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Butler shows Kennedy’s poster art

Amos Paul Kennedy Jr.’s “The Art Is on the Wall Not on the Posters” opens Sunday at the Butler Institute of American Art.

The Louisiana-born artist earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Grambling State University in 1972. His interest in art didn’t start until age 40, when he visited Colonial Williamsburg and became mesmerized by its 18th century print shop and book bindery demonstration.

He started studying printing in Chicago and within a year quit his job as a systems analyst with AT&T to focus on printmaking. He studied with book designer Walter Hamady at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned his master’s degree in 1997.

Kennedy creates prints, posters and postcards from handset wood and metal type, oil-based inks, and eco-friendly and affordable chipboard. Many of the posters are inspired from proverbs, and quotes Kennedy locates or quotes that potential clients provide.

Having grown up during the Civil Rights Era in the 1960s, Kennedy saw the rise of Black Nationalism in the 1970s, and now living in the Post-Civil Rights era, Kennedy has seen how these have shaped black identity and has used these as inspiration in his work.

His work is a blend of social commentary, folk art and graphic design, creating resonant pieces that challenge traditional boundaries of art and politics.

Kennedy is known to use the words of popular activists like Rosa Parks and peaceful protests like the Selma to Montgomery marches to illustrate the names of lost lives during these movements. The words themselves are central to Kennedy’s work, serving not just as visuals but to convey messages that are thought-provoking and sometimes confrontational.

His work has been exhibited at museums, galleries and libraries, including the Museum of Modern Art Library in New York and the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University.

“The Art Is on the Wall Not on the Posters” will be on display through March 30 at the Butler, 524 Wick Ave., Youngtown. A meet-the-artist reception is scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m. Feb. 15. Admission is free.

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