The Second Annual Jazz Art Show was held Feb. 26 at Texas A&M University-San Antonio in celebration of Black History Month.
Biology sophomore Beyonce Lane set up the event as a peer leader for the Office of First Year Experience who helped collaborate the event.
Lane said the event features an art exhibit, free food and drinks, a fashion show and a DJ who will provide music since the Jazz band cancelled.
“Students are going to wear African pieces in honor of Black History Month,” Lane said about the fashion show.
The art exhibit opened for viewing at the start of the show featuring work from a local artist, Yodi who is currently working on her master’s in business law at St. Mary’s College.
“I describe my work as a subconscious spiritual connection,” she said. “I don’t really know what my art is.”
Yodi believes that the most important thing you can do is provide yourself with love and listen to your feelings.
“Give yourself time,” she said.
More than 20 attendees attended the show including both students and family members. One attendee, business senior Adriana Alvardao-Rivera was attracted to the event by her love of music.
“I got out of class early and saw the poster and ran upstairs to see what it was about,” she said.
The show featured spoken poet and author Mahogany Browne who showcased six of her poems including “Black Girl Magic.” She provided everyone with a copy which she signed at the end of her performance.
Browne read five poems and finished her set with a video poem. She spoke about her upcoming full-length poem in response to the mass-incarceration system.
“As a child whose parent was incarcerated for the majority of my life,” Browne said. “I just have to give myself the space and time to do that work because the system isn’t changing. So I know that the fight begins with us.”
The poem is set to be released in September.
“Who gets to say your story isn’t valid or isn’t poetry,” Browne said.
The event concluded with an African-inspired clothing demonstration.
As Black History Month comes to an end, the messages told will carry on.
