Justice matters to Detroit youth, from women’s rights to Black Lives Matter, from immigrants’ rights to safer nights. Justice is a powerful and sometimes elusive friend. And Joy could be considered Justice’s kid sister, the silly, happy playful one who makes life worthwhile.
So Justice and Joy belong together, and live in harmony, both in this new exhibit and in life – and in books too.
Justice looks like many things to Mint Artists Guild artists, from today’s headlines to historical references to bra burning and protest movements. Joy shows up in Mint paintings in friendship, fruit and free time, as well as chocolate cake and cats.
Our new Justice & Joy exhibit at Gallery 100 in Chelsea features 55 Justice & Joy paintings, photographs and digital pieces. The Chelsea District Library is partnering with Mint and Gallery 100 to recommend books that share stories of justice and joy.
Here are five of the books from the Library’s Justice & Joy reading list:
A Year of Black Joy by Jamia Wilson
An uplifting and empowering illustrated anthology of joyful contributions from 52 contemporary Black voices, including chess grand master Maurice Ashley, scientist Dr. Raven the Science Maven, and author Patrice Lawrence. Mint’s exhibit includes a half dozen Small Joys pieces, most recently shown at ArtPrize.
Tethered to Other Stars by Elisa Stone Leahy
Seventh grader Wendy Toledo knows that black holes and immigration police have one thing in common: they can both make things disappear without a trace. When her family moves to a new all-American neighborhood, Wendy knows the plan: keep her head down, build a telescope to win the science fair, and stay on her family’s safe orbit. But that’s easier said than done when there’s a woman from ICE making Wendy’s parents very nervous. As bullying at school threatens Wendy’s friendships and her hopes for the science fair, and her family’s secrets start to unravel, Wendy finds herself caught in the middle of too many gravitational pulls.
Tales of Fearless Girls by Isabel Otter
Throughout history, stories were passed down through the oral tradition. Often, the female characters were viewed as weak, vain, jealous, or boring. This enchanting anthology of 20 forgotten fairy tales features stories of strong girls from different cultures and countries including Mexico, Scotland, Siberia, Iran, Japan, China, Nigeria, Italy and India. Every tale features a female heroine who approaches life with humor, wit, cunning, and bravery. This Tales of Fearless Girls book pairs \with some of Mint’s pro-woman, feminist paintings including this one by Skyy Campbell.
Black Boy Joy by Kwame Mbalia
Black boy joy is… picking out a fresh first-day-of-school outfit. Saving the universe in an epic intergalactic race. Finding your voice-and your rhymes during tough times. Flying on your skateboard like nobody’s watching. And more! From 17 acclaimed Black male and non-binary authors comes a vibrant collection of stories, comics, and poems about the power of joy and the wonders of Black boyhood.
First Generation by Sandra Neil Wallace
Celebrate the genius, diversity, and justice-seeking of immigrants and refugees in this illustrated guide to 36 American trailblazers from Somalia to Germany and from Mexico to China. They are people such as Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, singer Celia Cruz, basketball’s Dikembe Mutombo, physicist Albert Einstein, and journalist Jorge Ramos. Their courage, their achievements, and their determination to change the world helped make the United States of America a better, stronger place. Mint’s Justice & Joy exhibit has at least three images that relate to immigrants.
The Chelsea District Library has other book recommendations too, so stop in to learn about all of them.
Please visit Gallery 100 in Chelsea, inside Silver Maples, any day of the week and see Mint’s Justice & Joy exhibit now through Jan. 6. Join us on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 24, for an opening reception and learn more about the paintings and Mint’s vision for creating more justice and opportunity for all Detroit youth.
Justice and Joy was curated by Mint’s executive director Vickie Elmer and by Detroit artist Mandisa Smith of AKOMA. Many of the Justice & Joy paintings are for sale; they will be up through Jan. 6, 2025.
Paintings: Eleanor Aro (at top); Skyy Campbell (women) and Faith Jones-Honey (sun); © Mint Artists Guild
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