NSU’s College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences is hosting the latest speaker in their Intellectual Conversations series, based on the former Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences’ Faculty Lecture Series. Andrea Shaw Nevins, chair of the department of history and political science and interim assistant dean for academic affairs for the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, will give a speech titled “Fantastical Imagery and Elements of Resilience in the Caribbean” on Feb. 12 from 12-1 p.m. in the DeSantis Building room 2056.
Born in Jamaica, Nevin will focus on the fantastical folklore and art from the Caribbean, fitting in with CAHSS’s 2017-2018 theme, “Resistance.” From slave revolts to resisting oppression, the presentation will span over the diverse history and rich culture of the region.
One specific artist that will be showcased is Asser Saint Val, an artist from Haiti. Saint Val’s featured art focuses on being confronted with racism in the various forms in which it is presented.
“He took it very literally, in terms of trying to understand it,” explained Nevins. “Like, melanin is what accounts for you being darker in skin, and so at the heart of it, he has a literal translation, which is that this melanin is somehow causing people to see me differently.”
Nevins will show her audience Val’s works, which include microscopic images of melanin, as an analysis of race and racism on a cellular level.
According to Stephen Ross Levitt, an associate professor in the department of history and political science, “She [Nevin] has done a lot with the idea of the caribbean and literature, and connecting it with culture and the resistance against colonization. It’s very fascinating, the work that she does.”
Nevins said, “The speech is going to be on the fantastical visual art produced by Caribbean artists, or relating to the Caribbean. You should come if you’re interested in the fantastic, if you’re interested in the Caribbean or if you’re interested in the visual arts in general.”
Future speeches will include Kandy G. Lopez-Moreno: “The Art of Resistance” on March 15, Bertha Kadenyi Amisi: “The Music of Peace: Sounds of protest, healing and reconciliation” on March 22 and Mance Buttram and Steven P. Kurtz: “Predictors of Resilience among Young Adult Multidrug Users in Miami’s Club Scene” on April 12, all beginning at noon. All of these events are free and open to the public. Anyone interested is encouraged to attend.
