In May 2022, FunTimes Magazine, in collaboration with Elebration, Sol Fed and ZBE Productions, hosted “The Colour of Culture: A Celebration of the African Diaspora” — a free community African art gallery featuring local visual artists, musicians, singers and spoken-word artists at newly renovated FunTimes building, 1226 N. 52nd St., in West Philadelphia.
The festivities were part of FunTimes’ multicultural mission to showcase the arts, culture, music, education and small business while celebrating the importance of investing in the local cultural economy. The event also opened up the building as a space for the community.
FunTimes’ Publisher Eric Nzeribe said the goal of the event was to bring African-American, African and Caribbean communities together in Philadelphia through diversity and grassroots community engagement.
He said FunTimes wanted to highlight the value of both art and commerce to “create an opportunity for artists, musicians and local businesses to make some money.”
“We are in the community, and we want to engage with the community,” Nzeribe said. “There is a lot of love and talent in this neighborhood, but we don’t have a lot of money in this community. So, we are trying to find ways to support local businesses and provide more opportunities for community members. A lot more can be done through communication and education to promote diversity. We hope to have more events that bring people together in the future.”
Rupert E. Salmon, Terrence L. Gore, Gail Lloyd, Nile Livingston, Niambi Brown and Rashied Amon were just a few of the artists whose works were on display.