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Venvi Art Gallery is pleased to present Drawings Through Time, a solo exhibition by Leon Hicks. It will feature selected works from his latest series of graphite drawings titled American Boy, alongside some of his other drawings and sketches such as his Iconic Caper and My Home Town series.

Drawings Through Time will be showcasing numerous drawings and sketches from Mr. Hicks’ decades-long career. These works include his latest series of six graphite drawings titled American Boy, he has since completed 3 more. Selected works from his Iconic Caper series, which features sixteen graphite drawings and works from his series My Home Town, which is composed of five drawings will also be featured. Alongside those series, Drawings Through Time also will feature some of Mr. Hicks’ untitled sketches.

For over half a century, Leon Hicks has been a well-known printmaker and scholar of African American art, with his work being included in the Smithsonian Institution. His engravings have brought him international attention, along with two grants from the National Endowment for Humanities. According to Mr. Hicks, “Art is an intellectual endeavor. It is the affairs of the mind and imaginations that reconcile art. The skills needed, honed and developed in the pursuit of art, real art, begin in the mind and then subsequently become technique. In almost 90 years of life [he has] concluded that the single most important word for the process of art is serendipity, and [he believes his] work to be serendipitous."

Throughout Mr. Hicks’ career, he has presented numerous workshops, received awards and has been mentioned in many publications. These publications include the NEH Grant (1969, 1974), Elizabeth Catlett Mora Award of Excellence (1978), Engraving Workshop (Illinois State University; Normal IL, Carleton College; Northfield, MN, Jackson State; Jackson, MS, University of Missouri, Colombia, MO), Prints by American Negro Artists (Cultural Exchange Center of Los Angeles), Black Artists on Art (authors Samella Lewis/Ruth Waddy), Art News, and American Artists: A Bio-Bibliographical Directory (editor Theresa Dickson/Holm Cedar).

Mr. Hicks’ works have been displayed in various solo and group exhibitions nationwide. Back in February 2022, he exhibited locally in Tallahassee’s City Hall with his show titled Indelible Marks. Many corporations, universities, and museums have also exhibited his works. These include The University of Florida, The 7UP Company, The Oakland Art Museum, Atlanta University, Southwestern Bell Corporation, Charleston Art Gallery, Tuskegee Institute, Brandywine Graphic Workshop, Albrecht Art Museum and the Library of Congress. According to James Burke, St. Louis Art Museum’s director, “every major museum in the country ought to have to have a Hicks engraving in its collection as the St. Louis Museum does”.

Drawings Through Time will be open from March 1^st to April 28^th, with the opening reception being held on March 15^th from 5-8pm. Venvi Art Gallery is located at 2901 East Park Avenue Tallahassee, FL 32301. For more information about the exhibition, visit www.venviartgallery.com.

Venvi Art Gallery is pleased to present Drawings Through Time, a solo exhibition by Leon Hicks. It will feature selected works from his latest series of graphite drawings titled American Boy, alongside some of his other drawings and sketches such as his Iconic Caper and My Home Town series.

Drawings Through Time will be showcasing numerous drawings and sketches from Mr. Hicks’ decades-long career. These works include his latest series of six graphite drawings titled American Boy, he has since completed 3 more. Selected works from his Iconic Caper series, which features sixteen graphite drawings and works from his series My Home Town, which is composed of five drawings will also be featured. Alongside those series, Drawings Through Time also will feature some of Mr. Hicks’ untitled sketches.

For over half a century, Leon Hicks has been a well-known printmaker and scholar of African American art, with his work being included in the Smithsonian Institution. His engravings have brought him international attention, along with two grants from the National Endowment for Humanities. According to Mr. Hicks, “Art is an intellectual endeavor. It is the affairs of the mind and imaginations that reconcile art. The skills needed, honed and developed in the pursuit of art, real art, begin in the mind and then subsequently become technique. In almost 90 years of life [he has] concluded that the single most important word for the process of art is serendipity, and [he believes his] work to be serendipitous."

Throughout Mr. Hicks’ career, he has presented numerous workshops, received awards and has been mentioned in many publications. These publications include the NEH Grant (1969, 1974), Elizabeth Catlett Mora Award of Excellence (1978), Engraving Workshop (Illinois State University; Normal IL, Carleton College; Northfield, MN, Jackson State; Jackson, MS, University of Missouri, Colombia, MO), Prints by American Negro Artists (Cultural Exchange Center of Los Angeles), Black Artists on Art (authors Samella Lewis/Ruth Waddy), Art News, and American Artists: A Bio-Bibliographical Directory (editor Theresa Dickson/Holm Cedar).

Mr. Hicks’ works have been displayed in various solo and group exhibitions nationwide. Back in February 2022, he exhibited locally in Tallahassee’s City Hall with his show titled Indelible Marks. Many corporations, universities, and museums have also exhibited his works. These include The University of Florida, The 7UP Company, The Oakland Art Museum, Atlanta University, Southwestern Bell Corporation, Charleston Art Gallery, Tuskegee Institute, Brandywine Graphic Workshop, Albrecht Art Museum and the Library of Congress. According to James Burke, St. Louis Art Museum’s director, “every major museum in the country ought to have to have a Hicks engraving in its collection as the St. Louis Museum does”.

Drawings Through Time will be open from March 1^st to April 28^th, with the opening reception being held on March 15^th from 5-8pm. Venvi Art Gallery is located at 2901 East Park Avenue Tallahassee, FL 32301. For more information about the exhibition, visit www.venviartgallery.com.

Join Domi Station for an unforgettable evening celebrating local leaders and small businesses at the 2024 Domi Awards, happening Thursday, March 28th @6pm at the Capital City Country Club! Enjoy a dazzling night of recognition, dinner, and inspiring stories, including a keynote from President and CEO of Team 180 Consulting, Victoria V. Zepp. Submit your nominations and purchase your tickets here.

"A raucous but also sensitive and insightful view on why the Sunshine State really is different." -Kirkus Review

Midtown Reader is excited to welcome Diane Roberts for the re-release of her book, Dream State, which features a new preface!

About the Book:

Part family memoir, part political commentary, part apologia, Dream State tells the grand and sometimes crazy story of Florida through the eyes of one of its native daughters. Acclaimed journalist and NPR commentator Diane Roberts has many family secrets to tell as she reveals how her ancestors settled in Florida and wove themselves into the very fabric of the state.

With a storyteller's talent for setting great scenes, Roberts lays out the sweeping history of eight generations of Browards and Bradfords, Tuckers and Robertses. Rendering Florida's inhabitants with a deep, familial affection and exposing the real people whom Carl Hiaasen and Elmore Leonard fictionalized for years, Dream State ultimately reveals the cogs and wheels that make the state tick.

About Diane Roberts:

Diane Roberts is an 8th-generation Floridian, born and bred in Tallahassee, which probably explains her unhealthy fascination with Florida politics and college football. Educated at Florida State University and Oxford University in England, she has been writing for newspapers since 1983, when she began producing columns on the legislature for the Florida Flambeau. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, the Times of London, the Guardian, the Washington Post, the Oxford American, The New Republic, and The Atlantic Monthly. She was a commentator on NPR for 22 years and continues to contribute radio essays to that network as well as pieces for the BBC. In addition, she writes weekly for the political website The Florida Phoenix.

Roberts is also the author of four books, most recently Dream State, a historical memoir of her Florida family, and Tribal: College Football and the Secret Heart of America. She lives in Tallahassee, except for the times she runs off to Great Britain, desperate for a different government to be mad at.

Join Midtown Reader for our Meet and Greet Happy Hour! Stop by to grab a drink from the Piebrary and meet authors D.B. Maroon and D.S. Marquis.

About Black Lives American Love:

BLACK LIVES AMERICAN LOVE is a new book of essays by cultural anthropologist D.B. Maroon. The essays are powerful first-person accounts of how racial conflicts and rising white nationalism play out in the lives of individuals and communities across America.

Stories told in this collection cover the challenges of racialized inequality and the possibilities of transformation in hard times. These essays probe questions of race and reconciliation in America. What does it feel like for a Black woman to have White Nationalist neighbors? How do new laws preventing teachers from telling true stories of American history affect children and communities? What does it take for victims of police brutality to overcome their trauma? How can anti-racist activists balance self-preservation while pursuing social justice? The golden thread of each essay in BLACK LIVES AMERICAN LOVE is a call to greater truth as the first step toward racial reconciliation.

About D.B. Maroon:

D.B. Maroon: D.B. Maroon is the author of Black Lives, American Love, a book of hard-hitting essays on American culture, race, and the path to reconciliation within. She is the CEO of a social research institute and holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from UC Santa Cruz. Previous essays by DB Maroon have been published in Her work has been published in Spirit and Flame: An Anthology of Contemporary African American Poetry; Spirited: Affirming the Soul and Black Gay Lesbian Identity; and Publics, Politics, and Participation.

About Of School and Women:

Enter 80s Florida, a world before smartphones and computers, when information traveled via television, radio, jukeboxes, and pay phones. Showing up was the only way to make friends and find jobs. The news was filled with the Iran Contra Affair and the War on Drugs. Airports had no Transportation Security Administration (TSA). And college students completed assignments on paper with typewriters.

This is the world of Lynette Autry and Marie Martinez, two badass undergrads - one cautious, one impulsive, both a mix of grit and vulnerability. They're learned that life is messy, and they're determined to clean it up by finishing school. Whether their affirmations come from Shakespeare and Einstein - or maybe even prayer and clergy -, they are under the influence of pop culture, nature, and their own snappy catchphrases. A favorite? If you can't be good, be careful.

Their freewheeling experiences, almost farce but grounded in reality, are the heart of this near-miss narrative that not only entertains, but intimately sheds light on serious women's issues, working student issues, and the trials of adulting and finding love. This book reminds us about the importance of friendship and laughter, and especially about how anyone can be one weak moment away from falling victim to scams or a life-altering mistake.

About D.S. Marquis:

D.S. Marquis grew up and was educated in the United States. She moved a lot while growing up, living on the East Coast, West Coast, and down South. She earned her BS in English education from Florida State University and is a current member of The Authors Guild. Marquis has worked as a property manager, teacher, paralegal, military reservist, and a variety of odd jobs, while raising a family, and writing and researching Of School and Women, based on her days as an undergrad at FSU and bartender at the Tallahassee Airport Lounge. Marquis will be donating a portion of the book profits to a charity that supports survivors of human trafficking.

The Apalachicola Area Historical Society invites guests to join them for their annual Spring Historic Ghost Walk on Saturday, May 18, 2024 from 6:30-8:30 pm at the Chestnut Street Cemetery on Highway 98 in Apalachicola. This year's theme, "Coming to America: Early Settlers in Apalachicola," will delve into the captivating stories of the city's early settlers who journeyed across the sea to call Apalachicola their home. All proceeds from the Ghost Walk benefit the preservation of the Chestnut Street Cemetery.

All adventurous souls are summoned to an evening of intrigue and discovery at the Spring Ghost Walk to meet Apalachicola's citizens from the other side and hear legends and lore from the past. Hauntings will abound when local history enthusiasts don the garb and embody the persona of the cemetery’s notable inhabitants to tell their tale of life and death in Apalachicola from more than 180 years ago. Visitors are guided through the cemetery along candle-lit paths to meet some of Apalachicola’s historic citizens.

Tickets will be on sale soon at the Raney House Museum, online at http://www.apalachicolahistoricalsociety.org and at the gate on the day of the event. Admission for this unique and unforgettable experience is $10 for adults and free for students. The Raney House Museum is located at 128 Market Street, at the corner of Avenue F in historic downtown Apalachicola and is open from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm Tuesday through Saturday.

The historic Chestnut Street Cemetery is located at the corner of Ave E (Hwy 98) & 8th St in Apalachicola, Florida. Funded in part by the Franklin County Tourist Development Council. For more information: http://www.apalachicolahistoricalsociety.org, 850-653-1700 (leave a message) or AAHS.raney@gmail.com.

Inspired by the exhibition All Hands on Deck: 15 Years of Collaboration with Small Craft Advisory Press, join MoFA interns Caelen and Gabby as they teach you how to create three different book structures, a Jacob's Ladder book, Flip Flap book, and a sewn pamphlet. This event is free and open to the public, and all materials are provided.

Inspired by the exhibition All Hands on Deck: 15 Years of Collaboration with Small Craft Advisory Press, join MoFA interns Caelen and Gabby as they teach you how to create three different book structures, a Jacob's Ladder book, Flip Flap book, and a sewn pamphlet. This event is free and open to the public, and all materials are provided.

The crew at Small Craft Advisory Press is excited to announce the All Hands on Deck: 15 Years of Collaboration at Small Craft Advisory Press Panel Discussion. We're diving deeper into the history of the press, including its beginnings, projects, and methods, in a discussion with some of its most important past collaborators. The panel will be moderated by Cristina Favretto, Head of Special Collections, University of Miami, and feature AB Gorham, Lee Emma Running, Sandra Simonds, and Jay Snodgrass. Join us at The Museum of Fine Arts Room 249!

Venvi Art Gallery is pleased to present Leon Hicks’ solo exhibition "Drawings Through Time" from March 1st to April 28th. Aside from his current series of graphite drawings "American Boy", select drawings from his series "My Home Town", "Iconic Capers", and his previously untitled sketches will be on display.

"Drawings Through Time" showcases numerous drawings and sketches from Mr. Hicks’ decades-long career. These works include his latest series of six graphite drawings titled "American Boy", nine works from his "Iconic Caper" series, and seven works from his series "My Home Town". Alongside those series, "Drawings Through Time" also features five of Mr. Hicks’ previously untitled sketches: three titled "Nude" and two titled "Pencil Drawing".

"American Boy" is Mr. Hicks’ most recent series of graphite drawings. He created this series of drawings in 2024 and has since made 3 more. Given Mr. Hicks’ extensive career and contributions to the arts, he decided to return to his roots, or metaphorical conception with this series of drawings. Mr. Hicks believes he is born American, before anything else. My Home Town, another series featured in "Drawings Through Time", is a series of graphite drawings depicting Gainesville, Florida, Mr. Hicks' hometown. This series, influenced by cubist art, pays homage to Greco-Roman architecture, symbolizes the stature and solidarity of the U.S.

"Iconic Capers", created in 2006, is a series of monoprints created with Mr. Hicks’ copyrighted monoprint technique. This involves using oil pastels, mylar sheets, Elmer's glue, and Thai Unryu paper. The mylar sheets act as transfer sheets for the final print. "Nude" and "Pencil Drawing" are Mr. Hicks' previously untitled graphite sketches. "Nude" is titled as such due to its depiction of the human figure, while "Pencil Drawing" is named for its medium and lack of a defined subject unlike "Nude".

Mr. Hicks’ works have been displayed in various solo and group exhibitions nationwide. Many corporations, universities, and museums have also exhibited his works. These include The University of Florida, The 7UP Company, The Oakland Art Museum, Atlanta University, Southwestern Bell Corporation, Charleston Art Gallery, Tuskegee Institute, Brandywine Graphic Workshop, Albrecht Art Museum and the Library of Congress. Back in February 2022, he exhibited locally in Tallahassee’s City Hall with his show titled Indelible Marks. According to James Burke, St. Louis Art Museum’s director, “every major museum in the country ought to have a Hicks engraving in its collection as the St. Louis Museum does”.

"Drawings Through Time" will be on display until April 28th, with an art reception being held on April 5th from 5-8pm. Venvi Art Gallery is located at 2901 East Park Avenue Tallahassee, FL 32301. For more information about "Drawings Through Time" and Leon Hicks’ works, visit www.venviartgallery.com.