Correction: Celebrated Printmaker to Present Workshop, Lecture

Photo Submitted

Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr. (photo by Terry Manier)

CORRECTION: The workshop listed below is open only to University of Arkansas art students.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Amos Paul Kennedy Jr., a renowned letterpress printer based in Alabama, will present a lecture at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, in room 213 in the Fine Arts Center, following a letterpress printing workshop from 1:20 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. in room 208. The lecture is free and open to the public. The printing workshop is for university art students only.

Known for his uniform of a pink shirt and overalls and his provocative political and racial commentary, Kennedy, the proprietor of Kennedy Prints! abandoned his career as a computer programmer to become a printmaker at the age of 40. He has been producing personal and commissioned prints ever since from his studio in Gordo, Ala., 20 miles west of Tuscaloosa. He also travels the country spreading his philosophies about life and the art of printmaking.

A self-proclaimed "humble Negro printer," Kennedy is known for his controversial sense of humor and radical philosophies on the American consciousness. His work pushes the boundaries of society, raises questions about the status quo and forces viewers to seek the depth beyond his prints.

Kennedy is passionate about teaching the art of printmaking to anyone who wants to learn, and is always prepared to share his philosophy that everyone should stay true to his or her own creative passion above the search for wealth or success.

“If you follow the thing that you love—that creative process that you love the most—it will provide for you,” Kennedy said during a recent visit to Dartmouth University.

The artist’s current project is the construction of a printing plant in Detroit for anyone interested in letterpress printing, bookbinding and papermaking.

He received his master of fine arts from the University of Wisconsin and his work is on display at museums and galleries across the U.S. and Europe. Kennedy was also featured in the 2008 documentary Proceed and Be Bold! by Laura Zinger.

A selection of Kennedy's prints are on display in the Fine Arts Center exhibition cases until Thursday, Feb. 28. His exhibition and visit are sponsored by the department of art in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences as part of a series of events at the University of Arkansas honoring African American History Month.

For more information about the workshop and lecture, contact the department of art at 479-575-5202 or artdept@uark.edu.