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A portrait of a man standing on a Harlem street in autumn. His brown skin is illuminated by the sunlight, giving his face a gentle yet passive expression. His hands are clasped under a charcoal-colored overcoat that rests over his shoulders and his olive-and-white striped shirt.

Photo by Marc J. Franklin.

Artists

JJJJJerome Ellis

Any

Composer and Poet

Norfolk, Virginia

This year I have been trying to cultivate more patience in my practice. One afternoon late in October, I was walking along the Bronx River and came upon a great blue heron (Ardea herodias) standing in the river. I told myself to stand and watch the heron, even if I got uncomfortable. I ended up watching it and taking notes on its movements for about twenty-five minutes before continuing on my walk. It was a riveting experience and one I am very grateful for! Thank you heron!”

JJJJJerome Ellis is a blk disabled animal and artist. Ellis prays, stutters, reads, gardens, cycles, wanders, and plays. Through music, literature, performance, and video, he researches relationships among blackness, disabled speech, divinity, nature, sound, and time. Born in 1989 to Jamaican and Grenadian immigrants, he grew up and lives by a heron rookery in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Donor -This award was generously supported by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

This artist page was last updated on: 07.10.2024

Evensong, 2020. Single-channel video, 18 minutes.