BROWARD COUNTY, FL - Homeschooled students and their parents are invited to join other school children at the free 17th Annual Ashley Bryan Art Series on Thursday, September 26, 2019, from 10AM to 1PM at the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center, 2650 Sistrunk Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311, 954-357-6282.

The Annual Ashley Bryan Art Series hosts nationally recognized children’s book authors/illustrators of African descent to inspire and teach children ages 8-12 about their craft.  The event allows children to interact with and learn from an artist who makes stories come alive. Each child will create a custom work of art, be entertained by a cultural presentation and enjoy a pizza lunch. As a bonus, each receives a signed copy of a book illustrated by the artist. 

This year’s featured illustrator is Ekua Holmes, a painter, collage artist, and award-winning illustrator of Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement; Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets; and The Stuff of Stars. She is a recipient of the 2016 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award, a 2016 Caldecott Medal Honor, the 2018 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, and the 2019 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award. Currently, Holmes serves as Assistant Director of MassArt’s Center for Art and Community Partnerships, Boston, Massachusetts, and manages its ArtMobile.

The Ashley Bryan Art Series is also intended to engage adults by inspiring and informing parents and educators interested in honoring diversity, exposing children to the arts and encouraging their creativity.    

Every year the guest author/illustrator donates one original work of book art to the library’s Ashley Bryan Art Collection, which includes Coretta Scott King Book Award winners Kadir Nelson, Javaka Steptoe, Jerry Pinkney and EB Lewis, among others.

All facets of the program are free of charge and preregistration is required. For additional information or registration, call 954-357-6209 or email ldjackson@broward.org.

The Ashley Bryan Art Series is sponsored by the Broward County Cultural Division and the  Friends of the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center.

About Broward County Libraries Division 
Broward County Libraries Division, named 2015 Library of the Year by the Florida Library Association, was founded in 1974 and is the largest library system in Florida by square footage and one of the busiest, with more than 7.5 million walk-in customers visiting its 38 locations annually. Broward County Libraries Division provides convenient access to a full range of innovative and cost-effective services that satisfy the changing needs of the people of Broward County for information, education and recreation. Visit our website, Broward.org/Library, or follow Libraries on Facebook and Twitter

 DATE:August 15, 2019
MEDIA CONTACT: Catherine McElrath
Libraries Division
PHONE: 954-357-7402
EMAIL: cmcelrath@Broward.org