Three days ahead of a Feb. 7 performance at the College of William & Mary by renowned hip-hop artist Ludacris, the college’s Swem Library will celebrate its new exhibit tracing the genre’s story in Virginia.
The Swem Library’s exhibit allows visitors to see and hear the history of hip-hop in Virginia, with materials exploring the local, national and international importance of hip-hop music from the commonwealth.
There are also audio stations with Virginia hip-hop artists curating oral histories of the genre. The exhibit, called “Re-Mixing the Old Dominion: 35 Years of Hip Hop Culture and History,” is set to open Feb. 4.
“Exhibits provide the context for a collection’s existence and serve as an important point of contact between archives and collections, and the public. Exhibits tell a story,” Kevin Kosanovich, founder and assistant curator of the William & Mary Hip Hop Collection, said in a news release announcing the reception. “The difficulty, and fun, of curating an exhibit is the constant revision of items and words in the effort to create the most compelling and straightforward narrative possible.”
Ludacris, an influential artist in the “Dirty South” genre, will perform at 8 p.m. Feb. 7 at Willam & Mary Hall in celebration of Charter Day, which recognizes the 1693 granting of a royal charter to William & Mary from the eponymous English monarchs.
The celebration, which includes a reception and gallery talk, will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Feb. 4. It will be held in the Swem Library Special Collections Research Center Lobby.
The event will feature DJ Wyze, who will spin classic Virginia tunes. The SMILES Crew, William & Mary’s bboy/bgirl dance group, will also perform.
More than 400 Pairs Collected for Charity at William & Mary Basketball Game
The Shoeless Showdown was held Saturday at a William & Mary men’s basketball game against Northeastern, resulting in more than 400 pairs of shoes heading to the Williamsburg Salvation Army.
The showdown asked attendees of the game to bring a pair of shoes to donate to the charity. Coaching staffs from both schools coached without shoes to show support.
“We are thrilled to be the benefactor of the shoes, since we know that there are many adults and children in need of new shoes,” Maj. Karen Hasty with the Williamsburg Salvation Army said in a news release. “Sponsors of the event wish to thank everyone for their support and we look forward to another Shoeless Showdown next year!”
The event was sponsored by Chick-Fil-A, C&F Bank, William & Mary Athletics and the Salvation Army.
