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The avenue in the news
THE FOREST IN THE CITY
by Justin Murphy
Image Description: Large box elder adorned with red, yellow, black and white ribbons with wishes written on them blowing in the wind against a hopeful Rochester sunset.
Rochester's Roots: A space for Black culture, art and voices
Deanna Dewberry
News 10 - WHEC
2-26-21
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — The joy of News10NBC journalist Deanna Dewberry's job is meeting people who color their piece of the planet with broad bold strokes, beautifully unapologetic.
Dewberry spoke with one of those people, Reenah Golden, the founder of the Avenue Blackbox Theatre on Joseph Avenue in Rochester.
The theatre is a little performing space with a giant mission — celebrate Black culture, enjoy Black art, and uplift Black voices. Like the butterfly's metamorphosis, Golden believes art can change any place and space into something beautiful.
"I'd like to see it be part of this effort to really transform this neighborhood, this community," Golden said. "I'd like to see the art spilling out from this space, onto the sidewalks, onto the buildings."
Bettering a community one song, one exhibit, and one poet at a time.
When the board president of the Joseph Avenue Arts and Culture Alliance showed Golden this once vacant building, she didn't see what was. She saw what it would become.
"I could see the potential from the start," Golden said.
The Avenue opened in 2018. Golden's passion was contagious, attracting both builders and benefactors, one of whom donated a piano signed by Alicia Keys.
"He was the winning bid for this piano because he wanted to make sure that it came here," Golden said.
She wants to give those in the community the vision of what's possible.
"I really continue to see this as a space where people can develop themselves, but most importantly, people can feel like these stories matter, Black stories, Black art matters."
That's the thinking behind Golden's new line of clothing. Its message is simple — Black period.
"It's a statement and a message," Golden said. "It's a powerful statement. That we don't have to explain ourselves. We can be unapologetic about our art, about our creations, about our voices, our ideas."
Period.
The proceeds from all sales support her vision of Black creations filling every corner and crevice of her building.
News 10 - WHEC
2-26-21
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — The joy of News10NBC journalist Deanna Dewberry's job is meeting people who color their piece of the planet with broad bold strokes, beautifully unapologetic.
Dewberry spoke with one of those people, Reenah Golden, the founder of the Avenue Blackbox Theatre on Joseph Avenue in Rochester.
The theatre is a little performing space with a giant mission — celebrate Black culture, enjoy Black art, and uplift Black voices. Like the butterfly's metamorphosis, Golden believes art can change any place and space into something beautiful.
"I'd like to see it be part of this effort to really transform this neighborhood, this community," Golden said. "I'd like to see the art spilling out from this space, onto the sidewalks, onto the buildings."
Bettering a community one song, one exhibit, and one poet at a time.
When the board president of the Joseph Avenue Arts and Culture Alliance showed Golden this once vacant building, she didn't see what was. She saw what it would become.
"I could see the potential from the start," Golden said.
The Avenue opened in 2018. Golden's passion was contagious, attracting both builders and benefactors, one of whom donated a piano signed by Alicia Keys.
"He was the winning bid for this piano because he wanted to make sure that it came here," Golden said.
She wants to give those in the community the vision of what's possible.
"I really continue to see this as a space where people can develop themselves, but most importantly, people can feel like these stories matter, Black stories, Black art matters."
That's the thinking behind Golden's new line of clothing. Its message is simple — Black period.
"It's a statement and a message," Golden said. "It's a powerful statement. That we don't have to explain ourselves. We can be unapologetic about our art, about our creations, about our voices, our ideas."
Period.
The proceeds from all sales support her vision of Black creations filling every corner and crevice of her building.
Avenue Blackbox Theatre receives Alicia Keys' piano for its music program
By DANIEL J. KUSHNER • SEP 1, 2020
Rochester's Avenue Blackbox Theatre and its director Reenah Golden (left) are the new owners of Alicia Keys's blue Steinway-designed piano. CREDIT LEFT: PHOTO BY KURT INDOVINA / RIGHT: YOUTUBE SCREENSHOT / CITY
A piano previously owned, played, and signed by Grammy-winning musician Alicia Keys is making its way to its new home at The Avenue Blackbox Theatre on Joseph Avenue.
Fellow musician and Rochester native Andy Nahas successfully bid on the cerulean blue Boston 126E upright piano, designed by Steinway & Sons, at an auction to benefit the charity MusiCares’ COVID-19 Relief Fund, which received $35,000 in the sale, to go toward lessening the pandemic’s financial toll on individuals in the music industry.
"I bid on this piano on behalf of MusicPower, a charity I established to support exceptional music-related initiatives such as MusiCares,” Nahas said in a Recording Academy article. “I'm further excited because we've chosen to donate the piano to another impressive initiative called The Avenue Blackbox Theatre in Rochester, New York, which will launch an expanded music learning program for inner city youth and adults upon receipt of Alicia's beautiful Steinway piano."
Nahas has been a financial supporter of The Avenue Blackbox Theatre from the outset and is a friend of Danielle Ponder, who serves on the Avenue’s advisory committee. The organization’s focus on making space for young Black artists whose work is frequently dismissed or otherwise marginalized in a way that disrespects their experiences resonated with Nahas, says Reenah Golden, founder and director of The Avenue Blackbox Theatre.
Nahas and Golden both agreed that the piano should be an active part of the music-making experience for students at the arts center, and not merely serve as a conversation piece or a flashy bit of storage, Golden says.
She sees the piano as a source of inspiration for students to tap into the creative magic that’s within them. The Avenue’s music program gives them the space to explore soul, R&B, and pop music specifically, using music as both therapy and storytelling as they learn songwriting and production tips from such Rochester musicians as Ponder, Sherice Barnes, Avis Reese, and Ari Highsmith.
Golden identifies access and connection as hindrances to the creative success of city children.
“I think that’s the biggest obstacle, is that we get kind of locked into this idea of giving them what we believe they need, versus asking them what they want, asking them what they’re thinking about, what they’re dreaming about, and really rallying around, trying to really make that happen for them,” Golden says.
Students having access to quality resources that reinforce their sense of self-worth is an important component, she says.
“It’s not like we’re a huge arts center that going to have multiple instruments and things. This is the piano, and I have to tell you, it’s really quite magical already.”
She had been reluctant to accept offers of piano donations to The Avenue in the past. “Who knew I was waiting for this Steinway piano?” she says.
The piano is currently traveling from Alicia Keys’s home in Los Angeles to Steinway & Sons in New York City, which is scheduled to get there by September 3, says Golden. The company’s piano movers will then bring it to Rochester, where it is expected to arrive next week.
Daniel J. Kushner is CITY’s music editor. He can be reached at dkushner@rochester-citynews.com.
Rochester's Avenue Blackbox Theatre and its director Reenah Golden (left) are the new owners of Alicia Keys's blue Steinway-designed piano. CREDIT LEFT: PHOTO BY KURT INDOVINA / RIGHT: YOUTUBE SCREENSHOT / CITY
A piano previously owned, played, and signed by Grammy-winning musician Alicia Keys is making its way to its new home at The Avenue Blackbox Theatre on Joseph Avenue.
Fellow musician and Rochester native Andy Nahas successfully bid on the cerulean blue Boston 126E upright piano, designed by Steinway & Sons, at an auction to benefit the charity MusiCares’ COVID-19 Relief Fund, which received $35,000 in the sale, to go toward lessening the pandemic’s financial toll on individuals in the music industry.
"I bid on this piano on behalf of MusicPower, a charity I established to support exceptional music-related initiatives such as MusiCares,” Nahas said in a Recording Academy article. “I'm further excited because we've chosen to donate the piano to another impressive initiative called The Avenue Blackbox Theatre in Rochester, New York, which will launch an expanded music learning program for inner city youth and adults upon receipt of Alicia's beautiful Steinway piano."
Nahas has been a financial supporter of The Avenue Blackbox Theatre from the outset and is a friend of Danielle Ponder, who serves on the Avenue’s advisory committee. The organization’s focus on making space for young Black artists whose work is frequently dismissed or otherwise marginalized in a way that disrespects their experiences resonated with Nahas, says Reenah Golden, founder and director of The Avenue Blackbox Theatre.
Nahas and Golden both agreed that the piano should be an active part of the music-making experience for students at the arts center, and not merely serve as a conversation piece or a flashy bit of storage, Golden says.
She sees the piano as a source of inspiration for students to tap into the creative magic that’s within them. The Avenue’s music program gives them the space to explore soul, R&B, and pop music specifically, using music as both therapy and storytelling as they learn songwriting and production tips from such Rochester musicians as Ponder, Sherice Barnes, Avis Reese, and Ari Highsmith.
Golden identifies access and connection as hindrances to the creative success of city children.
“I think that’s the biggest obstacle, is that we get kind of locked into this idea of giving them what we believe they need, versus asking them what they want, asking them what they’re thinking about, what they’re dreaming about, and really rallying around, trying to really make that happen for them,” Golden says.
Students having access to quality resources that reinforce their sense of self-worth is an important component, she says.
“It’s not like we’re a huge arts center that going to have multiple instruments and things. This is the piano, and I have to tell you, it’s really quite magical already.”
She had been reluctant to accept offers of piano donations to The Avenue in the past. “Who knew I was waiting for this Steinway piano?” she says.
The piano is currently traveling from Alicia Keys’s home in Los Angeles to Steinway & Sons in New York City, which is scheduled to get there by September 3, says Golden. The company’s piano movers will then bring it to Rochester, where it is expected to arrive next week.
Daniel J. Kushner is CITY’s music editor. He can be reached at dkushner@rochester-citynews.com.
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