- Celebrity Gala
- Fine Arts Exhibition
- Live Theatre
- Spoken Word
- Music is My Weapon
- Student Exhibition
- Our Partners
- Special Speakers Series
- Fashion - Nina's Style
- Interactive Panel
- Guided Tours
- Community Outreach
| When: Friday, April 16, 2010 6pm Partners, Collectors, Media , VIP 7pm General Public |
Where: Space Atlanta 1310 White Street, Atlanta, Georgia map |
$75 General $100 VIP
Dress: Semi Formal / Cosmopolitan
Tickets Now Available
A Generational Legacy. Join us as we celebrate the life of Dr. Nina Simone in an evening of song and personal reflections. Dr. Simone’s daughter: Lisa “Simone” Kelly will headline a musical tribute with some of her mother’s most notable songs. A brilliant songstress and Broadway performer in her own right, She is her own woman, a singer, songwriter and performer whose ability to transcend genres echoes the tradition of her mother. Blessed with a rich vocal range, an innate skill for lyrical interpretation and a soul-deep understanding of music as a means of healing, empowerment and celebration, Simone is very much her mother’s daughter, she is most assuredly a multi-talented artist in her own right.
A highly-praised live performer whose impressive resume includes starring roles on Broadway in such acclaimed musicals as Rent and Aida, Simone has developed an exciting and diverse repertoire of pop, soul, jazz, rock and funk, expressed in shows she’s done throughout the U.S. and in the UK, Ireland, Holland, Finland, Spain and France. During the opening of the Nina Simone Experience, she will be accompanied by the DeKalb School Of The Arts students. The school DSA was recognized as a Grammy Enterprise School and was awarded substantial grant to enhance the music education program.
www.simonesworld.com
Simone will be flanked by 4 of Atlanta’s most talented vocalists who will each perform songs reflective of Nina Simone’s wide genres of music.
Erica James
Samantha Cardwell
TwinSpirit
Ozara Ode’ |
The Official Hotel of the Nina Simone Experience. |
Space Atlanta
1310 White Street, Atlanta, Georgia map
Opening Gala: Friday, April 16, 2010
Tickets Now Available
What an opportunity to celebrate the life, art, music and community of Dr. Nina Simone through the visual arts. This fine arts exhibition features a wonderfully diverse selection of artwork created by fine artists from across the country, who gave Nina Simone new voice through their work.
We selected a number of the Atlanta’s fine artists to create works inspired by the legendary singer and civil rights activist. In addition, a select group of national fine artists were invited to participate. The exhibition includes paintings by renowned fine artists such as Jonathan Green, Paul Goodnight and Synthia Saint James, and legendary actor Billy Dee Williams. This exhibition will travel throughout the country and ultimately will reach global destinations.
Each fine artist was free to interpret their vision of Nina Simone using media and genres of choice, resulting in two and three dimensional works. Their work seems to fall into three categories:
Portraiture: Across her lifetime, Nina Simone was defined by her unique hairstyles, creative clothing selections and personas created with each new musical project. Her ever-evolving public persona gave artists wonderful material from which to develop their artistic perspective.
Visual Biography: Dr Simone’s civil rights activities began essentially when she was ten years old and continued throughout her life and career. Working under this theme, artists chose to visually interpret those moments.
Her Music: Nina Simone songs were highly visual and contained very interesting storylines. A number of artists created visual interpretations of one or more of her more than four hundred songs.
Please get to know the participating artists as you visit our website. We look forward to seeing you at the Nina Simone Experience.
| Alicia Aberdeen Jonas Allen Sam Adoquei Georgette Baker Wycliffe (Linc) Bennett Cecil Bernard Kwame Brathwaite E.L. Briscoe Robin Holder Sam D. Burston Danny Bruce Campbell Louis DelSarte Malaika Favorite |
Jonathan Green Paul Goodnight Samuel Guilford Earl Jackson TeMika V. Jarrett Zenith Jenkins F. Geoffrey Johnson Brian Joiner Eric Lavar Jones Serinity Knight Eric Mack Michael McBride Yvonne Milliner Dray Wilmore |
Michael Clifton Morgan Marcella Muhammed Tracy Murrell Eleanor Neal Barbara Nesin George Nock Mary Lovelace O’Neal* Charly (Carlos) Palmer Dr.Lee Ransaw Charlotte Riley-Webb Terrance Robinson Vernon D. Robinson Sr. Jonathon Romain Anita Rosenberg |
Gail Fulton Ross Dr. Chouaieb Saidi Synthia Saint James Chazzi Shepard Selah Ernest Shaw Jeremy Sutton Jaymes H. Taylor Jennifer L. Townsend Shuntia Wallace Margaret Warfield Nancy Wellington-Bookhart Billy Dee Williams Colin Williams |
Visual Artist Talk
Saturday April 17 at 7pm
Tickets $10 click here
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The Official Hotel of the Nina Simone Experience. |
| When: Sunday, April 18, 2010 5PM - 8PM |
Where: Space Atlanta & 1310 Events 1310 White Street, Atlanta, Georgia map |
Tickets $15
Tickets Now Available
To pay homage to Dr. Nina Simone, Lady Ode', an emerging playwright, wrote an original work entitled, "Nina Simone: In Her Own Words". The play is a musical/theatrical production. It depicts the life of Nina Simone, through a series of interviews and conversations with a few of her close and personal friends including Langston Hughes, Nikki Giovanni, Miriam Makeba and James Baldwin. The play leans heavily on the narrative elements of Nina’s story yet blends some of her greatest songs. It will be an adventure as we see the good, the bad, and the truly unyielding presence of this great woman.
This will be the first " Reading " of the play.
The first time Lady Ode' heard Dr. Nina Simone's music in 2005, she recalls how an involuntary tear rolled down her face.
"I'd never been so moved by anyone’s voice and lyrics the way Nina's voice and lyrics moved me. With her strong and unique vocal style, I knew I wanted to somehow be apart of preserving her legacy."
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The Official Hotel of the Nina Simone Experience. |
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010
7PM arrival reception / 8pm Showtime
Space Atlanta
1310 White Street, Atlanta, Georgia map
Tickets $20
Tickets Now Available
A cadre of Atlanta’s finest musicians, poets, performing artists, and vocalists will join forces to honor the High Priestess of Soul in a live theatrical performance featuring Nina Simone’s classic music. Renowned poet and CNN Black in America’s Jon Goode will narrate a riveting story of Dr. Simone’s life in this event, appropriately reflective of Nina’s style, grace, and musicianship, Funkier Than a Mosquito’s Tweeter, will take the audience on a multi-sensory journey through Nina Simone’s life beginning in her early years and extending through revolutionary period where her destiny as an icon was sealed through such songs as Young, Gifted, and Black, Mississippi (god)damn, and Four Women. Poets will recite her lyrics, dancers will interpret her meanings, and artists will provide live painting and sculpting during the performances.
Organized by Atlanta’s own Anthony “AJ” Joiner -- the creator and founder of The A Spot -- Funkier Than a Mosquito’s Tweeter will also feature some of the country’s best poets, artists, and singers including Queen Sheba and Hank Stewart. This is part of the overall Nina Simone Experience, designed by the Nina Simone Estate to create and develop a comprehensive engagement and understanding of the “High Priestess of Soul.”
The show begins promptly at 8pm and the press will be granted access to the venue beginning at 7pm.
www.FunkyTweeter.com
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The Official Hotel of the Nina Simone Experience. |
| When: Thursday April 22nd, 2010 7:00 pm |
Where: Space Atlanta 1310 White Street, Atlanta, Georgia map |
Cost: $20 / Fundraiser for I Love Atlanta Campaign
Tickets Now Available
Throughout her lifetime, Dr. Nina Simone often declared “Music is a Weapon.” She used her brilliance at storytelling and her musical genius to make a definite impact on the communities that she was a part of. She always held to one clear fact about her life as an artist:
"There's no other purpose, so far as I'm concerned, for us except to reflect the times, the situations around us and the things we're able to say through our art, the things that millions of people can't say. I think that's the function… (of an artist), so far as I'm concerned, is to reflect the times, whatever that might be."
It is this spirit that the Nina Simone Estate through the Nina Simone Experience will support the “I Love Atlanta Campaign.”
What is I LOVE ATLANTA!
Mission:
Connecting the people of Atlanta with purpose to create a safer, prosperous and more productive city!!
Objective:
I LOVE ATLANTA! is a philanthropic organization acting as a stimulus project for the benefit of economic growth, citywide patrons, enlightenment, community awareness and leadership activation.
Our chief objective is to offer the opportunity to connect people with the initiatives of a safer more progressive environment here in the city of Atlanta. We will connect the people with the resources and leaders afforded by the great city of Atlanta to provide a sense of community where small businesses grow, constituents are provided with a stable position of employment, Atlanta’s youth are accounted for and in a safe, educational and vocational environment, and the promise of hope, peace, and love are instilled in the hearts and minds of Atlanta’s entire ecosystem/infrastructure. In efforts to take up arms and assist the city’s citizens, stricken communities, and government representatives and officials; we will also offer a percentage of every "Love Atlanta" download we sell to support the initiative to open up every “center of hope” for our youth here in Atlanta.
It is for the common thread among all of us that we seek to accomplish this mutual heartbeat, the very fabric of our lives and our love for this great city we call Atlanta!
In addition to the launch of the “Love Atlanta” Foundations efforts to process lucrative intake for the benefits of weakened and shaken Atlanta communities we plan to develop a fundraiser (“Love Atlanta” Sound Off Tour) to support the centers of hope and inspire our youth as well as our parents and grandparents to become involved and active in their communities. We would like to take the time to showcase the talents and skills of our townspeople and the youth that participate in the centers of hope and what they’ve learned as a result of becoming a member of their assigned center for hope. Below is an overview of community “Love Atlanta” events that will be funded by the supporters of the Love Atlanta Foundation.
- “Love Atlanta” Sound-Off Tour – A variety show to fight the war on Drugs and Crime!
- “Love Atlanta” Intramural Tournaments – Community street intramurals by division. Indoor/Outdoor Sports Competitions. Hosted by the many Atlanta “Centers for Hope”.
- “Love Atlanta” Spelling Bee and Who’s Who (Academics/Arts Achievement Awards) Community Recognition Awards Ceremony.
- “Love Atlanta” Gospel Choir Concert / Love Atlanta’s Senior Leaders Ceremony.
Building a Brighter Atlanta- Communities Unite Project for Project Love Atlanta.
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The Official Hotel of the Nina Simone Experience. |
Space Atlanta
1310 White Street, Atlanta, Georgia map
Free
As part of the upcoming “Nina Simone Experience,” the art foundations department at The Art Institute of Atlanta created a competition challenging students to create original work inspired by the song lyrics of legendary singer Nina Simone for a special exhibit entitled “Who Am I? The Song Lyrics of Nina Simone.” The exhibit opened on March 2 in the Janet S. Day Gallery at The Art Institute of Atlanta, and will be on view through April 3. An artists’ reception will be held from 4 to 6 pm on Thursday, April 11. Both the exhibit and the reception are open to the public at no charge.
The artwork by the first, second, and third place student winners will be on view from April 16 through 25 at Thirteen TEN Events.
The Nina Simone Experience will be presenting special awards at a reception on April 21 at 7 pm.
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The Official Hotel of the Nina Simone Experience. |
| When: Monday, April 19, 2010 4pm - 6pm |
Where: Spellman College (Giles 106 – Quarles Library) 350 Spelman Lane SW, Atlanta, Georgia map |
Admission: FREE
Spelman College, a Historically Black Women’s College located in Atlanta, will host a panel during the Nina Simone Experience. The panel will include Ms. Simone’s daughter Lisa “Simone” Kelly, Civil Rights Activist and former SNCC member Ruby Nell Sales, and daughter of James Brown, Deanna Brown Thomas. Spelman College student Sarita Smith will respond to the panel.
Similar to other black women activists in the 20th century, Nina Simone’s activism emerged from BEING part of a local community that equipped her to offer critique and take stands for civil and human rights. Historically, called "race" women, persons like Simone were, during childhood, given both cultural tools and educational opportunities that enabled them to go into the world and BECOME women who made contributions to their communities and the larger society. Panelists will discuss this 20th Century background and its implications for Black Womanhood in the 21st Century.
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The Official Hotel of the Nina Simone Experience. |
| When: Friday April 23rd, 2010 6pm Partners, Collectors, Media , VIP 7pm General Public |
Where: Space Atlanta 1310 White Street, Atlanta, Georgia map |
$10 at the Door
“Her songs speak of risk, of being empowered; they encourage women to stand up for what they believe in…she spoke of things, about the issues and topics that most people didn’t have the courage to publicly speak about.”- - Summer Sheree
Nina Simone’s style crescendo connects with the never-ending, sometimes naughty, nuance of her music. Often ahead of the trend or having the audacity to go where few have gone, her Prêt a Porte persona undulated from an ethereal, smoky elegance of a 1950’s nightclub entertainer to a sassy 60’s civil rights songbird. Marching to the beat of her own bongos in bohemian burlesque, Nina corn-rowed, caped and coutured her way towards her rightful place as the cultic queen for the ages.
As part of our international tribute to Nina Simone, the Atlanta based designer, Summer Sheree Jeter has taken on the challenge of exploring Nina’s appearance across the 50’s, 60’s, and early 1970’s. In an affair titled ‘The Last Rose of Summer,’ Sheree examines Nina’s sense of style through an integrated fashion event and design exhibition. A 10-piece collection of dresses will be showcased during a multi dimensional runway event; while five additional creations will be coupled with visual art and photos in a collection titled ‘Retrospect.’
Having made a personal commitment to participate in projects that hold a great deal of social relevance and cultural significance, choosing to be a part of this project for Summer was a no-brainer. “It’s an honor to be a part of such an important event celebrating one of our cultural icons. Her work is still so relevant to so many.”
In preparing for this exhibition, Summer researched hundreds of photos to observe Nina’s style during the peak period of her career. “What I found was that, Nina embraced her beautiful body and often wore dresses showing off her soft arms. She reminds us that nothing shows off the beauty of a woman like a dress. She put a spell on all of us with her one of a kind style.”
Summer first came to know Nina through the ‘93 film classic: Point of No Return, where Nina favorites such as “Hate”, “Black is the Color of my True Love’s Hair”, “Feeling Good” and “Wild is the Wind” were played at poignant moments during the movie.
Layla K of HUATE,LANTA Fashion Week has gathered an ecclectice mix of local and regional designers to create a special design showcase of Nina Simone inspired fashion.
Like art, fashion is a form of personal expression. On behalf of the Nina Simone Foundation, Atlanta Fashion Week®, Affectionately known as Haute.lanta Fashion Week®, will be showcasing the work of its designers in a mini runway show appropriately coined, "The Art of Fashion: A Journey of Style." Each designer will present a piece that personifies Nina Simone's uninhibited style movement. The show will infuse many parts of Nina with design interpretations relying solely on musical inspiration and images of her past. Designers will marry art and fashion in a moving exhibition that the audience will not forget. The diverse talent and vision of Haute.lanta Fashion Week®'s designers will prove that there is no boundary between art and fashion and Nina Simone was a prime example of that!
Haute.lanta Fashion Week® (HLFW) is a high-energy media and fashion event that will take place from Thursday to Sunday, September 15th-19th, 2010. In its fourth year, HLFW will infuse the best in fashion, beauty, and art to a host of style makers, fashion elite, and trendsetters. Under the artistic direction of Layla k., the founder and visionary behind the event, guests will enjoy non-stop action with back to back runway shows on the signature H-shaped runway, trunk show suites, celebrity swag, live mannequin and accessory exhibits, silent auctions, premium entertainment, celebrity appearances, and haute after parties all for the benefit of charity.
HLFW website:
www.Hautelantafashionweek.com
or call 770.217.HLFW
Nina Simone Interesting Fashion Tidbit:
Before leaving to go on a tour Nina stopped in to see a close friend Vertamae Grosvener, who was a poet, broadcaster and phenomenal cook. Nina wanted to get a plate for the trip. When Nina pulled up she noticed that Vertamae had on a beautiful lace “duster”, as it was called back then. Nina instantly fell in love with it and asked to take it with her on tour. She said “That duster, I need it for a song.” Vertamae had purchased the duster the day before at a local thrift store so she tried to hold on to it but relented when Nina declared in her classic androgynous voice, “the song needs that.”
The Last Rose of Summer was a Nina Simone song on the album: Broadway-Blues-Ballads. The song was co-written with Thomas Moore, recorded in New York City, and released in 1964.
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The Official Hotel of the Nina Simone Experience. |
| When: Tuesday April 20th, 2010 7pm |
Where: Space Atlanta 1310 White Street, Atlanta, Georgia map |
Cost: $10
Tickets Now Available
The Musical Voice of the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. Nina Simone used her music as a weapon. With songs such as Backlash Blues; Mississippi Goddamn; Four Women and Why...The King of Love is Dead, she used her creative talents to add to the momentum of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s. Come listen in on a critical yet intimate discussion from a select group of music industry professionals, scholars, and civil rights activists. Get to know one of the 20th Century’s most unique personalities not only through her music but through her life.
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The Official Hotel of the Nina Simone Experience. |
10am – 4pm by appointment for groups.
Location: Space Atlanta/Thirteen TEN Events - - 1310 White Street, ATL
We will be offering guided tours of this exhibition. For schools groups this will not only be a great experience in Dr. Simone’s music and the civil rights activities; it is also a rich visual arts experience as the students will be introduced to some of the most talented visual artists in the city of Atlanta. The tours will be by appointment only between the hours of 11am and 4pm daily.
10am – 4pm by appointment for groups.
If not us then who? If not now, then when? Dr. Nina Simone’s most personal, life-long pursuit was the education of children across the African Diaspora. Through music, interactive exercises and live performances, representatives of the Nina Simone Foundation will share her life and legacy with select students in the metropolitan area. We hope to encourage them to use all of their talents and live successfully knowing that they are Young, Gifted and Black.
The Nina Simone Experience