Black Art, White House

Here are some of the African American Artists featured in the White House and private residence, art collection that the Obamas have put on display:

 

 Sky Light

1973 Alma Thomas

Black Like Me No.2

1992, Glen Ligon

 Watusi (Hard Edge)

1963, Alma Thomas

Children Dance Children Dance

ca. 1944 William H. Johnson

 Flower to Teacher

ca. 1944, William H. Johnson

 Booker T. Washington Legend

ca. 1944-1945, Willaim H. Johnson

Folk family

1944, William H. Johnson

L.A. Street Scene

 

Anthony Cooley, left, from South L.A.; Swagg description: "Unique, urban, vintage" and the 18-year-old's fashion advice is "Just be yourself." I can dig that...


Abass Kargbo, also from South L.A.,; his Swagg: "Urban, unique, pretty boy." He's rocking a Joy Rich sweater and H & M shoes.  His advice, "Do something positive with yourself." I can dig that too...

Downtown LA Fashion Week: Geffen Contemporary at MOCA

After declaring bankruptcy in 2007, L.A. is calling Louis Verdad "The Comeback Kid".  Louis Verdad's Spring 2010 "Louver" collection pays homage to our stylish Fist Lady, Michelle Obama with creamy hughes and lovely simplicity.  The collection, which he pulled together in 3 weeks, revels classic and modern lines reminiscent of Coco Chanel.  Check out a few pieces from his collection.

 

Fashion + Charity = Amazing

“People say fashion people don’t do anything. We do a lot.” - Naomi Campbell, Global Ambassador for White Ribbon Alliance

Marc Jacobs (creative director of Louis Vuitton) and supermodel Naomi Capmbell teamed up to support The White Ribbon Alliance.  The White Ribbon Alliance is an international coalition of organizations and individuals, spanning 142 countries.  The coalition is dedicated to lobbying world leaders to support safe motherhood initiatives and reduce preventable deaths, making pregnancy and childbirth safe for all women and newborns.

Ms. Campbell visited the Louis Vuitton headquarters in Paris to select a bag priced at 1,900 euros, or $2,789 at current exchange.  Starting next March, Vuitton’s network of 439 stores will launch the campaign and a portion of the proceeds will be donated towards the charity.  The launch coincides with the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day that month.  Ms. Campbell has also committed to donating all proceeds from an upcoming auction of her Hermès bags.

Mrs. Obama Unveils Her Roots

 

Mrs. Obama, like most African Americans who are descendants of slaves, had no exacting information in regards to her ancestral lineage.  With advances in geneaology, many people curious about their family history have been able to piece together the puzzle.  Information has shown that Mrs. Obama is a descendant of both slaves and slave masters, something that is true for very many African Americans.  The complex relationships that ultimately brought about her existence streamed from the plantation to the White House....what an amazing journey.  Check out these links to the interactive family tree and the historical documents to find out more information about the first lady and beautifully convoluted family history.Family Tree of First Lady Michelle Obama; Paper Trail to the White House

Congratulations to President Obama for Winning the Nobel Peace Prize!

The Nobel Committee gave the peace prize to President Obama less than a year after his election “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”  President Obama is the third sitting President to win a Nobel Prize for peace.  He accepted the award and expressed his surprise and humility.  "I will accept this award as a call to action, a call to all nations to confront the challenges of the 21st century," Obama said in a White House Rose Garden appearance. "This award must be shared with everyone who strives for justice and dignity."

Here's a tidbit from his speech he gave this morning in the rose garden at the White House:
"After I received the news, Malia walked in and said, "Daddy, you won the Nobel Peace Prize, and it is Bo's birthday."
And then Sasha added, "Plus, we have a three-day weekend coming up."
So it's -- it's good to have kids to keep things in perspective."

click here for the full text 

Sophie Theallet

Sophie Theallet, a Council of Fashion Designers of America (CDFA)/Vogue Fashion Fund Award Finalist put on a fantastic show.  Ms. Theallet is one of the lucky designers who has benefitted greatly from First Lady Michelle Obama's support. "The First Lady has helped my name to be known," the designer modestly admitted a few days ago. Take a look at some of the pieces from her beautiful collection.

Nana Kieta

Joan Smalls

Nana Kieta

Ataui Deng

Joan Smalls

Kinée Diouf

Fashion Week: 2010 Spring Ready-to-Wear Part II

Check out more of the lovely photos fresh off the runways at New York Fashion Week!

 

 

Rosie Tupper in DKNY

Chanel Iman in DKNY

 

Rose Cordero in Marc Jacobs

 

Chanel Iman in Marc Jacobs

 

Chanel Iman in Thakoon

Gracie Carvalho in Thakoon

U Street Fashion

This nice little video highlights street fashion on D.C.'s historical "U Street"

Click here to see video!

Fashion Week: 2010 Spring Ready-to-Wear

Check out some of the lovely photos fresh off the runways at New York Fashion Week!

Arlenis Sosa in Diane Von Furstenberg

Chanel Iman in Carolina Herrera

Aminata Niaria in Carolina Herrera

Aminata Niaria in J. Mendel

Sigail Currie in Tracy Reese

Lyndsey Scott in Tracy Reese

Alek Wek backstage at Zac Posen

Rose Cordero in Zac Posen

Flawless in Pink

After a much needed vacation, Michelle is back at it. I'm not going to get into the speech or the blatant disrespect on the part of a certain individual in the audience. Right now, it's all about the outfits, and Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Biden look FABULOUS.

CLICK

As an avid reader of Politico.com, I'm thrilled that the website has decided to launch a lifestyle blog entitled CLICK.
Check it out.

I'm still shocked over the resignation of White House Green Czar Van Jones. How he can be persecuted for comments made years ago is beyond me. His absence is a true loss for the administration.

"The Coversation"

CNN's TJ Holmes and actor/author Hill Harper discuss "The Conversation", Harper's new book on Black relationships. Harper seems to be suggesting that both men and women should abide by the Laws of Attraction to find a compatible mate.
Check out the interview above.

Summer of Love

The Huffington Post Style section features "Summer of Love", a photo montage that exhibits the attire of Reggie Love, personal aide to the President. Check out the great photos.

Insanity

Normally, I wouldn't dare post anything Fox News related on this blog, but when I saw this video I felt it was relevant to share. For anyone that is familiar with Glenn Beck and his asinine commentary, it is very clear that he is beyond misinformed. If you find yourself watching even a minute of his show you will probably witness one of his many tirades or meltdowns.

Whatever the case may be, Beck now believes that he is an art historian/critic and took it upon himself to explain how a few public art pieces are linked to Communism, Fascism and Progressives (as if the three have everything to do with one another). This is exactly how false information is spread. I'm sure this man has little to no knowledge about art, yet he speaks as if he does. To witness the insanity, check out the video above. Also, be sure to check out Christopher Knight's commentary on Culture Monster.

Beyond Adorable

The Garden

Michelle Obama discusses the White House garden, health and wellness.

Black Hair, Still Tangled in Politics

Catherine Saint Louis tackles the issue of Black hair in a recent NYT article.