On Friday, June 14th 2019, The Amistad Center for Art & Culture will present its annual Juneteenth gala at The Wadsworth Atheneum in downtown Hartford.
The evening will highlight renowned artists Ellis and Mina Echevarria, and feature Windsor resident, and season 15 contestant of The Voice, Kymberli Joye.
Juneteenth is an annual recognition of the day the enslaved in Texas learned of their freedom, although the Emancipation Proclamation had actually granted freedom two and a half years earlier. As Texans moved across the country, Juneteenth programs were established throughout America, including The Amistad Center, which has nearly 30 years of history associated with the celebration.
The evening will begin with a reception at 7PM, where local artists Ellis and Mina Echevarria and Stanley Black & Decker will recieve the Spirit of Juneteenth Award. NBC Connecticut's Leslie Mayes will emcee the black tie event, which will include live music and a theme-inspired buffet. Proceeds of the event will benefit the Amistad Center's culture-based education programs and collection preservation.
Founded in 1987, The Amistad Center for Art & Culture owns and exhibits a collection of art, artifacts and popular culture objects that document the experience of people of African descent in America. The Amistad Center is an independently incorporated and managed not-for-profit 501(c) 3 organization, located in the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, a unique institutional partnership that facilitates rich cross-cultural conversations between art and audiences.
To learn more and to purchase gala tickets visit: https://juneteenthgala2019.com
