Anthology of Blackness: The State of Black Design
Keynote Address & Book Signing // Jennifer White-Johnson
Anthology of Blackness: The State of Black Design ///
Keynote Address & Book Signing Jennifer White-Johnson
Wednesday, May 1⋅6:00pm – 7:30pm
Albin O'Kuhn Library Gallery
UMBC Visual Arts alumni Jennifer White-Johnson, will give a keynote address about her work and experiences as a Black professional in design and discuss her contributions to the recently published Anthology of Blackness: The State of Black Design. After her talk, Jennifer will sign books for the audience.
If you need any specific accommodations at this event, please contact the Visual Arts Department at 410-455-2150 as soon as possible.
Speaker bio
Jen White-Johnson (she/they) is a distinguished Afro-Latina artist, activist, designer, and educator, whose creative expressions delve into the intersection of content and caregiving. With a profound focus on reshaping ableist visual culture, Jen, an artist-educator grappling with Graves disease and ADHD, brings a heart-centered and electric approach to disability advocacy.
Her invaluable contributions to these movements manifest through powerful and dynamic art and media that simultaneously educate, bridge divergent worlds, and envision a future reflective of her Autistic son's experiences. Jen's activism extends to collaborations with notable brands and art spaces, including Coachella, Target, and Adobe, both in print and digital realms.
Her photography and design work have gained recognition in esteemed publications such as Art in America, Juxtapoz Magazine, AfroPunk, and she has contributed insightful essays to publications like "After Universal Design: The Disability Design Revolution" and "An Anthology of Blackness." Notably, Jen's work is permanently archived at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National African American Museum of History and Culture in DC.
Jen holds a BA in Visual Art from The University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and a MFA in Graphic Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art, where she also imparts her knowledge as a current instructor, Jen resides in Baltimore, MD, with her husband and 11-year-old son.
Learn more about Jennifer White-Johnson.
This event is sponsored by the Department of Visual Arts at UMBC and is made possible with the generous support of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) Office of the Dean.