Hip Hop: Unbound from the Underground - An Ithaca Community Celebration of Hip Hop Culture April 4 - 7, 2013

Tompkins County Public Library is excited to announce its partnership with Cornell University Library's Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections and other community groups to offer Hip-Hop: Unbound from the Underground - An Ithaca Community Celebration of Hip-Hop Culture, April 4 through 7.

This four-day celebration, featuring events on campus and throughout the community, will include exhibit openings, gallery exhibitions, panel discussions, film screenings, concerts and three days of live, mural painting by some of the world's finest graffiti artists. 

TCPL will launch its participation with the April 5, 5:00 - 8:00,  opening of  Top 2 Bottom - A Journey Through The Elements of Hip-Hop Culture. Curated by Jason Otero of Art & Anthropology, this multi-media exhibit features the work of acclaimed Hip-Hop photographers Joe Conzo and Ernie Paniccioli, a new body of work by Ithacan Jay Stooks, a showcase of early Hip-Hop memorabilia including house party flyers, boom-boxes, mix-tapes, fashion and graffiti, materials from the collection of Cap Matches Color; and work created by Ithaca's youth at special graffiti workshops.

The opening, being held during Downtown Ithaca Gallery Night, will include a rare opportunity, thanks to Cornell University Library's Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, to hear from Conzo and Paniccioli, as they join moderator Dr. Sean Eversley Bradwell, assistant professor, Center for the Study of Culture, Race and Ethnicity at Ithaca College, for a lively panel discussion, at 6:30 in the BorgWarner Community Room.  Special guests at this panel discussion will include Hip-Hop founder Afrika Bambaataa and pioneers such as Grandmaster Caz, JDL, Crazy Legs, Popmaster Fabel, Charlie Ahearn, Buddy Esquire and Mare139.

TCPL, thanks to the generous support of Ironak AVT Paints, will also celebrate Hip-Hop with Get-Up State - Three days of live, mural painting featuring some of the world's finest grafitti artists.  During three days, April 5 through 7, these artists will transform the Cornell University Press building from dull grey to brilliant color and life.

Visit this blog often for updated information, or check out tcpl.org/events-exhibits/hip-hop/, TCPL's Facebook page, or the Library Calendar. 
  
Major sponsors of TCPL's events include the Tompkins County Tourism Program, New York Council for the Humanities, Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County, Ironlak ATV Paints, Cap Matches Color, Art & Anthropology and Cornell University Library's Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections.

For information about all of the events taking place during the weekend celebrations, visit  Unbound from the Underground.