Events
American Library Association Conference 2023-Chicago
PENGUIN ART SHOW
Celebrating Black Artists & the Creative Process from Studio to Page
Featuring artists NIKKOLAS SMITH (The Artivist), JENNIFER MACK-WATKINS (You Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce! The Storied Life of Folk Artist Elijah Pierce), KITT THOMAS (Patchwork Prince), and DARE COULTER (Zora, the Story Keeper)
READING FROM MACK-WATKINS ILLUSTRATED CHILDREN’S BOOK, “YOU GOTTA MEET MR. PIERCE
Join us for a Storytime & Book Signing event with artist Jennifer Mack-Watkins, the illustrator of "You Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce," in conjunction with her Solo Exhibition "Children of the Sun: In Orbit" in our Main Gallery! All ages welcome.
A picture book biography about the barber shop of woodcarver Elijah Pierce, recipient of the highest folk art honor in the United States.
“Creeeeak!” goes the screen door to self-taught artist Elijah Pierce’s barbershop art studio. A young boy walks in for an ordinary haircut and walks out having discovered a lifetime of art. Mr. Pierce’s wood carvings are in every corner of the small studio. There are animals, scenes from his life, and those detailing the socio-political world around him. It’s this collection of work that will eventually win Elijah the National Heritage Fellowship in 1982 just two years before his death. But the young boy visiting the shop in the 1970s doesn’t know that yet. All he knows is: “You Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce!”
Based on the true story of Elijah Pierce and his community barber shop in Columbus, Ohio, this picture book includes cleverly collaged museum-sourced photos of his art and informative backmatter about his life. With engaging text by Pierce to the Soul! playwright Chiquita Mullins-Lee and Christopher Award-winning author Carmella Van Vleet, it’s illustrated with striking Japanese woodblock by Jennifer Mack-Watkins. A new addition to vital Black art history!
Jennifer Mack-Watkins, hosted by Trelani Michelle at Sulfur Studios
Join us for an Artist Talk with Jennifer Mack-Watkins, hosted by Trelani Michelle, in conjunction with Mack-Watkins' solo exhibition "Children of the Sun: In Orbit" in our Main Gallery!
About the Exhibition:
Children of the Sun: In Orbit is an extension of Mack-Watkins’ Children of the Sun series, which explores the idea of children being the center of their own universes, allowing them to imagine their own futures without limitations. In this exhibition in the Main Gallery at Sulfur Studios from May 5th - June 24th, 2023, the work will be seen for the first time publicly since Mack-Watkins’ solo exhibition in 2021 at the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center in Brattleboro, Vermont.
About Trelani Michelle
Trelani Michelle is an award-winning writer, oral historian, and teaching artist. Crowned Savannah’s Best Local Author in 2021, Trelani published a catalog of Black Savannah’s biographies called Krak Teet. She also co-authored the New York Times bestselling Gullah Geechee Home Cooking. A storyteller and a story-gatherer with a Bachelor’s from SSU and an MFA from SCAD, Trelani completed a 10-week internship with the Library of Congress’s American Folklife Center to further her work of “Zora Neale Hurstoning” and teaching the history that textbooks overlook. Editor for Black Art in America, Trelani combines storytelling and art to reposition Black history as the basis for the whole versus a historical sidebar. She’s presented her work at UNC’s Black Communities Conference, SCAD, Georgia Council for the Arts, The Highlander Research and Education Center, and more.
Learn more at https://artssoutheast.org/inorbit
Behind The Scenes of You Gotta Meet Mr.Pierce : A Conversation with filmmaker Jeffrey Wolf and Jennifer Mack-Watkins
In conjunction with the exhibition You Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce!, artist Jennifer Mack-Watkins is joined by film editor Jeffrey Wolf to explore the life and legacy of Elijah Pierce. They discuss how they met, the artistic process behind the illustrations, Wolf’s archive and collection of works by Pierce, and how both are introducing Pierce’s art to future generations.
The program includes a Q&A, reception, and book signing. Books will be available on site from Source of Knowledge Bookstore.
Exhibition: “Children of the Sun: In Orbit”
Children of the Sun: In Orbit is an extension of Jennifer Mack-Watkins’ Children of the Sun series and will be seen for the first time publicly since her solo exhibition in 2021 at the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center in Brattleboro, Vermont.
By including Afrofuturist imagery and ideas from outer space, In Orbit explores the idea of children being the center of their own universes, allowing them to imagine their own futures without limitations. Mack-Watkins’ work is part of an ongoing celebration, observation and examination of the beauty, importance, and complexities of the representation of African American children.
Storytime
Join me for storytime at the new E. Shaver Bookseller location in Starland! I’ll be reading from my newly-published book, You Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce!
Book Signing
I will be at Brave and Kind Books on March 25th signing copies of my newly-released book “You Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce!,” written by Chiquita Mullins Lee & Carmella van Fleet, and illustrated with my woodcut prints.
Author/Artist Talk
Join me and authors Chiquita Mullins Lee and Carmella Van Fleet in discussing the life of Elijah Pierce, the inspiration behind our newly-published book You Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce! Chiquita Mullins Lee and I will be in-person at Brave + Kind Bookshop, with Carmella Van Fleet joining us virtually.
Book Signing
I will be at 44th and 3rd Bookseller in Atlanta on March 25th signing copies of my newly-released book “You Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce!,” written by Chiquita Mullins Lee & Carmella van Fleet, and illustrated with my woodcut prints.
Exhibition: "...But Some of Us Are Brave"
In honor of Black History Month, this exhibition featuring Black Women artists encourages viewers to consider the nuances within one’s identity and the importance of representation. Inspired by a 1982 anthology of essays that shed light on the importance of representation of Black women writers and thinkers, the show intends to provoke a similar conversation while amplifying the voices of visiting artists. In the art world, Black women artists are among the least represented groups, making up only 0.5 percent of museum acquisitions. The works in Brave touch on different facets of identity, community, and status.
Exhibition: "You Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce!"
Admission at the Zimmerli is free to everyone. Tickets are not required for exhibitions.Stay tuned for announcements about associated programming - book signings, artist talk, & school residency!
Artist Roundtable: "...But Some of Us Are Brave"
Feauturing artists from the group exhibition “…But Some of Us Are Brave,” this roundtable will be held in conjunction with the Savannah Black Art Expo at the Savannah Cultural Arts Center.
Collage Workshop
This event will be geared for the little ones and families. I will be conducting collage and printmaking workshops. Here is the link. You must rsvp and buy tickets for admission.
Printmaking Workshop
This event will be geared for the little ones and families. I will be conducting collage and printmaking workshops. Here is the link. You must rsvp and buy tickets for admission.
Meet and Greet & Book Signing
Please join me for a Meet and Greet and Book Signing along with artist Chakaia Booker. In honor of Black History Month, I will be sharing my new book and exhibiting my works for sale at The Met Store. This is a fine opportunity to meet–face-to-face with innovative fine art printmakers. Select works by Willie Cole and Titus Kaphar will also be on view and available for purchase. No ticket needed just say you are going to the event in the store. Laura Einstein is the contact.
MLK Jr. Day Art in the Park: Introduction to Printmaking
Join printmaker and children’s book illustrator Jennifer Mack-Watkins in honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for Art in the Park! In partnership with Coastal Georgia Mamas to provide an Art making experience for all ages. Come create meaningful artwork and memories with your child!
About the Artist:
Jennifer Mack-Watkins is a contemporary visual artist whose artistic aesthetic draws from a confluence of reference points, most of which include her Japanese Mokuhanga printmaking techniques and her culturally rich southern roots. Her work has been acquired at prominent institutions including the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Library of Congress, The Met, The Getty Archives and she has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, Vogue and Essence. Jennifer holds a bachelor of arts in BA in studio arts from Morris Brown College, an MAT from Tufts University, and an MFA in Printmaking from Pratt Institute and is on the Board of Trustees at the Brattleboro museum. In 2022, Mack-Watkins completed her first children’s book illustration for Kokila/Random House titled You Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce!
Date: January 16th, 2023
Time: Choose 1 Session: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM or 1:00 - 3:00 PM
Location: JF Gregory City Park || Richmond Hill, GA 31324
Price: $40, includes all supplies (RSVP + purchase by January 14th)
Please have your child bring their favorite snack, and plan to stay to assist your child during the event.
To RSVP for this event and receive payment information, please email sammack1126@gmail.com and CC jennifermack.com@gmail.com letting us know which time slot you’d like to attend, and how many participants you’ll have in your group.