FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

The Haunts of Black Kirby 

Works from the Dawn of Afrofuturism 

Exhibit Opening Reception 

Sept. 2, 2023 | 7 - 9 p.m. | Jack Sinclair Gallery 

https://bit.ly/BKopening 

ArtsXchange to spotlight Afrofuturism with ‘The Haunts of Black Kirby’

Slate of interactive events surround exhibit of works by California artist duo through Oct. 28 

EAST POINT, Ga. — Imagination and liberation will collide at the ArtsXchange Saturday for the opening of The Haunts of Black Kirby, an electrifying exhibition of works from the dawn of Afrofuturism. 

The opening reception will be from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Jack Sinclair Gallery at ArtsXchange, 2148 Newnan St. in East Point. The gallery is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. The Haunts of Black Kirby will close on Oct. 28. https://www.artsxchange.org/exhibitions/the-haunts-of-black-kirby

The exhibit includes various events, from comic book illustration classes to a creative career feedback lab to the ArtsXchange’s fundraiser on Oct. 14—UnMask the Future, a cosplay party. 

Afrofuturism fuses science fiction, technology, and futuristic elements into literature, music and visual arts. The genre centers Black history and cultural experiences, weaving the past and present into an exploration of a future free from Western ideals and repression. 

“If together, we could create a world full of beauty and wonder, what would it be?” said ArtsXchange board president Cheryl Johnson. “We believe that the power of art takes us beyond a dream into the light. We are inviting people to dream with us and using art as a tool to get us there.” 

Black Kirby—the pseudonym of the acclaimed visual artists and professors John Jennings and Stacey Robinson, and a nod to W.E.B. DuBois’ theory of double consciousness—are Alchemists. They take raw materials from Black history, hip hop, and comic book mythology and remix them to create new universes, never-before seen technologies, and biting satires about the world. Each of the Black Kirby images serves as a funky, rare artifact from an alternate universe; fully formed and autonomous from its earthly origins. 

The artwork is on loan from the Atlanta University Center (AUC) Robert W. Woodruff Library. The exhibit is derived from The Alchemist’s Notebook: The Satire, Remixes, and Haunts of Black Kirby, an exhibition organized by the library in 2019. 

For more information or to register for events, see artsxchange.org/upcomingevents. 

SCHEDULE OF EXHIBIT EVENTS: 

• Sept 13 - Learn more about Procreate software. Bring your iPad, iPhone, or digital tablet. Led by Tracy Murrell. Ages 14+. 6 pm. $10. 

• Sept 16 - Community Class: Introduction to Comic Book Illustration for Youth. Led by Marcus Williams. Ages 10+. 1 pm. FREE. 

• Sept 27 - Ekphrastic Poetry* in the Gallery. Wednesday Writer’s Workshop led by Theresa Davis. All ages. 7 pm. FREE. 

• Sept 30 - Community Discussion: “Afrofuturism, Its Relevance in Today's Environment and the Path Forward for Artists.” Panelists are visual artists Tracy Murrell, Marcus Williams, rEN Dillard, and curator Clint Fluker. Moderated by Ric Washington. All ages. 4 pm. FREE. 

• Oct 4 - Archival Special Viewing: "Afro-Surrealism, the Negritude Movement, and the Archival Roots of Afrofuturism,” will be at the AUC Woodruff Library Archives Research Center, 111 James P Brawley Dr. SW. All Ages. 5-7 pm. FREE. 

• Oct 7 - Community Class: Intermediate Illustration Class for Adults. Led by Marcus Williams. Ages 16+. 1 pm. $10. 

• Oct 11 - Community Class: Experience the process of creating a piece of Afrofuturistic artwork. Led by rEN Dillard. Ages 21+. 6 pm. $10. 

• Oct 14 - Creative Feedback & Career Lab: For Projects in Progress. Led by Marcus Williams, rEN Dillard, and Tracy Murrell. All Ages. 4 pm. FREE. 

• Oct 25 - Ekphrastic Poetry* in the Gallery. Wednesday Writer’s Workshop led by Theresa Davis. All ages. 7 pm. FREE. 

*An ekphrastic poem is a vivid description of a work of art, narrating and reflecting on the “action” of a painting. 

ABOUT THE ARTSXCHANGE 

The ArtsXchange, d/b/a the Southeast Community Cultural Center, was incorporated in 1983 and opened The Arts Exchange In 1984 in Grant Park, reshaping the landscape of Metro Atlanta’s arts scene. In East Point since 2017, the ArtsXchange empowers artists, social justice activists, and creative entrepreneurs to engage communities with innovative artistic learning experiences and cultural exchange. Our programming is designed to be inclusive, diverse, and to encourage positive change as participants come to a better understanding of themselves and others. Our art is our activism. Learn more here. 

ABOUT THE WOODRUFF LIBRARY 

Constructed in 1982, the Atlanta University Center (AUC) Robert W. Woodruff Library supports the teaching, learning and research missions of the world’s largest consortium of HBCUs: Clark Atlanta University, the Interdenominational Theological Center, Morehouse College and Spelman College. The library is home to the Archives Research Center, which is noted for its extensive and unique holdings of materials on the African American experience, including the John Henrik Clarke Africana and African American Collection and the Henry P. Slaughter and Countee Cullen Memorial Collection. The library also serves as custodian of the Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collection. Learn more here.