Interview with Wanda Aikens
Object Details
- Creator
- Anacostia Community Museum
- Scope and Contents
- Artist Wanda Aikens - Executive Director of Ward 7 Arts Collaborative - talks about the artistic endeavors of her parents and grandparents, and her early art experiences. She explains the importance of art and her family's deep appreciation for the arts. Aikens talks about her creative process, her research process, and her thoughts on color and the use of color in art. She describes her artwork; and her interest in rocks, nature, mother nature, trees; and how color travels through nature. She explains what people appreciate and do not appreciate about art. Aikens talks about securing funding and nonprofit status for the organization, Ward 7 Arts Collaborative, which is an arts collaborative with the mission is to build capacity in the community and build community in the arts. Aikens talks about the diversity of skills, education, techniques, media, types, and styles of the Ward 7 artists. She discusses the challenges in helping an underserved community to understand their self-worth and the importance of art as well as the work involved in gaining the interest and investment of the community. Aikens describes the public art in Marvin Gaye Park, at Nannie Helen Burroughs School, and on Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue as well as a mural by Rick Freeman. As a teacher and administrator at IDEA Public Charter School, Aikens also talks about working with high school students, and the importance of sharing to learn from one another.
- Interview. Dated 20110317.
- Date
- 2011
- Extent
- 1 Video recording (MiniDV)
- Type
- Archival materials
- Video recordings
- Interviews
- Occupation
- Artists
- Topic
- African Americans
- African American artists
- Civic leaders
- Communities
- Place
- Anacostia (Washington, D.C.)
- Washington (D.C.)
- United States
- Collection Rights
- Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
- Citation
- Interview with Wanda Aikens, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
- Identifier
- ACMA.01-007.16, Item ACMA AV005205
Related Content
1 result(s)-
Community and Creativity Project Records
- Biographical / Historical
- Community and Creativity project launched in the summer of 2010 with a survey of art and cultural activities in wards 7 and 8 of Washington, DC. The project staff canvass daycare and senior centers, community centers, churches, and other institutions and organization in the area to ask about the kinds of arts and cultural activities that take place there. Project staff documented selected performances and activities and interviewed participants.
- Date
- 2010-2012
- Extent
- 29 Video recordings (1 archives box)
- Provenance
- Records of Community and Creativity Project were created by the Anacostia Community Museum.
- Rights
- Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
- Citation
- Community and Creativity Project Records,2010-2012, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
- Type
- Collection descriptions
- Archival materials
- Video recordings
- Identifier
- ACMA.01-007.16