TRIBUTE TO AFRICAN AMERICAN AUTHORS Set for 2/25 at L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center

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The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center's Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center celebrates Black History Month with two concurrent free events highlighting some of the cultural contributions African Americans have made to our society: A Tribute to African American Authors, in which renowned actors and singers perform selected works; and a reception for the new exhibit Ain't Just Paint: Works from the CCH Pounder Collection. Both events take place on Monday, Feb. 25, in the Renberg Theatre and Advocate & Gochis Galleries at the Center's Village at Ed Gould Plaza. The Tribute will begin at 7:30 p.m., followed immediately by a reception in the Galleries. Admission to both events is free, but reservations are required for the Tribute: www.aatribute.eventbrite.com.

Ain't Just Paint: Works from the CCH Pounder Collection will be on exhibit Tuesday, Feb. 19, through Saturday, March 2. It showcases artwork from Ms. Pounder's personal collection, with a focus on art that could be considered non-traditional. On display are works on canvas as well as pieces fashioned from unusual materials, such as beads, fiber, embroidery, plastics, cardboard and even tortilla chips and silk worm dung! The humbleness of the material is used with glorious execution in the hands of these artists.

CCH Pounder is an Emmy and Grammy Award nominated actress. Her credits include Warehouse 13, Avatar , ER and The Shield . She is also an art collector and consultant who has amassed a collection of contemporary art over the past 40 years. A world traveler, Pounder procures or identifies emerging artists for the Boribana Museum in Dakar, Senegal, which she co-owns with her husband, Boubacar Kone

A Tribute to African-American Authors features renowned actors and singers reading selected pieces by writers who have shaped, and perhaps will shape, the American cultural landscape. Performers include:

Cleo Anderson-a youth spoken-word artist performing original work.

CARLEASE BURKE-film credits include Get Shorty, In Her Shoes, The Back-Up Plan, and The Terminal. TV credits include: Heroes, Dollhouse, Grey's Anatomy, Bones, Days of Our Lives, How I Met Your Mother, Dexter, The Closer, Monk, Without a Trace, and Desperate Housewives. In addition to her acting career, Burke also performs as a stand-up comedian.

Michael Castro-a youth spoken-word artist performing original work.

Dale Guy Madison-a writer, actor, filmmaker and former host for the QVC network. He appeared in the original 1988 John Waters movie, Hairspray, and has appeared on NBC s Homicide: Life on the Streets. Madison produced a CD of spoken word poems in 2008 called WANTED: DamnGoodMan.

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