12289: TIP SHEET / Jakmel Art Gallery (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Posted on Fri, Apr. 26, 2002

TIP SHEET / Jakmel Art Gallery
BY MANUEL PILA


Mama Zili's third eye sees all that enter here. The Mother of all Mothers
hangs directly across from the doorway, her penetrating gaze focused on the
entrance like a mystic sentinel. A golden crown glistens on her radiant
brow. She is naked and pregnant, her round belly bulging with life and a
succession of similarly expectant mothers receding into the distance inside
her womb. Outstretched arms meld into tree limbs that branch out and welcome
you in like a wayward child returning to the fold. ''Her third eye sees
everything,'' says Jude Papaloko Thegenius, Haitian-born artist, musician
and gallery owner. ``That's the eye that sees everything, beyond the past
and future, the present. She's aware of everything.''

Mama Zili is just one of Thegenius' visionary creations on display at his
Jakmel Art Gallery, a gallery, live-music venue and temple where art, music
and vodou intersect to create a sanctuary for mysticism and creativity in
the heart of a bustling metropolis. ''My vision is more than a gallery,''
Thegenius says. ``It's a cultural center where you can have a gallery,
drumming lessons, live music, parties, cultural events, even vodou
ceremonies.''

To enter Jakmel Gallery is to come to a crossroads where Haitian vodou
symbolism meets Thegenius' unique Caribbean-inspired dream imagery.
Rusted-metal masks of the Haitian orisha Ogou peer out at visitors, his long
thin face glowing with back-lit neon blue lights. An enormous wooden drum
decorated with carved turtles and snakes commands attention, its potential
energy hanging in the air like the promise of rain. The outdoor Caribbean
Back Yard functions as both a performance and ceremonial area, complete with
a stage and a lovingly adorned Mistik Art Temple where vodou ceremonies are
held.

On Saturdays the gallery hosts open-mic, poetry and live music. ''And we
give drum lessons,'' he adds. ''But this is also a temple. People come to
light candles and pray.'' There is also an educational aspect. On Wednesday
nights, Jakmel hosts a gathering called 21 Nasyon, ''so people can learn
about vodou,'' Thegenius says.

Thegenius' newest project is to create an educational organization dedicated
to teaching kids the fundamentals of Caribbean drumming, dance and the
visual arts. ''When I was in my mom's belly, she was dancing, painting, she
was the director of a choir,'' Thegenius says. ``As a child, I was drawing
on the walls with charcoal, and thank God my mom understood, because she was
an artist.''

When he was 6 and living in Port-au-Prince, Thegenius joined a dance theater
group. ''I was touring around Haiti, dancing, chanting and playing the drums
like a little Michael Jackson,'' says Thegenius, now 37. ``I think that's
why now, even though I'm a very shy person, when it comes to the stage, I'm
not afraid. I always thought I would give that back to kids.''

Thegenius moved to Miami in 1986, and a year later took notice of a gallery
named Island House on the corner of Biscayne Boulevard and 23rd Street. He
left some of his paintings with the owner on consignment. A year or so later
he moved to Miami Beach and started hosting full moon drumming ceremonies on
Lincoln Road. Donning the stage name Papaloko, the patron saint of his
native city of Jakmel, Thegenius organized local Haitian roots band Loray
Mystik. As Thegenius' musical reputation grew, his fame as a painter also
expanded, and South Beach shops like World Resources routinely displayed his
surreal creations.

A decade later, after having left South Florida to travel and paint, he
returned and found the gallery on Biscayne had been replaced by a law firm.
'A couple of months after I passed by and I saw a `for rent' sign,'' he
recalls. ``That's when I got this place.''

Jakmel Art Gallery has given Thegenius greater freedom to create. ''I wake
up in the morning and I can just paint,'' he says. ``People come in here
every day, so I have to produce more, because there is a demand for my
visions. Sometimes I make a song, and I do a painting with the song.
Sometimes I do a painting, and I make a song through the painting. For me, I
never divide them. In my mind's eye, I see all of these things.''

DETAILS: Jakmel Art Gallery is located at 2301 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. Hours
11 a.m.- 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday. 21
Nasyon meets every Wednesday at 8 p.m., admission is free, donations are
accepted. Open-mic and Poetry Night starts at 8 p.m Saturdays, followed by
performances by Papaloko and the Drum Society; admission is $5. Drum lessons
take place at 4 p.m. Saturdays, lessons are $10 an hour, private lessons
available. Call 305-573-1631 or e-mail jakmelartgallery@hotmail.com.





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