Shout! Art and Margo Rosenbaum

Organized by theCeorgia Museum of Art

Shout! is a special exhibition for the CeorgiaMuseum of Art. Unique in that it will not be

shown at its organizing museum, thisexhibicion is tailored for our sister institu-tions along the coasts of Ceorgia, SouthCarolina, and Florida. But it is more specialstill: it is a direct outgrowth of the museumstudies program at the University of Ceorgia.Under the guidance of the director of che

Ceorgia Museum of Art and its director ofpublications and public relations, one

graduate student,James Bursenos, has been

responsible for curatorial duties for the exhi-

bition as well as the educational materialsthat accompany it, while an undergraduatestudent, Natalie Dopson, has handled all thepress materials. Mr. Bursenos has not onlyworked with the artists to secure the works,but he has also been involved in every aspect

of this exhibition's development, prepara-tion, and ultimately, its success. DavidVinson, a graphic design intern, developed all

design and layout for the checklist. The staffof the museum joins me in thanking these

chree scudencs for their commitment to ourprogram and for the realization of theexhibition. But, we would be remiss if we didnot give thanks to Art and MargoRosenbaum and to the Mclntosh CounryShouters, the latter for inspiring the formerto express in drawings and photographs themystery and beauty of their art. Through Artand Margo Rosenbaum's works, we may jointhem in the passion and humanity of the

Shout.

William U. EilandDirector, Ceorgia Museum ofArt

SlCat! l"the Mt. CatvaryChurch in

the Bolton community of Mclntosh County on

the coast of Ceorgia, a tradition known as the

Shout has persisted since slavery. A tight knitgroup of African Americans has held on to thisvenerable tradition as a form of entertainment,art, and religion. ln this series of charcoaldrawings and photographs, Art and MargoRosenbaum document and celebrate the lastpractitioners of the Shouc I-)

IJerived fromolder, similar West African traditions, theShout is a blend of call and response singing,

percussive rhythm, and dance-like movement,the basic forms of which were brought by slaves

from West Africaby way of the Caribbean, tothe coastal region and Sea lslands of SouthCarolina and Ceorgia. lt has been documentedthere by outsiders since the mid-nineteenthcentury as a form of spiritual celebration thatintegrates African traditions with the Cullahdialect of the English language, Christianiry,and American folk music elements. The slave

songs and the ecstatic movements they evoke

are expressive descriptions of Bible stories orcoded protests to slavery and were originallyperformed by slaves at harvest time, at funeralsor on holidart. -F' I he word "shout" does notrefer to the call and response vocals ofthesongs, as one might think, but rather to themovements and gestures done in a ring. Theterm is derived from the Arabic saut

(pronounced like the English shout), meaningto dance around the Kaaba. The word was alsoused by West African Mohammedans to referto a "holy dance" around the pulpit, and thustransported by slaves to America and adaptedinto the dialect of the Cullah culture ro refer toany member of the group who is spirituallyoverwhelmed and moved to dance.

Aft.rougns h o uti n g so m eti mes rese m b I es

dance, it is not considered dancing by itspractitioners. Since dancing was thought of as

something done for the devil and not allowedin church, a distinction was made becween

dancing and Shouting. As long as rhe Shouterkept his or her feet close to the floor and didnot cross them, it was not considered dancing;as one member of the group in MclntoshCounty points out, "if you cross yo' feet, youwere dancin', but ifyou solid, move on thesquare, you were Shoutin'." ]f-

f hough not a

regular part of church service, the Shoutusually took place in church after the prayermeeting. Today the Shout occurs in an annexwith a wooden floor on Watch-Night, or NewYear's, when the group stays upall night,"Shouting" the old year out and the new onein. The group consists of a seated lead singer,or "songster" who begins, or "sets" the song; a"sticker" seated next to him, who bangs outthe rhythm on a wooden floor with a broomhandle or any such stick; a chorus of singersclustered around them, called "basers," whoanswer the caller and keep time with the srickerby clapping their hands; and the "Shouters,"

who move around in a counter-clockwise ring,shuffling their feet and "rocking" their hips,often pantomiming the actions heard in rhecontent of the song. ln "Move Daniel," apopular Shout song, a warning is given toDaniel, a slave who is stealing a piece of meat,that his owner is approaching. lt is a message,

coded in song, telling Daniel to "go the otherway" or "do the Eagle Wing," and elude hismaster. This pantomime is illustrated in ArtRosenbaum's drawing EagleWing shown onthe cover. lt shows the circle of shouters witharms stretched out like wings pointed towardheaven, and beautifully expresses thespirituality and hopefulness of the flight tofreedom. ,

f t is in chis form rhat the Shouchas persisted, but because of industrializa-tion, urbanization, and tourism, the traditionwas almost forgotten during the middle partof this century. With encouragement fromfolklorists, artists, and other folk singers andmusicians, including the Rosenbaums, theMclntosh Counry Shouters consent toperForm their unique celebration for publicaudiences at folk festivals, although it is

essentially a private ritual. ln 1993 the groupreceived the prestigious National FolkHeritage Award, given by the Library ofCongress. f

f h"t" drawings andphotographs not only document the Shout,but also stand as interpretive reflections onthe Shouters and their environment. MargoNewmark Rosenbaum's black and whitephotographs at times capture and candidly

illustrate the movement and the pantomimesof the Shouters, and at others, offer a glimpseinto the lives of these individuals that goesbeyond the narrative. Some are taken outdoorsat performances at different folk festivals,complete with microphones and traditionaldress, while others are taken in the moreintimate surroundings of the annex at Mt.Calvary on Watch Night. Art Rosenbaum'sdrawings are energetic interpretations of theShout that are taken from studies from life, hisvideos, orfrom Margo's photographs. lnsome, Art freely combines elements of both toshow us the experience of being a participant-observer of this sub-culture's traditions.Although highly expressive and imaginarive, thedrawings still offer an objective srory of theShouters, and capture what is genuinelyindividual altout the movements and gesturesof the folk and their celebration. T

f he worksare the result of a much larger effort on thepart of the Rosenbaums to help preserve this

Left: Margo Newmark Rosenbaum

"Pickin'Up Leaves" - Mclntosh County

Shouters at Wolftrap Farm,1981

Black and white photograph

11 inchesxl4inches

Collection of the artist.

dying tradition. Art and Margo have been

using folk culture of the South, mainlymusicians, as favorite subjects for their art forthe better part ofthe past two decades. Bothare musicians themselves and have spent timein various folk communities as collectingfolklorists and as participants in the musicaltraditions they hope to preserve in their art.Their interest has produced-in addition tocountless paintings, drawings and photo-graphs-recordings of songs, and a number ofbooks on folk music, art, and cultureincluding Folk Visions and Voices: TraditionalMusic and Song in Norch Ceorgia (UCA Press,

1983). Currently they are working on anotherbook, Shour Because You're Free, on theMclntosh Counry Shouters, for which thesedrawings and photographs will be used as

illustration. Some of the field and creativework for this exhibicion was supported by theUniversiry of Ceorgia's Sea Crant Art Program

and an lndividual Artist's Crant from theCeorgia Council for the Arts.

Lefl: Art Rosenbaum

Farewell, Last Day Coin',1991

Charcoal on paper

38 inches x 50 inches

Collection of Rick Johnson.

Below. Margo Newmark Rosenbaum

Lawrence McKiver with Tree (Bolton), 1987


11 inchesxl4inches

Collection of the artist.

J[o,r,on, such as the shout are represen-tative of the rich and varied folk culture of ournation. They lie outside the mainstream ofsociety and are vulnerable to the materialismand commercial exploitation of our age. As

artists, musicians, and folklorists, theRosenbaums recognize the historical interestand the present importance of folk culture.The "old" ways of the folk need to remain an

integral part of society so that we may betterunderstand the present,just as DeaconJames

Cook of Mclntosh County, born in 'l 881, saidof this treasured ceremony: "We are stillholding to that yesterday tradition that wasbrought by our fathers and mothers thatbrought it from our homeland in Africa. Theyknowed how to Shout, they loved to Shout...Someday we'll be Shouting the harvest

homel"

James BursenosCuratorial lntern, Ceorgia Museum ofArt

Arc Rosenbaum

Do the Eagle Wing, 1991

Charcoal on paper


Collection of the artist

Art Rosenbaum

Farewell, Last Day Coin',1991Charcoal on paper


Collection of RickJohnson

Art Rosenbaum

Warch Night, 1992

Charcoal on paper



Arc Rosenbaum

Children's Shout, 1992Charcoal on paper



Art Rosenbaum

Pickin' Up Leaves,1992

Charcoal on paper


Private Collection

Art Rosenbaum

Reverend Palmer,1992Charcoal on paper



Art Rosenbaum

Shout 1 994, 1994

Charcoal on paper



Art Rosenbaum

"Time Drawin' Nigh," 1 994Charcoal on paper



Art Rosenbaum

Study for Eulonia, 1982

Charcoal on paper



Art Rosenbaum

Ceorgia Sea lsland Singers,1982Charcoal on paper


Ceorgia Sea Crant Art Collection

Art Rosenbaum

Watch Nighr Sketchbook, 1-4, 1992Charcoal on paper

11 inchesxl4inchesCollection of the artist

Margo Newmark Rosenbaum

Reverend Palmer, .1993Black and white photographll inchesxl4inchesCollection of the artist


Sister at the Shout,1992Black and white photograph11 inchesxl4inchesCollection of the artist


Learning to Beat the Stick l,1992Black and white photograph11 inchesxl4inchesCollection of the artist


Deacon Jim Cook at Wolfrrap Farm, 1981Black and white photograph11 inchesxl4inchesCollection of the artist


Lawrence McKiver with Tree (Bolton), 1987Black and white photograph11 inchesxl4inchesCollection of the artist

Margo Newmark Rosen bau m

"Watch that Star"- Mclntosh CountySho ute rs at Wo lftrap Farm, 1 981

Black and white photograph'1 1 inches x 14 inches



"Pickin' Up Leaves"- Mclntosh CountyShouters at Wolftrap Farm, 1981

Black and white photograph11 inchesxl4inchesCollection of the arrist


Mclntosh County Shouters in 1992, 1992Black and white photograph11 inchesxl4inchesCollection of the artist


At the Shout,1992Black and white photograph11 inchesxl4inchesCollection of the artist


Learning to Beat the Stick 11,1992

Black and white photograph11 inchesxl4inchesCollection of the anist


McKiver on St. Simon's, 1983


1 1 inches x 14 inches



Watch Night, 1994

Black and white photograph11 inchesxl4inchesCollection of the artist


Bolton, New Year's Eve,1993Black and white photograph

1 1 inches x 14 inches



Lawrence McKiver on His Porch,1993Black and white photograph'l 1 inches x 14 inches



The Mclntosh County Shouters

(group shot),1992Black and white photograph11 inchesxl4inchesCollection of the artist

ADDITIONS & SUBSTITUTIONS MAY BE MADETO TH E CH ECKLIST AT SUBSEQU ENT VENUES.

Sho.n!

Partial support for the exhibitions and programs at the Ceorgia Museum of Art is provided

by the Ceorgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Ceorgia Ceneral

Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts. The Georgia Museum of Art is

located on the historic north end of the Universiry of Ceorgia campus in Athens.

TTT,.

Cover Art Rosenbaum. Do the Eagle Wing, 1991 . Charcoal on paper.

38 inches x 50 inches. Collection of the Artist.

Checklist design and layout: David Vinson, Craphics lntern.

G EORGIAMUSEUMOF.ART

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Shout! Art and Margo Rosenbaum

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Transcript of Shout! Art and Margo Rosenbaum