Four Worlds. One Vision. The exhibition highlights four major creative projects revealing different aspects of Jennings’ artistic process: Silver Surfer: Ghost Light (Marvel Comics) Jennings reimagines a forgotten Black character as a cosmic guardian in this series, blending superhero storytelling with African American cultural traditions while revealing the collaborative process behind bringing a new Marvel superhero to life. Blue Hand Mojo: Hard Times Road (Rosarium Publishing) Created entirely by Jennings, this supernatural, gritty graphic novel combines Mississippi culture, folklore and history in a richly illustrated Great Migration blues story set in 1930s Chicago. Kenny Dreadful and the Hainted Hoodie A new Southern Gothic project, currently in development, features concept art and storyboards inspired by Mississippi folklore, African spirituality and horror traditions alongside digital process videos showing characters in development. Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation (Abrams ComicArts) Visitors can see more than two dozen never-before-exhibited original drawings from Jennings celebrated adaptation of Octavia Butler’s classic novel, revealing how visual choices help distinguish 1970s California from antebellum Maryland. “The effect of Mississippi on my work is pretty immeasurable. It’s so odd that when you’re growing up, you long to leave a place, and no one tells you that home goes with you. My heritage and culture directly shaped not only how I move through the world as a Black southern artist, it shaped my ethos and process directly.” – John Jennings Building Community, One Partnership at a Time Build Your World is as much about people as it is about art. Exhibition development and programming for Build Your World have been supported by The Builders, an advisory panel of partners from across the state. Following Jennings’ initial residency in the fall of 2025–where he engaged with students, artists and community members with Griot Arts and Coahoma Community College–his second residency expanded his reach to nearly 400 additional participants in central Mississippi, ranging from 4th grade to college. 12 A Grand Opening to Remember Opening weekend kicked off with an exhibition preview in conjunction with the City of Meridian’s Juneteenth Heritage Festival and Black Business Expo, followed by a full day of engaging programs featuring these Mississippi artists: • West African dance and drum circle with N’spire Walker; • Cyanotype-making station with H.I. Green; • Zine-making station with Justin Ransburg; • A KRUMP street dance performance by Leaving Legacies with a surprise appearance by hip hop dancer JP Patterson; • An artist talk, followed by a mixer where guests met and talked with Jennings.
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