Citizen Printer Exhibition Reception

Letterform Archive’s fifth gallery exhibition, Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr.: Citizen Printer, explores the bold language, graphic typography, and colorful layering in a wide variety of printed artifacts such as broadsides, maps, church fans, handbills and oversized posters produced throughout his career.

Encompassing the evolving trajectory of Black liberation in the United States, from growing up in the ’60s during the Civil Rights Era, to the rise of Black Nationalism in the ’70s, to the present Post-Civil Rights era, Kennedy has seen how these movements have shaped Black identity in the United States and has drawn from this as inspiration.

Curated by designer and author Kelly Walters, Letterform Archive’s exhibition also includes a few lesser-known artist’s books that showcase Kennedy’s early start with letterpress printing and bookbinding. Together, these works demonstrate the rich cultural traditions of Black printing and the importance of Black authorship.

Join Kennedy and Walters at Letterform Archive for this solo exhibition featuring over 150 type-driven artifacts from the self-described “humble negro printer.” Limited advance copies of Kennedy’s exciting new monograph, plus Sista Said—a series of original letterpress prints featuring words of wisdom from Black women in social justice and the arts—will be available for signing. We’ll provide refreshments and a wonderful opportunity to engage in conversation with Kennedy, Walters, and others in our staff and community.