STRONGROOM presents

Azikiwe Mohammed: New Davonhaime Flag

1 Liberty Street, Newburgh, NY 12550

On view beginning July 18, 2020

In conjunction with Elijah Wheat Showroom’s presentation of works by Azikiwe Mohammed at 195 Front Street, Newburgh. 

Artist talk: Saturday July 25th, 12pm at 1 Liberty Street 

Opening reception immediately after at Elijah Wheat Showroom, 195 Front Street

New Davonhaime Food Bank: Friday August 21, 2020; 11 AM - 2 PM at 1 Liberty Street

STRONGROOM is pleased to present Azikiwe Mohammed’s “New Davonhaime Flag,” which will fly from the flagpole on the historic Liberty Street School in Newburgh, NY starting July 18th, with an artist talk and reception on July 25th.  Created in 2017 as part of Azikiwe’s ongoing “New Davonhaime” series of artworks, actions, and installations, the flag represents a safe place for black communities in America.

“There is a place called New Davonhaime. It is a different place from this. It is a place that looks to a sustainable future, as the future for Black and other marginalized peoples here is bleak at best. The name New Davonhaime is a combination of the names of the American cities with the highest population percentage of Black people, listed as follows in no particular order : New Orleans, Louisiana; Detroit, Michigan; Jackson, Mississippi; Birmingham, Alabama; and Savannah, Georgia. This is their flag. This is our flag,”
-Azikiwe Mohammed 

Depicted on the New Davonhaime flag are symbolic colors: The red, black, and green comes from the Black Liberation flag (red for the blood, Black for the people, and green for the land); the blue is the water that runs through the people in equal parts to that which runs through the earth;  and the yellow represents the new land we form as a shield (also referenced in its shape). The primary colors all touch each other, conveying that, "To build our home we must come first, and from our roots shall all other things grow."

Azikiwe will also be hosting the inaugural installment of the “New Davonhaime Food Bank,” sharing food and information with the community, along with artist-designed totes and good tunes between Noon and 2pm. If you would like to contribute food or resources please contact us at info@strongroom.us. An August date for this event will be announced soon..

On view concurrently at Elijah Wheat Showroom’s project space on the Hudson River, 195 Front Street in Newburgh, will be a presentation of Azikiwe’s paintings, neon works, and a sound installation. On July 25th we will gather outside the building for an outdoor, Covid-conscious reception, with up to 4 guests able to view the exhibition at a time. Email whatsup@elijahwheatshowroom.com to view at other times, through August 30th. View the EWS press release HERE. 

About the Artist:

Azikiwe Mohammed’s artwork has been shown in galleries both nationally and internationally. A 2005 graduate of Bard College, where he studied photography and fine arts, Mohammed received the Art Matters Grant in 2015 and the Rema Hort Mann Emerging Artist Grant in 2016. Mohammed is an alumnus of Pioneer Works in Brooklyn, New York, and Mana Contemporary in Jersey City, New Jersey. Mohammed has presented a number of solo exhibitions in venues including the Knockdown Center, Maspeth, New York; SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah, GA; Ace Hotel Chicago, Illinois; IDIO Gallery, Brooklyn, New York; as well as multiple solo offerings at Spring Break Art Show, New York. He has participated in group exhibitions at MoMa PS1, Queens, New York; Antenna Gallery, New Orleans, Louisiana; Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles, California and the Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, among others.
More at: azikiwephoto.com

Special thanks to BFP Creative Inc. and the Future P.S. 6 Center For Film and Television for making this installation possible. 

STRONGROOM is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Newburgh, NY producing site-specific contemporary art exhibitions.

info@strongroom.us
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