The Gift of Words

Photo by Shereen Williams

Children's book author and illustrator, Adjoa Burrowes reads the picture book Destiny's Gift to students at Seaton Elementary school in Washington D.C. during Literacy Night. Destiny's Gift is a contemporary story about a young African American girl and her love for books. When her favorite neighborhood bookstore is threatened to go out of business, Destiny, along with her family and community, devise creative ways to save it. During Literacy Night, Burrowes, along with Seaton art teacher Terry Thomas and Corcoran student teacher, Indigo lead students in a step-by-step hands-on art workshop in which they created portraits using cut papers.

Behind the Scenes Freedom Prints

Hand printing from the woodblock using Japanese paper.

I gave a presentation called Freedom Prints on Wednesday, October 22, 2014 at the Corcoran School of Arts and Design auditorium. The wood cut prints were the result of my summer independent studio work. The imagery grew out of interviews I conducted over the summer with selected family members including my daughter, youngest son and niece on their conceptions of freedom. In the presentation I shared initial sketches, cut-paper stencils, journal entries, and poetry. 

Opening Exhibition Carving Out Freedom

I was so thrilled to see the fruit of our collective hard work at the opening of the exhibition at the University of Maryland, College Park. John Shipman did a fabulous job curating the exhibition and thoughtfully incorporated not only the monumental size steam roller printed woodcuts, but also proofs, writings, working notes from sessions, photos and the actual wood plates. 

This collaborative community project created by students and faculty from the Corcoran, the University of Maryland, and members of THEARC community will be on display in the back gallery through October 17, 2014 - See more at: http://www.artgallery.umd.edu/exhibition/carving-out-freedom-piecing-community#sthash.paRy6yCg.dpuf

Carving out Freedom Exhibit

I was so lucky to be involved in this fabulous collaborative community project this summer that culminated with the "Carving out Freedom, Piecing a Community" exhibit. This exhibition examines the essence of "freedom," or lack thereof, through visual imagery, stories, poems, and oral interviews. Monumental steamroller-printed woodcuts were created by students and faculty from the Corcoran, the University of Maryland, and members of THEARC community and are displayed in The Art Gallery’s back gallery. On view through October 17, 2014. - See more at: http://www.artgallery.umd.edu/exhibition/carving-out-freedom-piecing-community#sthash.paRy6yCg.dpuf