Finding Wisdom: Community Printmaking and Programs

Everyone in the Charlottesville-Albemarle community is invited to participate in this collaborative public art project with visiting printmaker Amos Paul Kennedy Jr., our inaugural Frank Riccio Artist in Residence.

Finding Wisdom includes the creation of nearly 10,000 bold and colorful posters letterpress-printed by Kennedy and community members featuring sayings, quotes, and aphorisms submitted by central Virginia residents. The posters will be exhibited in March 2019 in dozens of locations ranging from coffee shops to City Hall, from schools to storefront windows, from Fashion Square Mall to the historic downtown mall, and from grocery stores to world heritage sites.
Learn more about the Amos Paul Kennedy Jr. artist residency

DROP-IN COMMUNITY PRINTMAKING EVENTS:
These programs are free and open to the public. Participants of all ages are invited to come make a letterpress poster with Kennedy on a small mobile press. Each event features one of the Finding Wisdom community aphorisms. Registration not required.

• Saturday March 9, 10 AM–2 PM | Charlottesville High School, 1400 Melbourne Rd.
  Presented by Charlottesville City Schools’ Art Connections Saturday Celebration
• Wednesday March 13, 6 PM–8 PM | Common House, 206 West Market St.Presented in partnership with Quirk Hotel, featuring food and drink for purchase and special guests from Virginia Humanities
• Thursday March 14, 4 PM–4:45 PM | JMRL Crozet Library, 2020 Library Ave., Crozet
• Saturday March 16, 2 PM– 4 PM | JMRL Central Branch, McIntire Room, 201 E. Market St.
• Thursday, March 21, 11 AM–1 PM | Welcome Gallery, 114 3^rd St. NE
  Presented in partnership with New City Arts Initiative and Second Street Gallery
• Sunday March 24, 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM | Fashion Square Mall, 1600 Rio Road E
  Presented by Albemarle Public Schools’ Fine Arts Celebration

SCREENING, DEMOS, AND ARTIST TALK:
These programs offer additional opportunities to learn about Kennedy’s work. Printing demos will include the chance for participants to make or take home a poster. All are free and open to the public, and registration is not required

• Screening of documentary film Proceed and Be Bold
  Sunday March 17, 3 PM | JMRL Central Branch, McIntire Room
• Virginia Festival of the Book – Lit Fair Printing Demonstration with Kennedy at the Omni
  Saturday March 23, 9:30 AM–2:00 PM | VA Festival of the Book, Omni Atrium (Note change in time)
• Virginia Festival of the Book – Printing Demonstration with Kennedy at the Center
  Sunday March 24, 12 PM–1 PM | VA Center for the Book, Jefferson School
• Virginia Festival of the Book – Amos Paul Kennedy Jr. Artist Talk at the Center
  Sunday March 24, 1 PM–2:30 PM | VA Center for the Book, Jefferson School
• Rare Book School Symposium: “Making & Teaching: Printing Technologies at Work”
  Presented by the Rare Book School.

HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS (registration required):
These workshops are free with advance registration required and presented as part of the Virginia Festival of the Book. Limited space is available. Participants will print a number of aphorisms with Kennedy at the Virginia Center for the Book’s letterpress and book arts studio in the Jefferson School.

• Wednesday March 20, 12 PM–2 PM | VA Center for the Book, Jefferson School
• Thursday March 21, 4 PM–7 PM | VA Center for the Book, Jefferson School
• Friday March 22, 12 PM–4 PM | VA Center for the Book, Jefferson School

Register for these HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS HERE!

Visit Finding Wisdom exhibit sites in our social media scavenger hunt!

The Finding Wisdom project and Kennedy’s residency visits are generously funded by the University of Virginia’s Executive Vice President & Provost’s Office. The Riccio Artist Residency Fund is generously supported by the Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation.