A Juneteenth Quarantine Concert
presented by Experimental Sound Studio & Rebuild Foundation
language and curation by YAW
Performances by:
Krista Franklin
Meagan McNeal
YAW
avery r young
Duane Powell
All donations benefit the Tamir Rice Foundation.
REBUILD FOUNDATION AND EXPERIMENTAL SOUND STUDIO ANNOUNCE JUNETEENTH QUARANTINE CONCERT BENEFITING THE TAMIR RICE FOUNDATION
The virtual concert, curated by Rebuild Artist in Residence Yaw Agyeman, will commemorate the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth while supporting the creation of the Tamir Rice Afrocentric Cultural Center
Rebuild Foundation and Experimental Sound Studio host a critical iteration of the Quarantine Concerts commemorating the 155th anniversary Juneteenth, the oldest national celebration of the ending of slavery in the United States on June 19th, 1865. Proceeds from this concert, hosted just days before what would have been Tamir Rice’s 18th birthday, will support the Tamir Rice Foundation’s endeavors to create the Tamir Rice Afrocentric Cultural Center in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Quarantine Concerts are a collaborative endeavor among a growing number of organizations and organizers meant to provide artists experimenting across genres a space to share their work and continue to earn a living during this time when most live performance opportunities have been cancelled due to COVID-19.
“This vital performance both celebrates and challenges the notions of freedom, celebrating 155 years of freedom on paper but contending with injustice in practice,” said Tregg Duerson, Chief Operating Officer of Rebuild Foundation. “I’m proud to partner with Experimental Sound Studio to support artists who have been unduly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the extrajudicial killings of Black people across our country. I’m grateful to Ms. Rice for her continued fight to amplify Tamir’s legacy.”
All proceeds from the concert will benefit the Tamir Rice Foundation. Through the Tamir Rice Afrocentric Cultural Center, Samaria Rice, Tamir’s mother, will create a safe space for children where they can learn about their African descent through participation in the visual arts, music and dance. The center will serve as a safe haven where children can find mentors and learn how to harness their own power through civic engagement and activism.
"The Quarantine Concerts began to address an immediate need and we remain committed to responsive action as the country re-focuses its attention to the ongoing crisis of gross inequity and abuse of power in our society,” said Oliva Junell, Director of Community Interaction at Experimental Sound Studio. The fact that this program was planned before the most recent atrocity of George Floyd's murder is notable because it reminds us that we are in the middle of a struggle that spans generations. ESS is honored to partner with Rebuild Foundation and the Tamir Rice Foundation on this event."
On November 22, 2014, 12-year-old Tamir Rice was murdered by a Cleveland police officer at the Cudell Recreation Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Within two seconds of opening his car door, officer-in-training Timothy Loehmann shot and killed Tamir, who was playing in the snow with a toy pellet gun. The officers who killed Tamir were not indicted for his murder. In 2016, at the request of Samaria Rice, Tamir’s mother, Rebuild Foundation received the gazebo where Tamir was playing when he was killed.
In memory of Tamir, the gazebo has been reconstructed in a reflection garden on the Stony Island Arts Bank lawn. The concert, curated by Rebuild Artist in Residence Yaw Agyeman, will feature words and performances by artists Megan McNeal, Krista Franklin, Rebuild Poet Laureate avery r young and Rebuild DJ in Residence Duane Powell. This virtual concert will be filmed in the presence of the gazebo and broadcast online at ess.org/the-quarantine-concerts.
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About Experimental Sound Studio
Experimental Sound Studio is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization dedicated to artistic evolution and the creative exploration of sound. The Quarantine Concerts are a collaborative endeavor by ESS and a group of Chicago-based organizers that is meant to provide artists experimenting across genres a space to share their work and continue to earn a living during this time when most live performance opportunities have been cancelled due to COVID-19. The goal of The Quarantine Concerts is to provide a generative space for sharing work, connecting with community, and maintaining a culture of supporting the arts. Schedules and archives updated daily here: https://ess.org/the-quarantine-concerts.
About Rebuild Foundation
Rebuild Foundation is a platform for art, cultural development, and neighborhood transformation. Our projects support artists and strengthen communities by providing free arts programming, creating new cultural amenities, and developing affordable housing, studio, and live-work space. Rebuild’s mission is to make art accessible by demonstrating the impact of innovative, ambitious and entrepreneurial arts and cultural initiatives. The work is informed by three core values: black people matter, black spaces matter, and black things matter.
About the Tamir Rice Foundation
The Tamir Rice Foundation invests in the growth and enrichment of all children through after-school programs in arts and culture by allowing them to express their truth to improve their lives as they grow into young adults. The Tamir Rice Foundation also seeks to advocate for police reform by advocating to change laws and implement new policies for the system with community oversight for police accountability and community reform dialogue.