the Magnolia ballet lobby gallery
Come to the theater early for The Magnolia Ballet and explore our lobby art! The lobby images, curated and styled by Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith, display the work of Black photographers to capture an expanse of Black men and boys. Stoicism, style, softness, and so much more are beautifully illustrated and pulled into the world of The Magnolia Ballet with surreal style.
fields of mystery
CHOCOLATE THOUGHTS pt. 1
I didn’t like my first chocolate ice cream cone.
It had a depth that I wasn’t prepared for.
I frowned and drew back,
Just like my first black coffee.
Is that what people do to me?
Like chocolate,
and coffee
and everything dark and complex.
Do they retreat once they’ve had a taste?
Only to return later,
Longing for the intricacies,
for the depth,
Lustful for the bitterness,
for the mystery they once tasted, but misunderstood.
Photo by: Teddy Tavan
Edited by: Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith
Words by: Amanda Woolery
FUTURE OF BLACKNESS
CHOCOLATE THOUGHTS pt. 2
One Thanksgiving my niece Alina took a photo of me and my mom with a Polaroid camera. She delicately placed the photo on the table to develop. Minutes went by, and I checked to see the results.
The flash did nothing for our darkness. We were fanciful shadows hugging, our teeth gleaming in the void.
The darkness of our skin didn’t brighten or lighten with the flash, instead it emboldened our blackness, only highlighting our silhouettes and shine. We looked like a proper Kerry James Marshall painting.
Years and years ago, this photo would have embarrassed me. I would have succumb to the inner child ridicule of being “so black you can only see my eyes and teeth.”
I would have wanted to destroy the terribly lit photo evidence of my blackness.
I would have wanted to hide the photo so no one else would become aware of just how BLACK I am.
Of just how BLACK my mother is.
Photo by: Daniel Tijesuni
Edited by: Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith
Words by: Amanda Woolery