Wednesday, September 18, 2013

The Artist's Studio & Workshop.


The Artist's Studio & Workshop.


After 35 years of jewelry designing and lost-wax casting, I have returned to my first love, oil painting and photography.”



 
REMINISCING BRONZEVILLE
18” x 24” oil on canvas.
Bronzeville Reminiscing
Oil on Canvas

 
"Cooling Out”
Oils on Acrylic on Poster-Board
22 x 28 inch
(Musicians inserted collage)

 
Making Fufu.
14 x 17 inches
Mixed medium on paper
Accra (Abeka) Ghana 1969

 
Night Owl
Oil on Acrylic on Poster Paper,
15.1/2” x 27 inches

 ... Still Life
16” x 20” 
Oil on Canvas

 Afro-Peruvian Dancers
Oil on Acrylic Painting on Poster-Paper
22” x 26” mounted on 25” x 30”

 Village Vendor
Framed, 18 ½ “ x 23 ½ “
Oils On Canvas


“Here, Take Me With Mines”
18” x 25” mounted on 25” x 30” Frame
Oil on Acrylic Painting on Poster-Paper

N The Moment
Oil on Cardboard
12” x 16”


... Desert Flower
Oil Acrylic on Poster-Paper
15" x 22 inches

Stood-Up
      Oil on Acrylic on Canvas:  20” x 16”



View From Verandah
      Oil on Acrylic on Canvas:18” x 24”



Mame Make Babe Clean
Oil On Poster
Oil on Acrylic on Poster Paper,
15.1/2” x 27”


 
Working Out
Oil on Acrylic on Canvas Board
20” x 17 inches



Eartha Kitts
(Last performance)
24 x 20 inches
Oil on Acrylic on poster-board.
This performance was held at the Northwestern University School of Law, in Chicago, Illinois.


 The Aftermath
30" x 30"
Collage on poster paper



Something Cool 
16" x 20"
Oil On Canvas

 
The Orchid Grower
Oil on Acrylic on 14” x 14” board.

 
"Osu In Bermuda"
Oils on masonite fiberboard
32” x 48 inches
“Osu's a section of Accra Ghana.”



Journalist - HistoryMaker.
Oils on Acrylic on posterboard
22”x27 inches


 
Making Fufu.
14 x 17 inches
Mixed medium on paper
Accra (Abeka) Ghana 1969

 
It Be JuJu Yo
Oil on Canvas
16” x 20 inches



KoCoa
Oils on posterboard
10” x 19 inches


The Steppers
18" x 18"
Oils on Canvas
********************

Sincerely,

Curtis Kojo Morrow
Artist, Author, Photographer.


Kojomanc@gmail.com
Online Galleries:>  http://mysankofa2012.artspan.com/


******

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Sunday, September 1, 2013

My GENEALOGIC.

I wasn’t aware of “Genealogic” before going to Africa. It’s meaning was a complete mystery to me. I knew only that my ancestors originated from Africa, & thanks to my grandfather for that. My interest at the time of my going there, was mainly adventures & revolutionary, as it was others African-Americans living there at the time. So when I was adoptive my a tribe, (the Ashanti) I can’t say I took it very serious, until I began to look closely at the people around me.. And one of the wises thing I took with me to Africa, was pictures of my father, uncles and most of all, my grandfather. Which made it possible for the Ghanaian to connect me with a tribe, in my case the Ashanti.



Long story-shorten, it was somewhat frightening, when I was Initiated..
 Excerpt,  MY SANKOFA; (page, 56)

When the four of us reached Agogo, which was in the bush, there was a great celebration in the chief's house which was officially known as "The Palace." Now it was my turn to meet the Agogo-hene. After receiving us first with water, as is the custom, we were served with a refreshing drink of palm wine. During this time the story of our journey was translated to the chief. When this was done, the chief again welcomed us and called me before him. I was introduced to him by Joe Vroom, who acted as our translator. When he finished, I shook the chief's extended hand and thanked him for his hospitality. He was glad to see us and anxious to get started on our project.

We arrived shortly after breakfast by way of Kumasi. Noticing it was just 8:00 a.m., the Agogo-hene entourage, my traveling companions, and I decided to travel to the end of the road that was in need of repair. There was a little farming
village called Nimato-Kolo, and there we ate our lunch. There I was adopted into the Ashanti tribe by Nana Kwaku Duah, Agogo-hene, and his elders.

The ceremony was short and somewhat caught me off guard. We were gathered in a small compound. This included the chief, eight of his elders, and well over one hundred people from the surrounding area who had come on hearing their chief was visiting their village with Black strangers from America. Many of them had never seen Africans who had been born in America, although they had heard there were some descendants of former slaves. They were eager to see and welcome us.

"Here! Here you foolish people! Your chief is about to speak! Listen there!" It was the Chief Linguist getting our attention.



Nimato-Kolo & My Initiation

"Shhh! Hey! Hush your mouths!" I heard people whispering among themselves. Everyone was in a jovial mood for never had any chief adopted an American of African-descent in their village (it was something like a holiday). I was called to stand before the chief and elders.

"Today my people, another one of our ancestors has returned to the land of his ancestors, our ancestors, his tribe, our tribe, his family, our families."

So saying, the chief took a proffered cup of schnapps. After taking a small sip, he held it toward the hot sunny sky momentarily, then poured a little on the earth.

"To the Supreme-Being and spirits of our ancestors, I pour libation and welcome Kojo-Achampong, into our midst to become one of us. As of this day all doors shall be open to him and all hearts. We must teach him the ways of our ancestors, which are his ancestors."

Again he poured some drink to the ground then drank the rest.

At the time I didn't place much importance on the ceremony. My thoughts were, "Where the hell will we sleep tonight? Here in this little village in the middle of the forest or hopefully Kumasi?" I was then introduced to my clan leader, Nana Kwadjo Oteng, Benkum-hene of the Agona clan, which I was to become a member of. He was about my age. (32yrs)  He spoke English fluently and was to become my best friend.

"Now my brother, you must thank the chief and elders," Oteng informed me.

"Nana, Nananom, people of the Ashanti Akim that are gathered here," I began, "I thank you all for the kindness you have shown me this day. And I swear to you and the God of our ancestors that I'll remember the event that took place here
today and honor it all the days of my life. I respect your kindness and consideration. I acknowledge and swear to the spirits of our ancestors that I, Kojo-Achampong, will never disgrace you, my Ashanti people, or Black people, no matter where I go, or what I am called upon to do."

I was given a calabash of palm wine from which I took a drink after offering some to the spirits of my ancestors as the chief had done. A roar of approval went up from the villagers signaling that the ceremony was over...

And I was thereafter known as Kojo-Achampong.

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Life Is What You Make It

My journey in Life (Africa, the Arts & World-travels)  began with hearing the words; "I CAN‘T." I mean, I got so damned tired of people telling me what “I  CAN‘T" do..  Well, so far, I've done everything they told me I couldn't do.  

http://mysankofa2012.artspan.com/large-multi-view/The%20ArtistOdyssey/1958779-1-153231/The%20ArtistOdyssey.html#.UgPrB6xGZj4

The above galleries are of oil paintings and photographs, reminiscing  of past adventures

Contemporary - "My Sankofa" (Original Art from Curtis Kojo Morrow)

Contemporary - "My Sankofa" (Original Art from Curtis Kojo Morrow)

This kindle is a PHOTO-JOURNAL of our two day visit in Rio De Janeiro, where my partner and I, begun a 16 days cruise around South America, which ended in Santiago Chile.

http://www.amazon.com/Brazil-Redeemer-Statue-Janeiro-ebook/dp/B007FGWJWE/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_t_1

Rio De Janeiro & Cristo Redentor
(Christ the Redeemer)

Photos used in this kindle
was shot in Rio De Janeiro Brazil,
two days before we began our
16 days cruise around South American.

Children find it to be VERY ENLIGHTENING & (we parents) VERY EDUCATIONAL.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

The 24th Infantry Regiment Combat Team, (Association) 27th Annual reunion.

The 24th Infantry Regiment Combat Team; Association
(The Original)
BUFFALO-SOLDIERS”

The unit consisted of: the 77th Combat Engineer Company, the 159th Field Artillery, the 12th Military Police, the 24th Medical Company and the 291st Band.
The weekend of; July 10th 2013 the 24th Infantry Regiment Combat Team, (Association) will convene in Grand Rapids, Michigan for their 27th Annual reunion.
The 24th Infantry RCT was the U.S. Army’s last all Black Combat Unit, which was deactivated in October 1st 1951 after 83 (1868 to 1951) years of continuous service
The unit's last 14 months was served during the (1st months) Korean war, during which time they lost was over 900 Killed In Action, (out of a force of 3.000, not counting their wounded and missing in action) before being deactivated Oct, 1st 1951.

The 24th RCT was one of the most decorated combat unit’s that fought in the Korean war and won the first victory the war, which happen at Yechon South Korea.

Only a few are left to tell their stories.
A Few Survivors 60 years later

The surviving members age range is now between 80 to 95. and only a few have made their history known to the general public, via memoirs & etc, mainly because of the fact that the Infantry, IE.; ground troops, are not as glamorous as other branches of the military; like Tuskegee Airmen, and Marines, and that's not to deny those units of their fame.

So saying this year we are offering locals, national businesses, and the general public the opportunities to purchase advertising spaces in our reunion's year book, for the purpose of..

Promoting and Preserving The Neglected History Of The U.S. Army's All Black Military Combat Unit.

Those interested, contact;

Curtis Morrow, President
Illinois Chapter..
VP National Association

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Contemporary - "COOLING OUT" (Original Art from Curtis Kojo Morrow)

Contemporary - "COOLING OUT" (Original Art from Curtis Kojo Morrow)


Paul G. Stewart,  Senior-Center  Black History Month,   present’s IT’S NEVER TOO LATE 2 BE GREAT, 
Art Exhibit, by Senior Artists In Resident.

Sneak Review: http://www.myspace.com/443483847/photos/albums/album/1835914

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

As a member of THE HISTORY MAKERS.COM and to be more specific, concerning the content of my presentation, I am sharing this outline with you as it was suggested to those of us who participated in our back to school program this past year. We incorporate the word COMMIT into our preparation. There were moments when we asked the students to commit to a particular idea or goal by a show of hands or by standing. For instance, how many of you have made a commitment to complete your education? This would then be followed by words of praise and encouragement. This would be followed by stories about my life that would provoke and encourage class discussion and participation. The following is a synopsis of several experiences that would be shared: What was I like as a child? “I was a well-mannered kid. I was a bit shy and mostly a dreamer. I dreamed of faraway places and strange people. I dreamed of travelling the world and having many adventures. I dreamed of someday returning to Chicago, settling down, getting married, becoming a father of maybe a baby or two and writing books of my life adventures.” A time when we persevered through hardship I was born during the depression in 1933. Times were hard, I guess we were poor. But I never knew or felt that because there was always food and places to live. I come from a very large family so we were never homeless. How belonging to particular communities helped you succeed Being born in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood where just about everyone was African American, I saw many famous people like, Joe Louis, Jessie Owens and all the popular musicians, movie stars and other well know African Americans of the times. Seeing other people that looked like me succeed helped to motivate me and made me look past my personal circumstance. Why education is and will always be important. Also what/who positively influenced my life: The most influential persons in my early childhood were my mother, father, grandfather and uncles. Also, there was a Mr. Ross. It was he and my grandfather (who was a slave the first 12 years of his life) that awakened my desire to travel. Mr. Ross was a Pullman Porter and rented a room in one of my uncle’s rooming houses. Upon his return to Chicago from his train trips, he would tell us stories of his travels and the 26 states he had traveled to and some of the difficulties he had to endure, simply because he was a black man. Challenges faced by students today, social media, crime relationships, family life, etc. The most difficult time in my life was the year I served in Korea as a Combat Infantryman (Rifleman) on the frontline. It was a nightmare and something I would never wish upon anyone. While the military is necessary, wars should be the last result. Wars are nothing like those made in Hollywood. I have yet to see a movie that comes close to the reality of war. There were many racist problems we African Americans dealt with in order to prove we were as good and in many cases even better soldiers than those antagonizing us. As a matter of fact, we are the only race of people that have to fight, in order to fight and serve our country as soldiers. A fact you guys don’t have to deal with. That is why we did it. We wanted to make life better for you and our children of the future. There were many days I would remind myself of my Commitment and promised myself that only death would prevent me from achieving my goal as a soldier and a man. So, I am very thankful for my military experiences, for instilling the discipline and worldly outlook that enabled me to live such and adventurous life. It gave me the courage to commit to and do the things I was told as youth, that I couldn’t do simply because I was black. And so far, I have done it all. On that note I will sign off thanking everyone for listening and hopefully take some questions.

Contemporary - ".. Mother And Child:" (Original Art from Curtis Kojo Morrow)

Contemporary - ".. Mother And Child:" (Original Art from Curtis Kojo Morrow)