Who: DiverseArts' New East Gallery
What: Art Exhibit and Gallery Talk
Opening reception: Saturday June 13th, 7-10pm
            Run of exhibit: June 13th – July 9th
Where: 1601 East 5th St. Suite 106; Austin, TX 78702
Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Friday: 12-6pm,
Monday and Saturday: By Appointment

DiverseArts is pleased to announce a collaborative exhibit with Pro Arts Collective, the opening of Africa Create Us featuring original work by Amir M. Lyles. This exhibit features a collection of acrylic paintings on Africa shaped boards, wood, and canvas mounted on wood. Central to the pieces are striking and crisp images of African and African American cultural heroes and cultural archetypes.

Amir M. Lyles was born in 1971 in Harlem, New York. He spent most of his early years living in both Harlem and the Bronx. Educated in the New York City public school system, Lyles attended both junior and senior high schools focused on the arts. However, he considers himself self-taught with the exception of instruction he received from his older brother, Harlem artist, Richard Toler. Lyles currently lives in Philadelphia with his three sons, twin daughters, and their mother.

Lyles’ art is notable for its versatility in media and subject matter. Personal life experiences, cultural history and legacy, and classical African art strongly influence his work.

A thematic goal of Africa Create Us is to show the ways art and life often intermix in African cultures. Through this collection of art, Lyles also seeks to encourage audiences to revere Africa as a rich source of artistic and cultural inspiration because it is the original source of all of our roots and all human creation.

DiverseArts Culture Works and Pro Arts Collective are the only full-time, non-profit organizations devoted to sharing and preserving African American art and culture in Austin, Texas. Selecting Lyles, an artist from Philadelphia, illustrates a shared vision to inform the local artistic community of what other artists from different places are creating.

Join DiverseArts Culture Works and Pro Arts Collective on Saturday June 13th from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm at New East Gallery for a chance to talk to Amir M. Lyles and experience Africa Create Us.

**Press quality images available upon request. Please contact us at info2@diversearts.org to schedule interviews.