Opening Reception -"Drawings Through Time" by Leon Hicks

Venvi Art Gallery is pleased to present Drawings Through Time, a solo exhibition by Leon Hicks. It will feature selected works from his latest series of graphite drawings titled American Boy, alongside some of his other drawings and sketches such as his Iconic Caper and My Home Town series. Drawings Through Time will be showcasing numerous drawings and sketches from Mr. Hicks’ decades-long career. These works include his latest series of six graphite drawings titled American Boy, he has since completed 3 more. Selected works from his Iconic Caper series, which features sixteen graphite drawings and works from his series My Home Town, which is composed of five drawings will also be featured. Alongside those series, Drawings Through Time also will feature some of Mr. Hicks’ untitled sketches. For over half a century, Leon Hicks has been a well-known printmaker and scholar of African American art, with his work being included in the Smithsonian Institution. His engravings have brought him international attention, along with two grants from the National Endowment for Humanities. According to Mr. Hicks, “Art is an intellectual endeavor. It is the affairs of the mind and imaginations that reconcile art. The skills needed, honed and developed in the pursuit of art, real art, begin in the mind and then subsequently become technique. In almost 90 years of life [he has] concluded that the single most important word for the process of art is serendipity, and [he believes his] work to be serendipitous.” Throughout Mr. Hicks’ career, he has presented numerous workshops, received awards and has been mentioned in many publications. These publications include the NEH Grant (1969, 1974), Elizabeth Catlett Mora Award of Excellence (1978), Engraving Workshop (Illinois State University; Normal IL, Carleton College; Northfield, MN, Jackson State; Jackson, MS, University of Missouri, Colombia, MO), Prints by American Negro Artists (Cultural Exchange Center of Los Angeles), Black Artists on Art (authors Samella Lewis/Ruth Waddy), Art News, and American Artists: A Bio-Bibliographical Directory (editor Theresa Dickson/Holm Cedar). Mr. Hicks’ works have been displayed in various solo and group exhibitions nationwide. Back in February 2022, he exhibited locally in Tallahassee’s City Hall with his show titled Indelible Marks. Many corporations, universities, and museums have also exhibited his works. These include The University of Florida, The 7UP Company, The Oakland Art Museum, Atlanta University, Southwestern Bell Corporation, Charleston Art Gallery, Tuskegee Institute, Brandywine Graphic Workshop, Albrecht Art Museum and the Library of Congress. According to James Burke, St. Louis Art Museum’s director, “every major museum in the country ought to have a Hicks engraving in its collection as the St. Louis Museum does”. Drawings Through Time will be open from March 1st to April 28th, with the opening reception being held on March 15th from 5-8pm. Venvi Art Gallery is located at 2901 East Park Avenue Tallahassee, FL 32301. For more information about the exhibition, visit www.venviartgallery.com.