Gamma Xi Phi

The Fraternity for Artists and Creators

Month: October 2021

  • Gamma Chapter Celebrates 20 Years of the Newark Arts Festival

    Gamma Chapter Celebrates 20 Years of the Newark Arts Festival

    [vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]From October 8th -10th, 2021, the city of Newark celebrated 20 years of the Newark Arts Festival and the Brothers and Sisters of Gamma Chapter were there in full effect. On top of attending the 2021 Virtual National Convention for the Fraternity, members of Gamma Chapter were back and forth throughout many of the festival events.

    On Friday night, Sister DaiJonae Clemons had her artwork featured in Lucid Noir. This event was sponsored by Femme Curator Arts.  Sister Clemons stated how she “loved the opportunity to showcase her artwork.”

    On Saturday night, Gamma Chapter was one of the sponsors for EvoluCulture Ventures, LLC’s October installment of Evolution Dopen Mic. This was the seventh anniversary of the organization providing space for expression for all artists in the city of Newark. The night was filled with music, food, poetry, games, and community. Sister Treasure Borde, President of EvoluCulture Ventures, LLC, said “Gamma Chapter elevated the vibe in a major way. Having my GXP brothers and sisters present and performing further cemented our presence in the arts scene of our great city.”

    During the show Sister Ivelisse Tirado performed from original songs and Brother Malcolm Minor spoke about the chapter and organization. As a gift, Gamma chapter distributed goodie bags filled with candy, pens, and information on GXP to all attendees.

    “It was an honor to have GXP in the building for EvoluCulture’s 7th anniversary. I’ve known of them for years and we have had a similar mission in the arts, so it was only a matter of time before we worked together,” said Sean Battle, Founder of EvoluCulture. “Their presence in the room help made our open mic further in creating a safe space for artists and art lovers.”

    On Sunday, Brother Malcolm Minor represented the chapter as a guest artist for the annual Men’s Day at the Nia Fellowship Baptist Church. The Chairman of the celebration, Mr. Brian Fenderson, said that Brother Minor “ushered in the spirit, elevating the congregation to the next level in worship.”

    Gamma chapter is proud of the work that was done and is looking forward to taking part in a bigger way for Newark Arts Festival 2022.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”4759″ img_size=”full” css_animation=”astro_fade_waypoint”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”4760″ img_size=”full” css_animation=”astro_fade_waypoint”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”4761″ img_size=”full” css_animation=”astro_fade_waypoint”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_single_image image=”4762″ img_size=”full” css_animation=”astro_fade_waypoint”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • [Kappa Chapter] Walking With Black Women Artists

    [Kappa Chapter] Walking With Black Women Artists

    [vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]CHICAGO- Kappa Chapter of Gamma Xi Phi, the professional fraternity for artists, presented a virtual artist talk featuring Venise Keys and Dionne Victoria, two dynamic artists on the South Side. The event was hosted by Ms. Natalie B, another accomplished creator, social justice advocate, and long-time business partner of Dionne Victoria. These high-energy artists performed live poetry before showing a recorded artist statement showing a progression of artwork to its current studio evolution.

    “The artist talk went really well. It was engaging and was well received with the audience. It was great to have an opportunity to get to know two extraordinary artists of Chicago,” said Natalie Battles, President of The Healing Academy and host of the Artist Talk.

    Venise Keys is a visual artist, writer, and educator raised on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. Venise’s art has exhibited at Front Room Gallery in Brooklyn, NY as well as the Museum Science and Industry, Plus Gallery, Woman Made Gallery, and Intersect Chicago (formally known as SOFA: Sculpture, Objects, and Functional Art & Design Fair) in Chicago. She has a Bachelors and Master’s degree in Painting with a Certificate in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies for her research on Black Feminist politics. She served as adjunct faculty of art for Illinois Central College, Bradley University, and has lectured at Dillard University on the role of the Black artist. This work is published in the scholarly journal, Kalfou: Comparative and Relational Ethnic Studies. This year, Venise’s writing on art education has circulated to Norway, and she is recently published in a New York arts and culture magazine, Hyperallergic. Venise is currently a visual art teacher at Art In Motion Creative Arts School and is the program director for the Kappa Chapter of Gamma Xi Phi.

    Dionne Victoria is an educator and award winning Chicago artist whose artwork is a meditative tool to heal and express the soul. Dionne Victoria has exhibited in the United States Congress Library as well as in the Museum of Science and Industry. She has taught all over the Chicagoland area, in other states and in South Korea where she taught English, using art as a modality. She has developed a science-arts integration curriculum and She began her curating career under Tye Johnson Artistry and has curated all over Chicago including at the historic South Side Community Art Center. She has a Masters in Teaching from the University of Chicago and is a Field/WORK and HPAC resident alum. She is currently a science teacher at Art In Motion and holds the chair as treasurer and cofounder of the Healing Academy and is deputy and membership director for Gamma Xi Phi Kappa Chapter.

    Gamma Xi Phi was established in 2010 at Ramapo College to provide a fraternal outlet for students engaged in the arts. Today it maintains a presence of working artists from Vancouver, British Columbia, to the northeastern and southern regions of the United States.[/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/8keukwHRE0M”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Gamma Xi Phi Celebrates the Arts and Humanities Through a Day of Prayer, National Convention

    Gamma Xi Phi Celebrates the Arts and Humanities Through a Day of Prayer, National Convention

    [vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Gamma Xi Phi joins thousands of arts organizations and communities across the nation to celebrate National Arts and Humanities Month throughout October. GXP will carry this message to the community through activities that honor the efforts of artists, historians, teachers, and cultural groups working to make the arts and humanities a part of everyone’s life. (more…)