East Village Arts is a non-profit artist collective
We are a membership based co-operative of artists, musicians, and patrons.
We believe that diversity and collective creativity is the strength of a healthy community.
MASKS AROUND THE WORLD
Art Exhibit by Craig Legg & artist talk
Paper Machet, Found-object Assemblage
Le Gran' Opening - TBA
Currently Showing: Gallery Open Saturdays 11 am-3 pm
FRIDAY NITE WRITES
SEPTEMBER 20
8-11 PM
Prince Tunde Odunlade is coming! Exhibition & Performance September 27th
Tunde Odunlade is a print and textile artist who has exhibited, taught, lectured, studied and traveled extensively within Nigeria and throughout Africa, North America, and Europe. In addition, he has performed as an actor with the Nigerian National Troop and various other theatrical organizations, and has recorded several CDs that integrate poetry and music. His work is in the collections of institutions including the Smithsonian Museum of African Art and the World Bank Headquarters in Washington, D.C., the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the MacArthur Foundation Collection in Chicago, and the State House in Lagos, Nigeria. There will be an Opening Exhibition, performers, and as a special feature, an excerpt from the comedy-opera "The Mask On the Wall" will be presented along with the Craig Legg's current Exhibition, Masks Around the World, with YOGI DADA music, dance, and other enchantments. September 27 Mark your calendars!
BAMA
Birmingham Art Music Alliance
presents
IRON GIANT
Thursday, October 10, 2024
7:30PM
Iron Giant Free Association premieres new music by local composers in boundary-stretching performance.
Iron Segments - Michael Coleman
Armature - Monroe Golden / Iron Giant
as reflected in the glimmer of the black pond Holland Hopson differance - Mark Lackey Thus Spoke the Giant - Joseph Landers
Versicles for Aries - Kyle McGucken
Improvisation - LaDonna Smith / Iron Giant FREE
BEAM SPLITTER ~ AUDREY CHEN (UK/US/NO) Pho Mintn, HENRIK MUNKEBY NØRSTEBØ
Two duos intersect, Mintn/Chen and Beam Splitter forming this trio of hyper extended close miked mouthful and breath driven antics for double voice and trombone. Prepare yourself for an interactive Feral Choir!
OCTOBER 31 H a l l o w e e n N i g h t
7:00 p.m. H'Art impart skart shart bart...
Just come as a 'thing for an O w l-some Sing! $15
Watch for East Village Art ~ Holiday Bazaar ~ Saturday December 7th
10:00-3:00
If YOU are an Artist, Maker, Fooder or Vendor, have art, handcrafts, carols or kitch, now is a good time to register
to participate in EAST VILLAGE ART MARKET, Saturday Dec. 7 from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Get a early start, and come out to shop! For information to register
Contact: director@evabham.org
RECENT EVENTS
Hidden Impact! - a tribute to two artists whose mostly hidden works impacted the community in powerful ways. Eddie Melton was an inventor, a creator, and who played with shapes, fractals, & recipes! His work manifested in many unusual mediums. Neko Linda, writer & artist, silently co-organized the Sister City Connection - a multi-cultural collective of female poets. She fostered a deep awareness of Women's Spirituality was producer of the first performance of the Vagina Monologues in Birmingham. She supported and heralded the LGTBQ Community organizing fundraisers and spoken word. Eddie's impact was as subtle as a poet on a skateboard! Celebrating their many hidden talents and community impact! Poetry, Exhibition and Performance!
Saturday September 7th, 2024 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Photos above & below: EVA's Sun Ra departure event: outdoor screening, performance and art fair, celebrating the upcoming documentary film of Sun Ra's Birmingham legacy by french film makers, Guillaume Maupin & Pablo Guarise.
All this as the final scene of the movie was filmed at the EVA celebration!
East Village Arts hosted an open air outdoor event celebrating the departure date of our son of the city, Sun Ra! Beginning with a parade of musicians and the Sun Ra giant puppet down first Avenue North accompanied by the volunteer ad hoc Sun Ra Band, music, poetry, a history lesson, art, merch, tee's, BBQ, and a screening of early historic Birmingham clips of Sun Ra to be included in the documentary film by French filmmakers Guillaume Maupin and Pablo Guarise.
POETICALLY SPEAKING - a writing workshop of sharing & healing through written and spoken word. The featured poet for the month of July was Jahman Hill, an astute poet and Birmingham influencer. Thursday July 18 at 7:00 p.m. Poetically Speaking is Third Thursdays!
The EXPROV Concert Series features improvisation, electronic music, and avant-garde jazz. Presenting local and touring musicians from all over the country, as well as brilliant musical innovators from around the world.
EXPROV SERIES AT EVA
features free improvisation and experimental musica exploration
Curated by Taylor Rouss
7:30 p.m. Byob $10
MARCH 15, 2024
This historic event was part of "Echoes Surrealiste Contemporaines" an international collaboration of correlated Surrealist exhibitions hosted in Luxor, Egypt, Budapest, Hungary, Saint-Cirq LaPopie, France at the summer home, now Cultural Museum of Andre Breton, and in all places, right here in Alabama at East Village Arts! The Alabama Surrealist group, active since the seventies has drawn attention in the international movement, and the Alabama exhibition was celebrated as one of the most innovative in its performance! The Alabama exhibition featured works from Egypt, France, Canada, Australia, Britain, Scotland, USA and Peru. Our event featured spontaneous sound poetry, dance, performance artists, improvised 'automatic' music, surrealist films, and the experimental musical instruments of Jean Jacque Gaudel.
The performances included body language and performance art by CillaVee (NC), Susan Hefner and Shelley Hirsh (NY) with Bruce Golden (MS). Improvisations by Ruthlessly Killing: LaDonna Smith & Taylor Rouss from Birmingham. Also performances by DadaUU on wind synths, Rachel Inman & Mary Foshee in a comedic theatrical skit, followed by the mad sound science by Doctor Khlurr, poetry, manifestos, wild wombs, ghosts and intuitions. A comprehensive catalog will be forth coming. To learn more about Alabama surrealism , visit the Fresh Dirt site at http://fresh-dirt.us
Welcome Tunde Odunlade to Birmingham!
East Village Arts is proud to host Prince Tunde Odunlade, acclaimed beaded batik artist & the cultural ambassador from Nigeria. The exhibition in March featured large handmade pieces that captured the village life and spirit of his people. The Exhibition Opening Exhibition of his hand-crafted beaded batik was heralded with performances by the drummers of Sahi On Ko Djony and dance by Nathifa African Dance director Empress LaVondia. The gallery attendees could not help but join in the dancing followed by poetry, reggae and rap curated by Birmingham's outspoken poet, Tmbuk2 the curator of the exciting monthly series, "FRIDAY NITE WRITES!" Dont' miss your opportunity to meet Prince Tunde! He will be coming back in late September for more co-creating with batik workshops, lecture, drumming and creative connection to Birmingham's art community. [2024]
PRINCE TUNDE ODENLADE of NIGERIA is a print and textile artist who has exhibited, taught, lectured, studied and traveled extensively within Nigeria and throughout Africa, North America, and Europe. His art has been displayed around the world in dozens of one-man and group shows. His work is in the collections of institutions including the Smithsonian Museum of African Art and the World Bank Headquarters in Washington, D.C., the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the MacArthur Foundation Collection in Chicago, and the State House in Lagos, Nigeria. His work is also in the collections of many private individuals in the North America, Europe, and Nigeria. In the early 1970’s Tunde studied with Yinka Adeyemi, of the Oshogbo school of art that was largely responsible for the explosion of creative contemporary art emanating from Nigeria. He is Director & Curator of the Tunde Odenlade Contemporary Art Center in Ibadan.
CASSANDRA GRIFFEN EXHIBITION
“I, TOO SING AMERICA”
Celebrating Black History Month
FEBRUARY 15, 2024
Cassandra Griffen is a nationally known Civil Rights Movement documentarian. Her photographs are powerful revelations of the journey of individuals and communities of color during her 30 years of intense documentations of civil unrest and cultural challenge. My images expose the individual’s hidden self. I am curious of what lies behind their eyes; where they have been; and where they hope to go. My images evoke the passage of time. Serving as Human Rights commissioner of a New State Commission taught me that racism was still a factor and this revelation impacted her passion to the underserved and overlooked.
Alabama Roots Music and Trading Card Series
Craig Legg's Alabama Roots Music & Trading Card Series is a visual/musical history in 300+ portraits. Open January through March, 2024, it was a super hit, & Painting with the artist on Saturdays from 11:00-2:00.
The first Friday of the month features poetry, rap and reggae with curator and Master of Ceremonies, Tmbuk2 in a community celebration of the Word! Each month there is a new poet or rap artist featured, and the open mic introduces the community to many talented local artists!
East Village Arts is supported in part by fees paid by member organizations.
Check out these community groups that hold their meetings, rehearsals, and events at EVA!
BAMA New Music Festival 2024
2024 Birmingham Art Music Alliance New Music Festival Tenth Anniversary "THE NEXT MOMENT" was held on Saturday May 11, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. and Monday May 13 at 7:00 p.m. featuring "Esther & Holland"
New Old Time Music! free admission!
The Birmingham Art Music Alliance is an autonomous nonprofit organization with the twofold mission of promoting music by Alabama composers and presenting concerts of recently created art music to communities in Birmingham and beyond. We are proud to acknowledge Birmingham Art Music Alliance BAMA as one of the creative member organizations of EVA!
East Village Arts is an eclectic & affordable community venue of the poetic, visual arts & performance! celebrating diversity and inclusion, supporting local and visiting artists. Contact: director@evabham.org
Join us at East Village Arts as a volunteer, member, or studio resident!
Studio Residency
Uniquely conceived in the form of a "village" or town, we have an open gallery for artist exhibitions, a performance space with a stage & church pew seating, a nice wood floor for dance and classwork, and a number of village mini studios which may be occupied by local artists to show or execute their work.
Book a performance or exhibition
Book a one-time event or become a member and take advantage of our rates and packages for single and serial events.
Volunteer
Share your talents & interests and become a Volunteer!
You can earn many of the perks of membership by serving as an event curator, social media curator, workshop leader, housekeeper, or a member of our gardening team.
Recent Events
Fire, food, and friends at EVA on Family Flow Night--check back for upcoming dates!
Family Flow Night
Come see the show at our new patio!
EVA in the news!
French filmmakers are celebrated at EVA for their work on an upcoming documentary about Birmingham's own Sun Ra.
INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION
ECHOES SURREALISTE CONTEMPORAINS
GRAND OPENING RECEPTION, EXHIBITION, FILM
& PERFORMANCE ART!
6:30 p.m Art & Collaborations set the atmosphere! Early birds experience and improvise on latest stringed instrument inventions by creator, inventor, artiste Jean-Jacques Gaudel!
7:30 BODY LANGUAGE PERFORMANCE ART
CillaVee (NC), Susan Hefner and Shelley Hirsh (NY) Ruthlessly Killing (LaDonna Smith & Taylor Rouss), Si & UU, Rachel Inman & Mary Foshee, Doctor Khlurr (Clifford McPeek) poetry, music, manifestos, wild wombs ghosts, & intuitions.
8:30 SURREALIST SHORT FILMS by Si Reasoning, Michael Mills, Scott Bazaar (FL)!
East Village Arts is a community artist collective supported by memberships, by you, and generous donations: Suggested $20, $10, what you will!
Everyone is a unique expression of talent, insight, and reason for being. Join our membership and contribute to the wellness of the community in our city, impacting the state of things imaginative, authentic, and true. Because resources in the challenges of Life are inter-related, we ask you to join us in this mission! Become part of the EVA Vision as a listener, an observer, a supporter and a creative!