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MOJA Arts Festival is featured in the Charleston City Paper
We are thrilled to be featured in the latest issue of the Charleston City Paper. Thank you for highlighting us and the many artists and events that will be part of the 2023 MOJA Arts Festival.
There’s something for everyone at this year’s annual MOJA Arts Festival with offerings including a U.S. theatrical premiere from Barbados, internationally known musicians in jazz, swing and reggae, and a juried exhibition featuring more than 50 regional artists.
Charlton Singleton, a founding member of the two-time Grammy Award-winning band Ranky Tanky, was appointed MOJA’s first artistic director in March. He said directing the festival is an honor and a real full-circle moment in his career.
“I was a little boy when it started, but I was old enough to know that this was something special,” Singleton said of the festival, which started in 1984. “My first cousin, the late Robert Washington, was a visual artist and one of the original forward thinkers about this festival. He would always have his artwork on display, and he did the posters in the beginning. It was really special for me as a little boy to see my big cousin having his work on display.”
Later in life, Singleton began performing in the festival and eventually headlining. “So now to be in this position has been a tremendous full circle moment, and it’s been pretty awesome,” he said.
The festival, which celebrates Black artists and highlights African American and Caribbean contributions to culture, will take place in various venues across the peninsula from Sept. 28 through Oct. 8.
The city’s office of cultural affairs has produced the multidisciplinary arts festival since 1984, after community organizers staged three smaller Black arts festivals in 1979, 1981 and 1983.
“To be around for 40-plus years now is an amazing thing,” Singleton said. “For any festival to have that sort of longevity is a testament to the hard work that the people have done on the various committees over the years.”
Continue reading the full article at Charleston City Paper: MOJA brings international musicians, storytelling, more
About MOJA Arts Festival
The MOJA Arts Festival is a multi-disciplinary festival produced annually and directed by the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the MOJA Planning Committee, an all-volunteer community arts and cultural group.
Additional assistance and guidance is provided by the less formal networks of the MOJA Advisory Board, a group of civic leaders who assist with fundraising and advocacy, and the Friends of MOJA patron circle, representing individual and corporate donors.
Continue reading about the Festival and learn more about the History of the Festival.
