This week, Jared Bowen takes us through the costume designs of Ruth E. Carter at New Bedford Art Museum and gives us a sample of “Voices From The Land” presented by Shelter Music Boston.
“Uncommon Threads: The Works of Ruth E. Carter,” on view at New Bedford Art Museum through November 14, 2021
The New Bedford Art Museum presents a retrospective of costumes designed by Academy Award-winner Ruth E. Carter. A Massachusetts native, Carter is known for her work on more than 30 years of films including “Black Panther,” “Do the Right Thing" and “Roots” (reboot). In addition to presenting costumes, the exhibition highlights Carter’s extensive research and design process through sketches, mood boards, reference photographs and more.
“When I first started in the late '80s, early '90s… there were so many more stories in the community that weren't being seen,” says Carter. “We helped change Hollywood, we helped turn the tide, to look at the dignity of a culture.”
“Voices From The Land: An Indigenous Composers Project,” presented virtually by Shelter Music Boston through May 17
In a normal year, Shelter Music Boston would perform concerts for homeless individuals and people in recovery in shelters and facilities throughout Greater Boston. With in-person concerts cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, Shelter Music Boston is taking a digital approach. In “Voices From The Land,” the organization presents music created by young Indigenous composers participating in the Native American Composers Apprentice Project and from the Diné (Navajo), Hopi, Laguna, Salt River Pima-Maricopa, San Carlos Apache and Tewa nations. Each week through May 17, Shelter Music Boston is releasing a new performance on its YouTube channel. A recent highlight is the song “Illusion” by Sage Bond, a Diné and San Carlos Apache youth composer, whose inspiration ranges from classical to heavy metal.
“Whenever I get to write, all these raw emotions, all these real feelings are in the score,” says Bond. “Hopefully, when other people hear that they'll also find the bravery to tell their story themselves.”
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