Visual artist and educator Carl Lopes will discuss the major influences of African aesthetics on his studio work. Through the viewing of his paintings and life stories, observers will gain an insight into the world of a career visual artist and local POC educator. His interest in African design stems back to his ancestral heritage on the Cape Verde islands off the West African coast.

Carl received his Master of Fine Arts degree in painting from Pratt Institute and is in the permanent collections of the Cahoon Museum of American Art, Cape Cod Museum of Art, Zion Union Heritage Museum and many restaurants, business offices, and private homes across the country. Locally he is represented by Creative Hands Gallery in Osterville, MA. His works are also on display at the US Embassy, Praia, Cape Verde. For more information: www.carllopes.com.