Fiber Artist Fritz Massaquoi to present at the Emporium

KNOXVILLE -- The Arts & Culture Alliance is presenting a monthly series featuring artists showcasing their work and discussing their inspirations and processes. The next presentation takes place on Wednesday, January 16, from 12:00-1:00 PM with artist Fritz Massaquoi.

Fritz Massaquoi is a resident multi-media artist in the Emporium and a fixture in Knoxville's arts community. His artistic talents include vibrant paintings of African village life, colorful abstractions inspired by his interest in modern dance, weavings, embroidered African clothing, and more.

Massaquoi, the son of a Liberian tribal chief, left his home country in 1990 due to civil war and came to the United States as a political refugee. Massaquoi studied agriculture, education, and psychology at Iowa State and the University of Colorado at Boulder in the 1940s and 1950s. He worked for one year with UNESCO and 25 years in both Liberia and Sweden for LAMCO, a Swedish mining company.

His interest in art began when he was called upon to teach weaving, photography, ceramics, woodworking, batik and silk screening at LAMCO's community center in Liberia. A self-taught painter and textile artist, he works in batik, tie-dye, weaving, painting and handmade papers.

He took several courses at the California College of Arts & Craft in Oakland and received a certification to teach art in the schools. While in Knoxville, he occupied studio space in the Eleventh Street artists colony before moving to the Emporium Center.

His works are on display throughout the community.

The series, entitled "Time Well Spent: Inspiration at Lunch", is free and open to the public, and guests are invited to bring a "Brown Bag" lunch. The interactive presentations will begin at 12:00 PM at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Parking is available at metered spots on the Gay Street viaduct or in the parking lot on Jackson Avenue caddy-corner from the Emporium. More information is available at www.knoxalliance.com/time.html.

Upcoming presentations in the "Time Well Spent" series (Wednesdays at 12:00 PM):
February 13 – Dennis Sabo, photography
March 13 – Bobbie Crews, painting; discussion of exhibition in the Emporium

Published January 10, 2013