Exhibitions & Events


Paper Stories, Layered Dreams: The Art of Ekua Holmes​
Jul
17
to Jan 23

Paper Stories, Layered Dreams: The Art of Ekua Holmes​

A lifelong resident of Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood, Ekua Holmes (b. 1955) is an artist and community activist whose body of work explores themes of childhood, family bonds, memory, and resilience. This exhibition focuses on her award-winning children’s book illustrations—vibrant collages revealing stories of self-determination, love, and community that reflect the artist’s distinctive vision and commitment to Black imagery.

View Event →
Garden for Boston
May
1
to Sep 5

Garden for Boston

Between May and September, artists and activists Ekua Holmes (African American, b. 1955) and Elizabeth James-Perry (Aquinnah Wampanoag, b. 1973) will create a “Garden for Boston” outside the MFA’s main entrance. The two installations that comprise this exhibition, in dialogue with each other and the surrounding space, reshape the grounds around Cyrus Dallin’s monumental bronze sculpture Appeal to the Great Spirit (1909) with sunflowers and corn—ephemeral plants that are nonetheless part of the endless cycles of nature and long histories of New England land.

View Event →
Cousen Rose Gallery
Aug
17
to Sep 14

Cousen Rose Gallery

Ekua Holmes’ collages will be on exhibit at Cousen Rose Gallery starting on Saturday, August 17, from 7 to 9 pm. Her books, “The Stuff of Stars” and “Out of Wonder,” will also be available.

View Event →
Finding Fannie Lou: An Illustrator's Journey with Ekua Holmes | The Virginia Association of School Librarians Annual Conference
Oct
22

Finding Fannie Lou: An Illustrator's Journey with Ekua Holmes | The Virginia Association of School Librarians Annual Conference

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

View Event →
Boston Book Festival: Paper Doll Portraits
Oct
15

Boston Book Festival: Paper Doll Portraits

When civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer was a child and was not feeling good about herself, her mom gave her a doll to inspire her to love herself and believe that she was beautiful and valued. The doll was most likely made by someone in their neighborhood using bits and scraps of fabric, ribbon, and yarn. It was made to look like Fannie Lou and wore a dress in her signature sunflower yellow. This story and others from Fannie Lou’s life are brilliantly illustrated by Ekua Holmes in the Caldecott Honor Book Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement. Now, with Holmes’s help, it’s your turn! If someone were to make a doll or action figure that looked like you, what would it look like? Let’s find out. Make a figure or doll that looks like you using bits and scraps of paper. What colors, clothes do you like to wear? What is the shape of your nose and eyes? What is the color and style of your hair? If you like to read, add a book. If you like sports or music find some way to convey those activities. Using cut shapes and colors, create a Paper Doll portrait of YOU!

View Event →
MLK Google Doodle
Jan
20

MLK Google Doodle

In 2014 I was asked to create a collage to commemorate the birthday and life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for Google.com. It was an honor to share in the world-wide celebration of a great man who brought more light and love into our world.

View Event →