Perry talks to artist Rob “Problak” Gibbs.

Amid the tensions that brewed following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, Ava DuVernay read journalist Isabel Wilkerson’s book, “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents,” published that summer. The book, DuVernay admitted, had been sitting on her coffee table for a while before she decided to read it.

There’s only one country that can claim to be the birthplace of humanity. This country today is home to over 75 ethnicities, and is the only African nation to resist colonial rule. This country is Ethiopia.

When Dorchester native Kai Clifton saw “A Strange Loop,” it was the first time he had ever seen a queer Black character represented at the heart of a musical. After years of studying and participating in theater, Clifton finally felt like he belonged.

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns to Boston this week as part of the Celebrity Series of Boston, the nonprofit presenting performing arts and artists in venues across the Greater Boston area.

Melvin Murphy was born with a song in his heart. The self-taught musician learned to love music in church choir and honed his skills for decades. Now he’s ready to share something new with Boston. After four years of preparation, his original production, “Jiggin’ at the Jug,” premieres at the Strand Theatre this month.

Dressing up is steeped both in fantasy and reality. Children dress up as cops and queens and bring their fantasy selves to life with badges and tiaras. In adulthood, sartorial choices tend to be less about play and become more pragmatic.

This is the 18th interview in a weekly series presenting highlights of conversations between leading Black visual artists in New England. In this week’s installment, artist James Perry talks to artist Cagen Luse at the Boston Comics in Color Festival, held last Saturday at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center.

Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” is one of the classic operas that stirs the hearts of music lovers from the first notes. This month, Boston Baroque presents a contemporary spin on the timeless tale of seduction and betrayal, starring award-winning baritone Sidney Outlaw.

The first Black doll Debra Britt ever received was not, in fact, Black. Dolls with skin tones akin to hers were rare at the time, so her grandmother improvised, submerging a white vinyl doll in black dye to darken its pale exterior.

This is the 17th interview in a weekly series presenting highlights of conversations between leading Black visual artists in New England. In this week’s installment, artist L’Merchie Frazier talks to artist Napoleon Jones-Henderson.

On a recent evening, the jolting sounds of string instruments filled a room that was half dance studio, half gym. A quartet stood in the center of a mat-covered section of the space, each member stationed behind a music stand. Three dancers circled the ensemble, cycling through a series of turns and leaps and kicks.