About this event

Kindred Spirits: Artists Hilda Wilkinson Brown and Lilian Thomas Burwell

Join us at the intersection of art and local history as we screen and discuss filmmaker Cintia Cabib’s documentary, Kindred Spirits: Artists Hilda Wilkinson Brown and Lilian Thomas Burwell. The film shines a spotlight on the lives and work of two accomplished but unsung Black women artists and educators – both native Washingtonians - who forged careers during the era of segregation and developed a special bond as aunt and niece. Following the screening, Cintia Cabib will moderate a panel discussion with 96-year-old artist Lilian Thomas Burwell, who is experiencing a wave of recognition for her abstract expressionist paintings and “sculptural paintings,” mixed-media artist Claudia “Aziza” Gibson-Hunter, who will discuss how Black Artists of DC is supporting and mentoring local Black artists, and Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum Senior Curator Samir Meghelli, who will preview the museum’s upcoming exhibit, “A Bold and Beautiful Vision: A Century of Black Arts Education in Washington, DC, 1900-2000.”

About the Guest Curator

Cintia Cabib, Documentary Filmmaker

Cintia Cabib is an independent producer, videographer, and editor. Her documentaries have aired on public television stations nationwide and have been screened at numerous venues throughout the U.S. Ms. Cabib’s films shine a light on local people, places, and history with a focus on the arts, the environment, and multicultural issues.

Her documentaries include Kindred Spirits, a portrait of two accomplished but unsung Black women artists; Labyrinth Journeys, an exploration of an ancient symbol and structure and its significance to the people who use it as a tool for meditation and rehabilitation; and A Community of Gardeners, a tour of seven Washington, D.C. community gardens and the diverse group of individuals who tend their plots.