Chicago native held his first exhibition at the South Side Community Art Center
Jesse Howard, a Chicago native from the West Side, held his first exhibition entitled "The Spirit of Community" on Dec. 5, 2020, at the South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC).
The exhibition will display a narrative of three different phases: the disenfranchisement of young African Americans and millennials, the mothers of the church who wear flamboyant hats, and African Americans in protest.
Howard's artwork consists of mediums created out of a mixture of charcoal, acrylic paint, pastel, and objects off the streets of Chicago. Before Howard became a professional artist in the late 70s, he used his mother's kitchen table as his canvas to draw and doodle at the age of four.
Guests have to make a reservation online through Eventbrite and agree to follow SSCAC health practices before attending the event. There is no cost to attend. The exhibition is temporarily closed to the public but will open on Dec. 19 2020, for the second viewing of the display.
In the public's eyes, Howard believes he is known as an artist who uses art to portray the social issues and disenfranchisement of African Americans. In addition to that, Howard sees himself as a competitor, entrepreneur, and someone who can express himself visually through art.
"I'm more interested in not illustrating, you know, graphically about what is going on with African Americans in the country. But I'm more interested in the effect that political policies have on black folks," Howard said.
For example, Howard shared, "I see the homelessness. I can see the desperation. I can see the self-hatred. All of this is because of systemic racism."