Get Ready Los Angeles for America I Am!

America I Am:
The African American Imprint

Los Angeles will be home to the west coast debut of America I AM: The African American Imprint, a touring exhibition presented by Tavis Smiley and the Tavis Smiley Foundation. For more information on the exhibit see earlier post on this blog. The America I AM exhibit is organized by Cincinnati Museum Center and Arts and Exhibitions International (AEI), a division of AEG Live. AEI also organized the King Tut exhibition that drew nearly 1 million visitors to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in 2005.

The showing at the California Science Center from October 30, 2009 to April 10, 2010, will be the third stop on the exhibition’s 10-city, four-year tour, following Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center and the Atlanta Civic Center. "We are pleased to host this exhibition, together with RACE: Are We So Different? and related programming with the California African American Museum,” notes Jeffrey Rudolph, president of the California Science Center. “The two exhibitions are complementary; America I Am highlights the contributions of African Americans and opens a dialogue about our collective experience and the RACE exhibit encourages guests to explore the science and everyday impact of race and racism.”

The California Science Center and IMAX Theater are located in historic Exposition Park just west of the Harbor (110) Freeway at 700 Exposition Park Drive. The Science Center is open daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p. Tickets for America I AM: The African American Imprint are currently on sale. Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets by phone at 213-744-2019 or at californiasciencecenter.org For more information on ticket prices please visit americaiam.org

Atllanta Exhibit : America I Am

Many thanks and kudos to Tavis Smiley for bringing the America I Am Exhibit to the Atlanta Civic Center this summer. My son and I went to the exhibit on Saturday and I was amazed at this huge undertaking. The gallery of artifacts, videos and memorobilia showcases over 400 years of African-American history. The exhibition explores how African-Americans have contributed to and shaped American culture across four core areas: economic, socio-political, cultural and spiritual, and relates important events and stories of people from the beginnings of the nation through the present day, including the inauguration of the first African American president. If you get the chance to go I would take it right away. The exhibit runs through September 6, 2009 at the Atlanta Civic Center (exhibition hall is on the lower level). The exhibit which debuted in Philadelphia, PA on January 15, 2009 will continue to travel to other cities throughout the country after it leaves Atlanta. This is part of a 4-year journey to ten major cities, including stops in Chicago and Los Angeles. I will post on the blog when I have the upcoming exhibition dates and cities . Thanks also to Walmart for its sponsorship of this exhibit and for helping to make it more affordable for all who wish to attend. Tickets, by the way, are $10 for adults (ages 13 and up) and $4 for children 3 to 12 and can be purchased at any Georgia Walmart Customer Service Center. Children 2 and under are free. There are also discounts for senior citizens (check with the civic center box office for more information). Georgia residents click here (see bottom of the page) for the opportunity to get 2 free childrens tickets courtesy of Northern Trust. A limited number are currently available.