The Art of Sesame Street

Many of us grew up on Sesame Street. It was how we learned about colors, numbers, and letters. For me, Sesame Street became a major creative influence, and I often revisit its imagery for inspiration. The Brooklyn Public Library is celebrating Sesame Street's 40th Anniversary with an exhibition of artwork from yesteryear and now. I love this illustration (above) from the 1970s, with Bob sitting on the stoop (how Brooklyn is that?) and Big Bird looked so different!
Sesame Street introduced young audience to everyone from Richard Pryor to Buffy Sainte-Marie. Its multiracial cast (and multicolored puppets) taught kids about getting along with people from all backgrounds, and respect for different cultures. Here are some wonderful examples:







Sesame Street was a mirror of the times, delving into folk music with the likes of Steve Zuckerman, and some segments were downright psychedelic, like pinball with the Pointer Sisters.





Sesame Street: A Celebration of 40 Years of Life on the Street is on display until Feb. 21st, 2010. Check it out and take a colorful stroll down memory lane. Log onto: http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/events/sesamestreet/ for more info

Updates: Work in progress!

As the year draws quickly to a close, I have a lot to reflect on, and a lot to be thankful for. January will mark Black Butterfly's one year anniversary, and so much has changed since then! I started this blog not long after the inauguration of Barack Obama, after having moved back home from New York at the height of the economic recession. I was unemployed, broke, and feeling kind of useless, but at the same time feeling so much optimism and hope for the future. After all I had just witnessed history unfold with the election of this nation's first Black president. How could one not be inspired to follow their dreams, to do more and be more? It was in that spirit that Black Butterfly was created. When not in search of employment, I spent my time researching artists at the local library in San Jose (The Martin Luther King Jr. library has a stunning collection of artists' books), painting, and taking photographs and writing about artists I love and shows that inspired me. Black Butterfly has truly been a labor of love, and I'm thankful for every reader, every comment (they literally make my day), and that yall take the time to read this blog ;)
That said, the past few weeks I've been going a little nuts because computer failure kept me from making my updates. I'm happy to say the problem has been fixed, so expect a flurry of posts this week (I usually try to space them out a bit), there's so much I want to share!
The photo above is a watercolor painting I'm working on as part of an installation piece, and she's resting on my favorite heirloom quilt. More pictures of the finished project coming soon!
I think 2009 was a year that tested us all. And if that's the case, I hope that you learned something about yourself and were able to tap into your own resilient spirit in the process. I hope it's caused you to think outside the box, chase your dreams, and delve deeper into your passions, goals, and reconsider what's important to you. I hope that 2010 brings the realization of your wildest dreams, and alignment with your vision and purpose. Thank you for reading.