Last year Chronicle Books released a unique anthology publication titled “The New Brownies’ Book: A Love Letter to Black Families.” The display-worthy keepsake book features the work of more than 50 contemporary Black artists and writers, compiled by scholar Dr. Karida Brown and awardwinning artist Charly Palmer. The project was inspired by the original “Brownies’ Book: A Monthly Magazine for Children of the Sun,” which was published in the 1920s by W.E.B. Du Bois and the founders of the NAACP. It was the first periodical created for African-American youth.
Valerie Francis, owner of the sister galleries Knowhere Gallery and Center of Knowhere, has been instrumental in bringing the book and its co-creators to the attention of Vineyarders — locals and visitors alike. Most recently, Francis has devoted the Center of Knowhere to an exhibit titled “Children of the Sun,” featuring work by Palmer and a handful of other artists who contributed images to “The New Brownies’ Book.”
Palmer’s contributions include a number of images of Black children at play, mostly set in surroundings that will be familiar to Islanders. The children, sometimes accompanied by their parents, are seen enjoying a day at the beach, posing in Oak Bluffs’ Ocean Park. Mixed-media images include one titled “Ancestor’s Wings,” in which a Black boy is pictured as an angel with intricate design elements crowning his head. Another, titled “Three Kings (In the Paint),” features halo-like designs emanating from young boys’ heads.
Palmer created the album cover for John Legend’s 2020 “Bigger Love,” which won the Grammy for Best R and B Album Cover. Palmer provided a painting for the cover for Time Magazine’s “America Must Change” issue in 2020. He also completed a commission for the 1996 Olympics and the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Earlier this year Palmer was selected to create an image for the Black Heritage postage stamp series. A portrait by Palmer honors Constance Baker Motley (1921–2005), a civil rights pioneer, the first African American woman to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, and the first to serve as a federal judge.
Other artists featured in the “Children of the Sun” exhibit are photographer Tokie Rome-Taylor, printmaker Jamaal Barber, and mixed-media artists Lavett Ballard and Shanneil Clarke.
Rome-Taylor shows photos from her “Reclamation Series.” Black girls are featured striking poses of strength and power, wearing clothing reminiscent of early European dress.
On her website, Rome-Taylor writes, “The photographs are created with children exhibiting wisdom and self-awareness beyond their visible years, conjuring notions of passed-down ancestral knowledge. I incorporate found items that contain a history of people in the past that are domestic, and somewhat nostalgic. The use of fabrics and rich materials, as well as the layered directional lighting, are inspired by Renaissance paintings, which historically did not depict people of color. In this way, I continue to combat the erasure and omission of Black bodies, framing them in a position of elevation.”
Shanneill Clarke’s colorful mixed-media works feature children with elaborate hairstyles that radiate out like branches reaching for the sun, adorned with birds, flowers, and butterflies. On the Knowhere website, Clarke writes, “As an introspective figurative artist, I incorporate natural motifs and floral fabric patterns to express communication and determination in the figures’ pursuit of a better life.”
Jamaal Barber’s focus is on printmaking and woodcuts. His contributions to the exhibit include two works that combine figurative images with layers of bright colors and abstracted shapes.
Lavett Ballard’s mixed-media pieces are colorful, imaginative collages featuring photos of children — their faces adorned with masks or intricate face painting designs — suffused with images of huge flowers, fabric patterns, and lace-like designs. In the lower half of “Brown Girls and Bullies,” we see a photo of a woman being forcibly restrained by police officers and a “Black Lives Matter” sign.
“Children of the Sun” is not only the Center of Knowhere, it is a revelation of how that center holds true here.
“Children of the Sun” will hang at the Center of Knowhere on Circuit Ave. in Oak Bluffs for an extended period of time throughout the fall and into the winter.
