MISSION STATEMENT
Fulton Art Fair was formed in 1958 for the exhibition, promotion and publication of the fine and performing arts in the City & State of New York, primarily of African Americans; the stimulation and encouragement of community interest in the field of fine and performing arts, the development and achievement of creativity as an expression of the community’s status and heritage
Founded by Shirley Hawkins, a Bedford Stuyvesant businesswoman and co-chaired by artists Ernest Crichlow and Jacob Lawrence, the Fair’s focus was the presentation and promotion of artistic talents native to Bedford Stuyvesant in an attempt to offset negative images of the community prevalent in the media at that time. The annual event, held in Fulton Park, is easily accessible by public transit and the Park is handicap accessible. Out of pocket funds from members and the public at large supported the Fair for many years, until the then Assemblyman Albert Vann offered help in the late 1990s Through his support, programming and amenities(i.e chairs, sound equipment, video access, advertisement) were easier to obtain and the Fair expanded its services.
One could say that Fulton Art Fair began the “art explosion” in Bedford Stuyvesant. In 1958 few people knew their neighbors were painters, musicians, performers; most had never been to an art gallery or museum Today, art galleries, studios, performing art groups abound and collectors of fine art works are multiplying. We have hope that interest in live performances, too, will be reborn as more people become reacquainted with the excitement of these performances. Fulton Art Fair continues to promote and publicize the arts Art is, after all. the audio/visual history of our people and the artists are the story-tellers of that history Fulton Art Fair is a showcase of artists, communicating the stories, sights and sounds of a people’s experience from the homeland to their travels across the seas to new lands All activities at the Fair are open and free to the public.
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51 YEARS OF FOSTERING ARTS IN THE COMMUNITY
Fulton Art Fair was formed in 1958 for the exhibition, promotion and publication of the fine and performing arts in the City & State of New York, primarily of African Americans; the stimulation and encouragement of community interest in the field of fine and performing arts, the development and achievement of creativity as an expression of the community’s status and heritage.
video courtesy of KFR
Some of the people who pooled their strengths with founder Shirley Hawkins to bring Fulton Art Fair onto the scene were: Justice Thomas Russell Jones (Retired); author, John O. Killens; Reverend Milton Galamison; Attorney Courtenay L. Wiltshire; former Weeksville Society Director, Joan Bacchus Maynard; Olga Maryschuk Kandel; Ernest Crichlow; Jacob Lawrence; Evelyn S. Cohen; W. E. B. Seay; Maurice and Stella Golden, of Boro Hall Mimeo and others.
Their pleasure was doubled as they rubbed shoulders with Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Max Roach, Abby Lincoln, Harold Cumberbatch, Cecil Payne, and other celebrities who walked around Fulton Park admiring the work displayed on the park fencing.
Given the time period, which was when the Civil Rights movement was gaining steam, some new venues opened for our artists and some left Fulton Art Fair for what they felt were greener pastures. Though promoting a market for our artists in the community was one of our goals, we also wished to broaden the pubic exposure of the artist, stimulate the public’s awareness of various disciplines within the arts and its investment potential.
Today there is the MoCADA museum, and myriad art galleries and shops throughout the community. It might be said that Fulton Art Fair planted the seed that blossomed into an explosion of the arts in Bedford Stuyvesant. Fulton Art Fair continues to promote fine art, primarily by African Diasporean artists, introduce emerging artists and encourage art education in the community.
When Fulton Art Fair first opened in Fulton Park, visitors came to look for “pictures” to compliment color schemes in their homes. With an educated eye, they now realize that the artist is the storyteller of our culture and these creations are each a part of our spiritual being. Fulton Art Fair established the first free public exhibition in a local community, featuring fine artists from the Africa Diaspora.
The annual major exhibit is held outdoors in Fulton Park. The park is centrally located in Bedford Stuyvesant and is part of Stuyvesant Heights, a designated landmark section of Brooklyn, easily accessible by all modes of public transport. It lends itself well to the presentation of Graphic and performing arts in a comfortable, complementary blend of art and nature; a signature gallery in Bedford Stuyvesant which also announces its own presence.
In Memoriam, 2007-2008: Raymond Richardson, Max Roach, Merv Griffin, Brooke Astor, Robert (Hadria Hakim) Burckett, Carolyn Goodman, John Lucien, Asa Hilliard, Luciano Pavarotti, Bobby Byrd, Willie Tovington, Mary Umulu, PhD, Lawrence (Slim) Dorsey, Loyd Rainford, St. Clair Bourne, Oscar Peterson, Ellis ‘Bo Diddley’ McDaniel, Cecil Payne Chief Isaac Olu Komolafe, Madre Spicer, Mildred Loving Still Remembered: Sean Bell, Timothy Strasburg, Amadou Diallo, Patrick Dorismond Timore Person, Alberta Spruill, Ousmane Zongo, Khiel Coppin
