My formative years as a student at NationHouse were deeply influenced by the guidance of several remarkable individuals. At the young age of 11, in 1987, I had the privilege of apprenticing under Mr. Marvin Sinn and Mr. Winston Kennedy, learning valuable skills and insights from their expertise. These experiences were further enriched by the mentorship of other inspiring figures, including Mr. Ethelbert Miller and Ms. Valerie Jean. Throughout my journey at NationHouse, I was fortunate to be surrounded by individuals who fostered my growth and development. While I am unsure of the specific context or potential for confusion surrounding my background, I believe the details provided offer a clear picture of my early experiences and the individuals who played a significant role in shaping my path.
Marvin Sin
Leather artist, Windsor, North Carolina
"Born and raised in the Bedford-Stuyvesant community of Brooklyn, New York, Marvin Sin is a cultural activist and a self-taught artist working in leather. His hobby became a lifelong passion during the Black Arts movement of the early 1970s. He recalls, “The artists I met in Harlem during that period were a great influence on me. The Weusi Artists of Harlem, the Africobra Artists of Chicago, the Black Theater Movement, the poetry, dance, fashion, and general spirit of celebrating African culture shaped my creative and political sensibilities powerfully and permanently.” He found leather to be a medium that involved drawing, painting, sculpting, and that enabled him to master a craft that was utilitarian. Deeply committed to serving the African American community, Sin has advocated and organized for a wide range of issues combining art/craft, culture, economics, and politics."
“Winston Kennedy, an artist and art historian, is professor emeritus from Howard University, Washington, DC. There, he taught printmaking, art management and photography, and other courses for 29 years. He was, during part of that time, chairman of the Art Department and director of the Gallery of Art. As an artist he has exhibited his prints in galleries and museums in the United States, South America and Europe."
Valerie Jean is a poet, writer, teacher, and editor. She is the author of two poetry chapbooks, LPs (or Recordings of one journey through a grief), and Woman Writing a Letter (winner of the 1991 Artscape Literary Arts Award for Poetry). Her poems have appeared in three anthologies, Double Stitch: Black Women Write About Mothers and Daughters, Spirit & Flame: An Anthology of Contemporary African American Poetry, and the forthcoming Beyond the Frontier, as well as in numerous journals, including The Black American Literature Forum, The Missouri Review, and Callaloo.
“Ethelbert Miller is a memoirist, award-winning poet and 2022 Grammy nominee for the Best Spoken Word Poetry Album--Black Men Are Precious-- will be the guest speaker for the workshop, providing insights and tips into memoir writing. Mr. Miller is the author of two memoirs and several collections of poetry. He also is the editor of three anthologies of poetry. He is the editor of Poet Lore magazine and the host of the radio show "On the Margin," which airs Thursday mornings on WPFW-FM. He is the former director of Howard University's African American Resource Center, and has taught at several universities and colleges including American University, Emory & Henry College, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.”