As the title of the collection suggests, Dear Friend by renowned artist Oliver Lee Jackson is an expression of a deep and lasting bond – one that is stronger than life itself.
The limited-edition folio features gravures of original drawings by Oliver Lee Jackson and music scores by Julius Hemphill, composer and a founder of World Saxophone Quartet. Jackson introduced the work in 2021, more than 25 years after Hemphill’s untimely death.
Dear Friend, which features 12 photogravures that reproduce original drawings by Jackson, a St. Louis native, paired with photogravures of original hand-written manuscripts of Hemphill’s compositions.
“It uses art and music to convey a story of deep and enduring connections,” said Shaka Myrick, Saint Louis Art Museum Romare Bearden Fellow for 2021-2023. “The illustrations that coexist alongside notes on a page make a visual response to the scores to honor his friend’s work – to point to Julius Hemphill. It’s really about honoring him. That is what will ignite the viewer.”
In commemoration of Juneteenth holiday and Black Music Month, The Saint Louis Art Museum will celebrate the recent acquisition of one of these rare folios.
“The portfolio is unique because it seems like the works that he chose to print along with the musical scores almost aligns with the tone of the music – which is improvisational – if they were to be played,” Myrick said. “It’s like he looked at these scores and chose work based on how it could ignite the viewer, because everyone doesn’t read music. The merging is the pinnacle of this – the merging of this visual and musical art and the auditory elements.”
The festivities will take place at 6 p.m. on Friday, June 16th at Saint Louis Art Museum’s Ferrell Auditorium and will also highlight the intersection of visual art and music through a lecture by Myrick and a musical performance from Kasimu Taylor and the Afro-Futurists that comes courtesy of the National Blues Museum.
“Hemphill was a master composer and saxophonist – and his music is full of complex rhythms, melodies and harmonies,” Taylor said. “His compositions are also deeply rooted in Black culture – and they often explore themes of identity, community and spirituality. I hope audiences will come away from this performance with a new appreciation for Hemphill’s music and his unique contributions to Black culture and American culture as a whole.”
The band – which consists of Kendrick Smith on alto saxophone, Bernard Terry on bass, Demarius Hicks on drums and Taylor on trumpet – will play a selection of Hemphill’s important works that are featured in the portfolio, including “KC Line” and the title composition Dear Friend.
“My initial reaction to seeing Oliver Jackson’s Dear Friend works was one of awe and wonder,” Taylor said. “The intricate and colorful patterns, the bold and expressive lines and the overall sense of movement and energy were incredibly captivating. I was also struck by the personal and emotional connection that Jackson seemed to be trying to forge with the viewer. The collection seemed to be a way for him to express his love and appreciation for his friend Julius Hemphill – and to illuminate their shared experiences and memories.”
Myrick’s talk will highlight Dear Friend, the history of Oliver Lee Jackson’s work and the friendship between he and Julius Hemphill as well as highlight their respective legacies within St. Louis’ Black arts scene in the 1960s and 1970s, particularly through the Black Artists Group.
“It is a one-of-a-kind portfolio and a one-of-a-kind addition to the museum’s permanent collection,” Myrick said. “We have a black donor, a black artist, an African American musician and a Black fellow,” said Myrick, who participated in the acquisition process.
The work was the brainchild of a Black artist and St. Louis native with a body of work that spans more than six decades and has been featured in leading arts institutions around the world – and is still actively creating. It was inspired by a Black composer who left a lasting impression on the cultural legacy of St. Louis. It was gifted to the museum by St. Louis American Publisher and Executive Editor Dr. Donald M. Suggs – a longtime champion of Black arts and culture in St. Louis – and his daughters Dawn and Dina Suggs in memory of Betty Suggs.
“I’m especially pleased to be able to recognize and share works from St. Louis born artists, enhancing our collection and further connecting the museum to the community it proudly calls home,” Min Jung Kim, The Barbara Taylor Director of the Saint Louis Art Museum, said of the acquisition.
Myrick added that Dear Friend further illustrates the richness of Black culture and its “ability to inform, lead and direct and influence in all planes.”
“Visually, looking at drawings juxtaposed against the musical scores is a beautiful way to acknowledge the fact that all art is connected – and we influence all cultures,” Myrick said. “What is key to remember in my opinion is this country is primarily built off of our labor and I know that the richness of who we are as descendants from the continent [of Africa] could not be broken through enslavement – and that is all the way through to 2023.”
And as the community gathers to commemorate Black freedom and Black culture, Myrick is thrilled to be able to connect with guests by way of what she feels to be the most valuable within the canon of Black cultural influence.
“The musical element in my opinion is one of the richest things African Americans have brought to this country – on top of everything else,” Myrick said. “We influenced music in a way that many other cultures can’t touch. I want to honor and celebrate that.”
The Saint Louis Art Museum’s presentation of Celebrating Juneteenth: Black Music Month lecture and performance will take place on Friday, June 16th in their Farrell Auditorium. The event is free, but reservations are recommended. For additional information, visit www.slam.org.
