Thursday, February 26, 2026, 6:00 – 7:00 pm – Virtual on Zoom
Building the Block: Ademola Olugebefola
Join us for another edition of the Cinque Artists Talk series, with artist, Ademola Olugebefola.
Register on Eventbrite for a link to join the live Q & A session.
Free online. Register: https://bit.ly/3MzwMJD
Coltrane’s Calypso, 2015, art©Ademola Olugebefola
In celebration of Black History Month, the Romare Bearden Foundation presents Building the Block, a virtual conversation with artist and cultural activist Ademola Olugebefola, moderated by curator Marline A. Martin. Grounded in community-based practice, cultural memory, and social engagement, Olugebefola reflects on his artistic journey and the ways Romare Bearden’s legacy—particularly his commitment to Black life, political consciousness, and collective storytelling—has shaped his work, including his engagement with public art and Harlem’s built environment. Through images, personal narrative, and dialogue, this program underscores the enduring role of artists as culture bearers and change agents, connecting Bearden’s vision to ongoing movements for creative and social justice.
Thursday, February 26, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. (EDT)
Pyramidical, 1990, art©Ademola Olugebefola
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Artist Ademola Olugebefola was born in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, and moved to Harlem in 1966. Olugebefola’s work has been shown in hundreds of exhibitions at major museums, universities and cultural institutions for over a half Century, and his illustrations and art are published extensively in books, journals, magazines in both print and digital media. Dr. Olugebefola’s work and significant career achievements are noted in important archival, public, and private collections, including the New York Public Library, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture; the Studio Museum in Harlem; Hatch Billops Archives; the Nigerian National Archives in West Africa; and the Jazzinstitut Darmstadt, in Germany.
One of Ademola’s major vintage multimedia works ” RECLAMATION.SITE #2…HARLEM ” is part of the landmark exhibition ‘Photography and The Black Art Movement 1955 to1985’ organized by The National Gallery of Art Wash DC, last September, and will be opening at The Getty Center Museum in Los Angeles on February 24, 2026.
About Marline A. Martin
Award-winning Arts Administrator, Cultural Curator, Educator, Storyteller. She is currently a development consultant for the Romare Bearden Foundation, and owner of MAM Creative Consulting, Inc. Based in Detroit Michigan, Martin has extensive experience in arts administration as Director of Learning and Engagement for the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History; and Executive Director of CREATE Council on the Arts, the LeRoy Neiman Art Center, and the Children’s Art Carnival in Harlem.
The Cinque Artist Program is named after the Cinque Gallery founded by artists Romare Bearden, Norman Lewis, and Ernest Crichlow in the late 60s. The gallery served as a catalyst for artists and curators of color to exhibit, but also as a place for networking and building community. Our series promotes presentations from professionals, and practical information, as well as provides a platform for artists to showcase their work. We encourage adult artists, students, and enthusiasts to share in discussions in an intimate setting.
The Cinque Artists Program is supported, in part, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.
The Bearden Foundation’s programs and activities are made possible, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Additional support is generously provided by the Mellon Foundation, the Mertz Gilmore Foundation, and other foundations, corporations, and individual donors.
The Romare Bearden Foundation is a participant of the Harlem Cultural Collaborative of Harlem One Stop