The MoAD Vanguard presents It's Afropolitan
Networking // Panel // Light Bites // Drinks
Join us for an evening with Shantrelle P. Lewis, curator of the latest MoAD exhibition, Dandy Lion: (Re)Articulating Black Masculine Identity. Lewis will discuss her photo exhibition on global black dandyism with guest panelists Nana Kofi Nti of 510 Media and Adu of Carol H. Williams Advertising, as they explore the history and evolution of black male identity through style and sartorial sensibilities. Ed...
The MoAD Vanguard presents It's Afropolitan
Networking // Panel // Light Bites // Drinks
Join us for an evening with Shantrelle P. Lewis, curator of the latest MoAD exhibition, Dandy Lion: (Re)Articulating Black Masculine Identity. Lewis will discuss her photo exhibition on global black dandyism with guest panelists Nana Kofi Nti of 510 Media and Adu of Carol H. Williams Advertising, as they explore the history and evolution of black male identity through style and sartorial sensibilities. Edwin Lindo, community activist and co-founder of Creating a New Stereotype, will join our host and panelists as the evening's moderator.
Drinks and light hors d'oeuvres will be served.
*Event is free for all MoAD Vanguard Members*
Media Partner: theRegistryBayArea
Curator // SHANTRELLE P. LEWIS
Dandy Lion: (Re)Articulating Black Masculinity
A native of New Orleans, Shantrelle P. Lewis is a 2014 United Nations Programme for People of African Descent Fellow and 2012-13 Andy Warhol Curatorial Fellow. She is a U.S. based curator and researcher who travels internationally researching Diasporic aesthetics, spirituality and the survival and nuances of transnational African diasporan communities. Her traveling curatorial initiative The Dandy Lion Project, examines global Black dandyism through photography and film. Other exhibits and projects have been on view in various institutions throughout the U.S. and Europe. At present, Shantrelle is researching ties between the Dutch Caribbean and the African Diaspora at-large. Currently, she is directing and producing, The Black Dutchman, a documentary about the Dutch blackface tradition Zwarte Piet and Black identity in the Netherlands.
Moderator // EDWIN LINDO
Edwin is a San Francisco Native with a focus on education and social justice. After law school, Edwin spent time running the legal department for a technology company, while also serving as an advisor to a Social Good clothing company - Fashion4Freedom (www.fashion4freedom.com). Edwin is a Social Justice Activator and is committed closing the achievement gap for students of color. He and his colleague, Anthony Amaro, began a movement called #CreatingANewStereotype (http://bit.ly/1SGLhou) where they are on a mission to suit 125 young men of color from the San Francisco Bay Area and are most recently providing tailored suits to formerly incarcerated men who will be entering the job market. Currently, Edwin advises the San Francisco Unified School District on the important topic of getting our African American and Latino students college and/or job ready.
Edwin's position is that what we wear is not just our wardrobe, it is our WAR-drobe, the uniform we wear to tackle each and everyday -- accepting the good and overcoming the difficult.
Panelist // NANA KOFI NTI
Nana Kofi Nti held several leadership positions before founding 510media in 2005, including roles in Information Technology and Non-Profit branding. Nana fills two major roles for 510media: First, as the account director, Nana has more than ten years of experience that runs the gamut of the digital world from web production and online marketing to project management, corporate branding and client services. In addition, Nana serves as head of the commercial photography department for 510media, having produced and overseen the development of commercial imagery for a wide range of clients such as Genentech, Comcast, AEG, ELan, Google, and BET over the last ten years.
Last, Nana has taken an active role in developing his local community. Nana currently teaches Entrepreneur classes at his studio and has taught free photography classes for the last 4 years.
Panelist // ADU
Adu’s creative journey has been a rewarding road of creative exploration. Since earning his Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design with a minor in Marketing from Alabama A&M University and Master of Arts in Advertising from Savannah College of Art & Design, Adu’s diverse career has impacted notable brands, organizations and public figures.
Adu, as he is affectionately known by to his peers, is the Associate Creative Director of Digital and Social Media at Carol H. Williams Advertising. Prior to leading the digital and social media executions for clients like General Motors at Carol H. Williams Advertising, his work has impacted brands such as The Coca-Cola Company, NBA, Pizza Hut, PepsiCo, Dallas Cowboys, JCPenney, Spotify and several Fortune 500 companies.
Throughout Adu’s career, he has been recognized as a creative leader by local and national outlets such as BET, CNN, D Magazine, Dallas Weekly, Soul Train, Revolt TV, Blavity, InTransit, CW 33, Dallas Observer, Ebony, Rolling Out, AdColor Awards (2015 Rising Star Award) and Huffington Post. In addition to all of his creative endeavors, Adu dedicates a lot of his time mentoring and staying involved in organizations that make a difference in the community. Adu is an active member of the American Advertising Federation, POP Austin International Art Show, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated and The Marcus Graham Project where he served as a lecture facilitator.
Adu is a creative chameleon with an ability to navigate between art and brand communications with confidence, conviction and brilliance. A visual artist, videographer, director, teacher, social media maven and mentor, Adu is a 21st century renaissance man. He credits his career versatility to hard work and a calling to change the world. “Through my artistry, I aspire to challenge myself to think outside the box and I hope to inspire everyone around the world to push the boundaries of their creativity,” Adu said.