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Artistry Magazine

'Birds of Prey' Is More Than a Feminist Film

Most superhero movies fall into one of two camps: the fun, lighthearted romps that Marvel is famous for or the darker, grittier tone DC has favored since Christopher Nolan’s 'Dark Knight' trilogy. Granted, there have been a few exceptions along the way, but few movies have been able to balance the two well. 'Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)' successfully walks this fine line of being fun while taking itself just seriously enough to deliver a cohesive — and even heartfelt — storyline with captivating characters.

'Women Take the Floor' at the MFA

On the top floor of the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in the Art of the Americas section, is an exhibit called 'Women Take the Floor.' The color theme is simple yet striking and highlights the work of the artists with mostly white walls and red detailing. The moment you enter the exhibit, you are faced with a wall covered in powerful quotes by women, reading things like, “I create against orders” (Sheila Hicks), “The struggle against the patriarchy and racism must be substantively robust and inextricably intertwined” (Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw), and “I mean I’m here to eat up all the ocean you thought was yours” (Eve Ewing).

Thundercat's 'It Is What It Is' Album Review

Thundercat, born Stephen Bruner, constantly defies the mainstream with his versatile sound and unique blend of genres. He is easily distinguished by his virtuoso bass playing and sweet, falsetto voice. The 35-year-old American musician, singer, songwriter, and music producer has collaborated with a variety of critically acclaimed artists, including Snoop Dogg, Flying Lotus, and Kendrick Lamar. In 2015, he won a Grammy for his performance on Lamar’s These Walls, a nod to his extensive work on the album To Pimp a Butterfly. Thundercat himself has released four albums: The Golden Age of Apocalypse (2011), Apocalypse (2013), Drunk (2017) and his latest album, It Is What It Is, released on Apr. 3.

'Hail the Dark Lioness' at the Hutchins Center

In more than 80 self-portraits, celebrated visual activist Zanele Muholi (South African, b. 1972), uses their body as a canvas to confront the deeply personal politics of race and representation in the visual archive. In Somnyama Ngonyama, which translates from isiZulu to ‘Hail The Dark Lioness’, Muholi playfully employs the conventions of classical painting, fashion photography, and the familiar tropes of ethnographic imagery to rearticulate contemporary identity politics. Each black and white self-portrait asks critical questions about social (in)justice, human rights, and contested representations of the Black body.

Kamasi Washington at Big Night Live

Jazz is for everyone, and never has that been more clear than on Feb. 24 when Kamasi Washington played to a packed audience at Big Night Live. A diverse mix of musicians led a chorus of instruments through a musical journey of epic proportions. There was an unmistakable human element to the night, with Washington connecting to the audience through anecdotes, wisdom, and, of course, jazz. Solos, symphonies, and soft vocals flowed through the diverse crowd, whose members couldn’t help but tap their feets and sway to the beat of the music all night long.

Student Showcase: Vidisha Agarwalla

Vidisha Agarwalla is a second-year communication studies and media and screen studies combined major with a minor in law and argumentation. She is the co-president and producer of New Renaissance Theatre Company, a theatre company for people of color and minorities. She produced What Rough Beast, the play New Renaissance put on last year, and also worked toward their production of Stop Kiss. Vidisha is also a passionate dancer and a member of Rangila, a competitive Indian Fusion Dance Team at Northeastern. She recently participated in competitions in Baltimore and New Jersey.

Student Showcase: Eva Ullmann

Eva Ullmann is a first-year student at Northeastern and an aspiring singer-songwriter and performer. Music grabbed hold of Eva at an early age, and she’s been singing, writing songs, and playing guitar for almost 8 years and hopes to pursue it for the rest of her life! Eva has an EP titled Youth available on all streaming sites and is currently working on her next project, a full album titled Woman, set to be released by the end of 2020. In addition, Eva is also breaking into the Boston music scene through performances at Northeastern and around the city.