The Life Through Art Series interweaves the work and life experiences of two Black Artists: connecting the old as reflected by the late Ezekiel Gibbs' work, to the new as in the work by Annette Lawrence. Each artist offers an interesting look at their particular discipline, Ezekiel Gibbs: Folk Art and Annette Lawrence: Installation Art.
Our Life Through Art series would be an excellent addition to African-American Studies and Art History & Appreciation curriculums for Higher Education all over the country. Stay tuned for future episodes!
Your annual subscription to our Video on Demand (SVOD) can be used as a supplemental online curriculum resource. The impact of human experience and the lessons learned will resonate in each episode as students watch the artistic development and growth of each artist.
"My art appreciation emerged through the artwork of my grandfather: Ezekiel Gibbs. Our family was unfamiliar with Folk Art and initially disregarded the talent that was emerging from our 86 year old family member. Once I was aware of the importance of the work — as praised by others — I immediately began videotaping our conversations and his stories that were his life through art." - Linda Gibbs
The Denton Black Film Festival shares stories of the Black community – our traditions, ideas and experiences – in a multitude of ways. Each festival, held annually in January, features Black cinema, music, art, spoken word, comedy, food and fashion as their way of bringing the Black experience to life.
Episode 1 defines FOLK ART: an especially unique art form heralded by the African-American community. It also chronicles the rise of African-American Folk Artist, Ezekiel Gibbs, who began his career at age 86. Gibbs, at the time, was the oldest working artist in Texas and quickly gained popularity in his community and across the country.
Episode 2 defines INSTALLATION ART and features Annette Lawrence: an African-American installation artist with a special interest in the passage of time and an environmentally conscious workflow that makes the most of commonplace material. From recycled string to brown paper to junk mail, Annette wastes nothing from everyday life.
Director of Photography
Director and Producer
Set Photographer and Editor
Co-Producer and Editor
Director of Photography
Ezekiel used oil pastels, watercolors, and crayons for his paintings, with a strong focus on the agricultural, animal, and religious imagery from his 50-years of life experience as a sharecropper and Church Deacon.
Photograph by William Steen
Annette's large-scale installations made of postal string, brown paper, and packing tape have been featured at the Museum of Fine Arts: Houston, Glassell School of Art, and Dallas Museum of Art, among others.
Photograph by Brad Flowers
After 20 years of research, Gibbs Media Group had the honor of hosting its first episode of Life Through Art at the Houston Glassell School of Art on August 15, 2019 in the Favrot Auditorium. Family and close friends were given private access to the first official viewing of "LTA: Folk Art." (Photo by Richard Barnes)
Filming Annette Lawrence and her artful story of time was amazing! We had great developments in theme, and deep connections between Annette's art and her philosophy. We are honored to have had the chance to tell the story of this extraordinary woman of color.
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