Rubin Stacy was a homeless South Florida tenant farmer who was lynched in 1935 by an angry mob while he was en route from Fort Lauderdale to a Miami-Dade prison
That tragedy is the focus of a new artistic creation which will be staged Saturday in Fort Lauderdale.
Performing artist Alexis Caputo will present The Lynching Eye, which she describes as “a Juneteenth celebration, Art & Education Choreopoem.”
Caputo said while the production is inspired by Stacy’s life, she “relies on the mind, body and spirit to examine and translate lynching from an artistic perspective, using the expressive modalities of story, poetry, song, dance, music and visual art as educational components.”
Artists featured in the show will include Caputo, Moussa and Trina Soumah, DJ Onestar, violinist and ballet dancer Marcia Anderson, Sister Idya, Soulflower, Michelle Grant-Murray, painter Addonis Parker, Niki Lopez, Rodney Royal and Wanda Paulette.
Caputo, a Bahamian-American, is a multidiscipline artist, poet, writer and director of PROJECT WITNESS, a non-profit organization, which is behind The Lynching Eye, which she created. She is known for her poetry/spoken word, dance (movement) and solo performance art pieces based on cultural, human rights, social issues and poetic expressions.
Moussa and Trina Soumah are co-creators and directors of Ballet Brika West African Dance Theater which provides arts and cultural programs that speak to the Afro-Caribbean experience.
DJ Onestar is a Cameroonian-French disc jockey. The name “DJ Onestar” is meant to represent a fusion of influences, ethnicities, culture, customs, songs, dances and music.
Soulflower, the “Empress of Hip-Hop,” is known for her call to elevate consciousness and community building through the spoken word and music. She is also a collaborator of King/Queen Productions and Raize It Up Live, a Miami-based venue for artists and market vendors to promote unity through the arts.
Grant-Murray is a dancer and choreographer who founded and is artistic director of Front Street Dancers and conceptual collaborator of The Lynching Eye.
Lopez is multi-discipline visual artist and graphic designer. Her art has been seen in galleries and events, as well as local and national publications.
Royal is a self-taught painter born and raised in Miami. He is involved in building community through the arts and he teaches youth to create their own life work through visual arts.
Idya is an artist/scholar, who is pursuing her doctorate in education while she pushes culture with her art. She is a multidisciplinary artist who expresses herself through mixed media, theatre, music, song and creative movement. As a teaching artist she shares her passion for education and the arts with many youth.
Paulette paints portraits, murals and illustrations and her works span the styles of realism and what she calls whimsical cubism. She has explored various media, from acrylic and oil paintings on canvas and wood panels to works on clay vessels.
IF YOU GO
WHEN: 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday, June 18
WHERE: Broward County Historical Commission, 301 Harmon Ave. (Southwest 13th Avenue), Fort Lauderdale
COST: Free and open to the public but there is a suggested donation of $20. Donations are tax-deductible and will be used by Project Witness to help raise awareness about arts in education.
WHOM TO CALL: For more information, call Alexis Caputo, 305-999-1268 or visit alexiscaputo.com or facebook.com/alexiscaputo.
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