One of the guideposts of One River School is to “teach through the lens of living artists”. This allows us to create context for artists who are showing their work today and to honor their contributions to society by writing lesson plans about them and creating context for the work they are doing. And, Lonnie Holley is an artist who I have developed a particular interest in because of his work and his incredible perseverance.

Lonnie is 74 years old and his art and music are rooted in the struggles he endured as a child growing up in Jim Crow-era Birmingham, AL. He was the 7^th of his mother’s 27 children and his one-of-a-kind story is now being celebrated by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Miami. He endured challenges too lengthy to chronicle here, but his incredible spirit and creativity has allowed him to tell his story via drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, performance, and sound.

There are numerous videos you can watch to hear him tell his story including a documentary that is riveting or a music video he recorded with Michael Stipe. Dig in and learn about this really special artist who inspires us to do what we do at One River School.