We begin 2026 by examining, exploring, and sharing our key accomplishments in arts, culture, literature, theatre, and the creative economy.
Met TBN Brother of the Month Keith Hamilton Cobb Live In Person
The Brothers’ Network November and December 2024 Brother of the Month Arts Administrator, Director, and Playwright Keith Hamilton Cobb in person Monday, December 8, 2024, at 4:30 PM for Dialogue and Discourse about ‘American Moore’
Shakespeare in Black
It is the extraordinary pleasure for The Brothers’ Network to honor arts administrator, director, and playwright Keith Hamilton Cobb as our November Brother of the Month.
Mr. Cobb is the playwright for ‘American Moor’, making its Philadelphia premiere at The Lantern Theater Company now through December 8, 2024. Mr. Cobb is an extraordinary thinker, essayist, storyteller, and phenomenal playwright. Keith Hamilton Cobb is quintessentially bringing forward the essence of James Baldwin in their candor, conversation, and infinite wisdom about Black men living, working, and thriving in a cultural hegemonic that does not center their existence and being.
Cobb, like Baldwin, manufactures and massages the essence of the true feelings and experiences of being Black Beyond Boundaries. Cobb takes us to and through a 400-year-old story written by William Shakespeare and expresses the experiences of a Black actor playing Othello when directed/misdirected by a white male director. ‘American Moor’ is a must-see for all in today’s society as we enter a new paradigm politically, socially, and artistically.
Bayeté Ross Smith, MFA is showing his work in top galleries, exhibitions, and museums in Benin, Paris and Mougins, France, and Harlem.
Eugène Delacroix National Museum in collaboration with Centre de la photographie de Mougins ‘Au-delà des apparences’
Mougins, Cote d’Azur, France
Paris, France
Now through February 9, 2025
About the Exhibition
Often, what we see in front of us is preconceived. Representations of the other or others are reduced to a few simple and reductive formulas. Common sense attributes physical and behavioural characteristics that are perpetuated unchallenged. Societies and individuals rely on stereotypes to diminish reality. Bayeté Ross Smith, an African-American artist, bases his work on the strength and constancy of prejudice: on what could be called the pre-viewed. In his staged photographs, characters are given different personalities depending on their attitude, their appearance and occasionally their words. It becomes difficult to know what the true “nature” of these individuals really is. Society, in particular American society, has a tendency to essentialise, in other words to reduce people to a trait considered significant. By generalising, we distort and thereby turn characterisation into the definition of our own identity by distancing others from ourselves.
“Bayeté Ross Smith: Beyond Appearances” is the second part of an African-American trilogy. It follows the exhibition “Stephen Shames: Comrade Sisters / Women of the Black Panther Party” and will be followed in the summer of 2025 by “Kwame Brathwaite: Black is Beautiful”.
The exhibition “Bayeté Ross Smith: Beyond Appearances” is part of the PhotoSaintGermain
festival program in partnership with the Musée national Eugène-Delacroix.
“Our Kind of People : Bayeté Ross Smith”, 31.10.2024 – 3.02.2025, Musée national Eugène-Delacroix.
Grocery Outlet South Philadelphia
2017 West Oregon Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19145
The Brothers’ Network wishes to thank Justin and Haley of Grocery Outlet, for their kind, generous, and ongoing support!
Donald Baugh has been building a solid international reputation with his passion for wood over many years; creating elegant furniture for interiors and one-off carved vessels. Recently returned from showing at New York’s International Contemporary Furniture Fair, watch out for a series of new work coming soon
Having studied Furniture at both Rycotewood College, Oxford and Middlesex University in the 90s, he has exhibited extensively in London, Tokyo, Paris, Milan and Folkstone. He specialises in simple line and colour to create elegant solutions for lighting, furniture and his sculptural one-off vessels sourced from sustainable wood. —From Donald Baugh
‘Classically Black’ is Back!
Wednesday, February 12, 2025 - 7:30 PM
Perelman Theater, in the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
300 S Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19102
Roderick Williams, baritone et al.
Demarre McGill, Anthony McGill, Titus Underwood, and Bryan Young
Five Black Classically Trained, Best in Class who exemplify and amplify the relevance of The Brothers’ Network.
On Wednesday, April 16, we invite our long-time donors to join us for an extraordinary concert, recital, and conversation.
Donors will be contacted directly from The Brothers’ Network to receive their complimentary ticket to this extraordinary evening celebrating Black excellence and Black brilliance in high art.
James Lee III wrote the solo woodwind works of Principal Brothers to highlight these four Black artists who are orchestral principals and inspirational leaders in the field. PCMS is proud to bring together these exceptional players for an evening of contemporary wind music that also features Valerie Coleman’s Rubispheres and a world premiere by Belize-born British composer Errollyn Wallen. - PCMS
‘Giovanni’s Room’ World Premiere Play
The Brothers’ Network Night on June 12th is at capacity, so a second TBN Night has been added! Join us on Wednesday, June 25th. To save $15, call 267-334-4897 to reserve your tickets. Do NOT call the box office!
Giovanni’s Room, a novel, written by James Baldwin to be produced live at Quintessence Theatre, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 7137 Germantown Ave., (Mt. Airy) Philadelphia, PA 19119
The evening will include a pre-performance reception with a special guest Paul Oakley Stovall and a post-show talk-back with the cast of the play.
In the groundbreaking 1956 novel, a beautiful young American travels to Paris with his girlfriend to deliberate their future marriage. In the city of light, David discovers a vibrant queer community.
Pre-performance reception with a special guest Paul Oakley Stovall
Post-show talk-back with the cast of the ‘Giovanni’s Room’
