About the Show

"Beans and Rice, in Celebration of Cultural Sustenance"

Exhibit at the Hamilton Hills Arts Center, Inc. in Schenectady, NY. Opening Sunday, Sept. 9 from 3 to 6 p.m.

Throughout the African Diaspora and in most traditional cultures some combination of beans and rice or other grains form a basic part of the diet. Whether its blackeyed peas and rice, arroz con gondules, red beans and rice, or any other beans and grain combination, in good times and bad, these dishes symbolize what unites and sustains us. These are the foods that remind us of home, nurture, community, safety and the spirit. This exhibit will focus on our personal and communal symbols of that which culturally feeds us.

"Our Vision: to promote knowledge, awareness, and appreciation of the arts and culture of African and African Americans so that residents and visitors of the New York Capital Region may participate in arts and educational experiences that transcends cultural boundaries to "Build the Beloved Community".

Works by Akua Lezli Hope in the show:

Spirit House
an evocation of spiritual shelter, that our spirits are fed



Spirit House, 2000, Kiln-formed shield with kiln-cast glass, tree branches, flameworked glass beads, overbeaten flax, fiber, copper, copper wire, and Pacific stones, 23"W x 28"H


Soul Guitar
music is essential to our sustenance and expression




Soul Guitar, 1999 furnace-cast glass, copper, 7"H x 5"W x 1²D


SoulShip
how and that we got over, that we transcend the vessel




SoulShip, 2000,
sandcast glass, brass, copper, 8"L x 2.625"W x 0.5"D

It was so hard to choose a favorite beans and rice recipe. I loved my mother's "dirty" rice, her chick peas and rice, and the food of young adulthood from the Cuban Chinese La Princessa - black beans and yellow rice, but I decided that I should begin at the beginning.

RICE N' PEAS

after Daddy Edwin

(My grandfather from St. Ann's, Jamaica, who cooked this on mythic Sundays with fragrant juicy chicken, huge pale yams, greens, and plantains. He used chicken stock, or a meat part to flavor the bean water. As vegetarian for 30 years, I've worked at a version that pays homage to memory.)

8 oz of Pigeon peas, dry
2 cups Rice
1 cup Coconut milk
Large Onion
3 cups water
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Cumin
2 tbsp Garlic Powder
2 Bay Leaves
1tbsp Sea Salt
1 tsp. Cayenne
2 tbsp Basil
2 tbsp Parsley
2 Vegetable bouillon cubes



Soak 8 oz of pigeon peas in (quart) water overnight. Drain. Rinse.

In a 4.5-6 quart stock pot, add peas, salt, spices, bouillon cubes, and water to 3/4 full. Stir. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to high simmer. Cook until tender.

Sauté onion in olive oil until translucent. Add to pigeon pea pot.

To pigeon pea pot add coconut milk, 3 cups water, 2 cups rice. Stir.

Bring to boil. Stir. Lower heat to low simmer. Cover. Cook until liquid absorbed by rice.


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