Tickets are on sale for the 30th annual MOJA Arts Festival, A Celebration of African-American and Caribbean Arts, produced by the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the MOJA Program Committee. From September 26 through October 6, 2013, the festival offers a variety of arts and cultural programs, including theatre, dance, literary, visual arts, jazz, gospel, reggae, chamber music as well as many free, family-friendly events.
The 2013 poster image is Harvesting Sweetgrass by the late Charleston artist Charles DeSaussure. There will be a memorial exhibition, Through My Eyes, to celebrate and honor Charles’ beautiful works of art. The memorial exhibition will be held at The Art Institute of Charleston with an opening reception on Thursday, October 3 at 5 p.m.
2013 MOJA Festival Highlights:• Smooth jazz-style soprano saxophonist Marion Meadows performs Saturday, September 28 at 8 p.m. at the Family Circle Stadium. Charleston’s own The First Class Band will be opening.
• A Classical Encounter with Tiffany Rice, Seth Gilliard and Friends presents the sounds of classical violins on Tuesday, October 1 at 6 p.m., at the City Gallery at Waterfront Park.
• Dayton Contemporary Dance Company presents “Emerging To Masters” on Friday, October 4 at 7:30 p.m at the Rose Maree Myers Theatre at the Charleston County School of the Arts. A diverse ensemble of 12 wonderful dancers interprets the artistry of four distinctive choreographers.
• The MOJA Gospel concert “Gospel Divas” at Trinity United Methodist Church is on Sunday, September 29 at 4 p.m., featuring Javetta Campbell, Gwendolyn Rodgers, Gerney Glover-Perry and Minister Mario Desaussure.
• Anthony Hamilton will share his rich, soul-steep vocals on Saturday, October 5 at 8:30 p.m. at Joe Riley Stadium, as the headline attraction for the annual MOJA R&B concert.
Community Tribute Luncheon: Each year, MOJA honors outstanding community leaders for their contributions to the quality of life and community service. The annual Community Tribute Luncheon is October 5 at 11:30 a.m. at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. 2013 honorees are: Ms. Arianne King-Comer, Mr. Henry Williams, Ms. Delores Brown Jackson, Mr. Arthur Lawrence, Ms. HC Lucas Raymond, Mrs. Jacqueline P. Brown, Mr. Barney Blakeney, Ms. Debbie Charman Bryant, Ms. Deona J. Smith, Mr. Harold Maurice Rhodes IV, Mr. Nicholas Raysor, Reverend Dr. Timothy J. Bowman, and Mr. Curtis Franks.
Free Events: • MOJA officially opens on Thursday, September 26 at 5:30 p.m., with the annual Caribbean Street Parade beginning at Marion Square and concluding at the Custom House. Opening Ceremonies follow in the courtyard of the Dock Street Theatre. The parade features students from many Charleston County Schools, African drummers and dancers, boy scouts, girl scouts and members of civic organizations.
• The Reggae Block Dance begins at 6:30 p.m at Brittlebank Park on Friday, September 27. The New York-based New Kingston will perform their Reggae blend for all to enjoy.
• Heritage Day at the Charleston Farmers Market, Saturday, September 28 at 10 a.m., in Marion Square showcases local and regional talent along with a major Health and Wellness Fair that includes on-site screenings and health information tents.
• The MOJA Finale in Hampton Park starts at 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 6, providing a rousing end to an exciting festival with the unique high-energy sound of the Charleston Latin Jazz Collective featuring Charlton Singleton. There will also be African American and Caribbean craft vendors, sumptuous ethnic and festival foods and more.
Visual Arts:In addition to the Through My Eyes memorial exhibition, running from September 26 through October 30, MOJA Visual Arts programs include:
• The MOJA Juried Art Exhibition on view through October 30 at the Avery Research Center for African-American History and Culture and honoring works in all media by regional artists. Cash awards are given for first, second, third place, and with three honorable mentions. Awards will be announced at a reception on Sunday, September 22 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
• The City Gallery at Waterfront Park exhibition, The Spirit of Place: Traditions of the Agrarian Home in Barbados and the Lowcountry, exploring New World building traditions and typographies common to the Caribbean and the Southeastern United States. This curated exhibition brings together artists’ perspectives on the architecture of Barbados and the Sea Islands of the Carolinas. The exhibition opens on Saturday, September 7 and will be on view for the duration of the MOJA Arts Festival. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
2013 MOJA Arts Festival Program:Full details of the 2013 MOJA Arts Festival, including a comprehensive listing of theatre, literary arts, music and community events, are available by visiting www.mojafestival.com. A print Program Guide will be available in mid-September at locations throughout Charleston, including, Charleston County Public Library at 68 Calhoun St., Charleston Visitors Center at 375 Meeting St., and at the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs at 180 Meeting St., Suite 200.
Ticketing:Tickets are available now! Tickets for the MOJA R&B concert can be purchased by calling 877-993-8499 or by visiting www.ez-tixx.com. Advance reservations for the Community Tribute Luncheon can be made by calling 843-571-0679. Tickets to all other MOJA events may be purchased by calling 866-811-4111 or online at www.mojafestival.com. Tickets may also be purchased at the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs, 180 Meeting St., Suite 200, Charleston, SC 29401: Through Sept. 25, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sept. 26 - Oct. 6, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The MOJA Arts Festival is a multi-disciplinary festival produced and directed by the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the MOJA Program Committee. MOJA, a Swahili word meaning “One,” is the appropriate name for this festival that fosters and promotes of harmony amongst all people in our community. The Festival highlights the many African-American and Caribbean contributions to western and world cultures. MOJA’s wide range of events include visual arts, classical music, dance, gospel, jazz, poetry, R&B music, storytelling, theatre, children’s activities, traditional crafts, ethnic food, and much, much more. In addition to its myriad arts presentations, MOJA also includes an educational outreach component of workshops in the public schools and senior outreach in senior citizen homes. The 2013 MOJA Arts Festival celebrates MOJA’s 30th Festival Season.
2013 MOJA Arts Festival Sponsors are: AT&T South Carolina; Berkeley Electric Cooperative; BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; The Boeing Company; C&A Unlimited, Inc. – McDonalds; Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, Inc.; College of Charleston; Comcast; The Resident Advisory Board of the Housing Authority of the City of Charleston; Knight Press; Magnolia Plantation & Gardens; Roper LifeLink; Roper St. Francis Healthcare; SCE&G; Total Wine & More.
Additional Grants received from: City of Charleston; Charleston County; Charleston Police Department Weed & Seed Program; Henry and Sylvia Yaschik Foundation; The Post and Courier Foundation; South Arts and the South Carolina Arts Commission, which both receive support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency; and Dr. Stephen McLeod-Bryant.