Events
Family and Friends Valentine’s Art Making Workshop
Join us for a creative Valentine’s experience! Create lasting memories as you design custom charm bracelets and decorate cookies to take home. Plus, enjoy a bonus art activity to share with someone special! Perfect for ages 4-adult, this workshop is a fun way to celebrate love with your favorite people.
Creative Talk: Leading Outside of Home: An Artist’s Perspective
Leading Outside of Home: An Artist's Perspective
As an artist, leading outside of home involves navigating various aspects of life, including career development, graduation, transitioning to new phases, and setting healthy boundaries. Please join us as we discover more of this thought provoking conversation with J'Aaron Merchant.
Black Arts Expo
Learning Through Studio will be participating in the 2025 Black Arts Expo located at the City of Savannah’s Cultural Resources Department, led by Cultural Resources Assistant Tasheca Hutchinson. LTS will be providing FREE KENTE CLOTH BOOKMARK ACTIVITY for the children to create and take home to mark a page of their favorite book. Also in attendance there will be a showcase of artists offering 2D art, jewelry, fiber pieces, photography, prints, and more. Performances in the Ben Tucker Theatre will include singing, dancing, instrumental music, and spoken word art throughout the day.
Home SSU Alumni Event
Celebrating the incredible talents of Savannah State University arts alumni. This mixed media showcase explores themes of redemption, healing, truth, and exploration through thought-provoking artworks. Join us for the open reception on January 17th, where you can meet the artists and immerse yourself in their creative journeys. Experience a unique blend of artistry that invites reflection and conversation.
Kwanzaa Celebration Through Art
Celebrate Kwanzaa through Creativity with Learning Through Studio founded by local Savannah artist and Charleston native Jennifer Mack-Watkins. Learning Through Studio is a new creative open art-making space where creatives can experiment, explore, and express themselves in a supportive community of all ages through art. Experience various FREE art-inspired activities designed to educate, entertain, and inspire. Open To All Ages! Don't miss this unique opportunity to connect with the local creatives of Savannah in the community and immerse yourself in this cultural celebration.
Adinkra Symbol Art Making:
Explore the rich history of Adinkra symbols and create your unique artwork.
African Music and Dance:
Get ready to move! Enjoy lively performances and join in with interactive dance sessions.
Book Giveaways and Read Alouds:
Discover a world of stories with our book giveaways! Engage with enchanting read-aloud sessions for children. Take home a book to add to your collection.
Brand Portraits for Content Creation:
Capture your special moments with professional brand portraits that showcase your creativity.
Join us in a space where we can just be…. creative together. Sign up on Eventbrite at https://bit.ly/3Zvaqv9.
Holiday Make A Bracelet and Decorate A Jewelry Box
Join us for a "Parent & Me" Jewelry Bracelet and Box-making class. Create personalized Christmas-themed bracelets using colorful beads and charms, then decorate a keepsake box for your creations. This workshop promotes creativity and family bonding, perfect for holiday gifts. No experience is necessary—just bring your holiday spirit! Led by jewelry maker from Glenda’s Gems and artist Jennifer Mack Watkins.
Family /Group Art Making Workshop
Family Group Art Making Workshop
Workshop Description: Family Art Sessions: Mark Making for the Holidays
Join us for creative Family or Group Art Sessions on November 23rd, 24th, and 26th. Led by Jennifer Mack-Watkins, participants will enjoy a one-hour workshop exploring mark-making and create mixed-media artwork. All supplies are included; families can bring snacks. Each group will take home a unique mixed-media painting and an 8x10 canvas panel. No prior artistic experience needed. Sign up for a memorable family or group art experience!
National Book Festival
Jennifer Mack-Watkins illustrated book titled “ You Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce! The Storied Life of Folk Artist Elijah Pierce will is as a finalist for the 2024 Ohioana Book Award in juvenile literature. The book will be featured at the festival this summer. The book will also be added to the Great Reads from Great Places reading list will add You Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce!! as an addition to this list. More information about Library of Congress The National Books Festival 2024 is provided here.
Book Ilustration Kids Summer Camp Series
Welcome to our Kids Summer Art Camp: Book Illustration! Join us for a fun-filled one week long of class sessions of creativity and imagination as we learn about the world of book illustration taught by local Savannah professional artist Jennifer Mack-Watkins. Mack Watkins is the illustrator of 2024 Young Readers Selection for the Great Reads from Great Places Initiative of the Library of Congress Center titled book “ You Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce” . This unique one-week long program combines the fundamentals of illustration, drawing lessons, and storyboarding, giving you the tools to create your own storybook page layout design to take home. You will have the opportunity to bring your favorite stories to life through ilustration. At the end of the class we will exhibit our works to share with family and friends. Our camp will take place at Discover Black Savannah located at 510 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd Unit C, so come ready to design a page of your own story! All materials included except for your own sketchbook (You must bring a size 9x12, spiraled/hardcover, white unlined pages). Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to explore the wonderful world of illustration. See you there! SIGN-UP HERE
Hand-Print Design Workshop
Ready, Set, Print! Come printmaker local Savannah artist Jennifer Mack-Watkins for a multi-week (includes guided one-on-one skilled instruction and supportive studio time) June 4 ,11,18, 25 workshops from 6pm-7:30pm to create your handprinted tea cloth at Dreamhouse Studios. Bring your favorite mug and sip tea while you print. This will be an introduction to the art of printmaking where participants will develop fundamental carving and printing skills to create a repeated pattern, while also learning to apply, design. We will enjoy together tea curated weekly and sponsored by local tea company @ashfordteaco. No prior experience is necessary- just look for a relaxing time to create together! Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to create your own unique hand-printed designs! Supply List available upon registration. Sign Up Here.
“ Inheritance & Innovation: Mokuhanga & Washi” Exhibition, Echizen, Japan
Inheritance & Innovation: Mokuhanga & Washi
2024 Juried International Mokuhanga Exhibition
Imadate Art Center, Echizen City, Japan
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.