From the Back of the Bus Exhibition | Jasper Duberry

OPENING RECEPTION & GALLERY HOURS

Meet the artist! Opening Reception is March 13, 6-8 pm. Refreshments and appetizers will be provided. Duberry’s From the Back of the Bus exhibition will coincide with Juxtaposition Arts Winter Session Open House which is open to the public from 5-7pm on March 13.

Gallery Hours are 10am-4pm M-Th. or by appt. (contactus@juxtaposition.org).

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Jasper Duberry uses woodcuts to explore themes he has reflected on, witnessed, and experienced as a Black person in America, such as pain, joy, excellence, healing, and resistance, to name a few. In some works, Duberry also seeks to educate and bring attention to moments and figures in history.

Relief printing is a printmaking technique where an image is carved into a surface, and the raised areas are inked and pressed onto paper or fabric to create a print. This technique can be done using various materials like wood (woodcut), linoleum (linocut), or rubber. The process begins with carving an image or design into the material, then applying ink to the raised areas and pressing it onto the chosen medium, often with a press or by hand.

For Black artists, relief printing has been a powerful medium for storytelling, resistance, and cultural expression. Historically, it has allowed artists to confront issues of race, identity, and social justice. Many Black artists, particularly during the Harlem Renaissance and the Civil Rights

Movement, used relief prints to highlight themes of Black pride, struggle, and resilience. This form of art provided a way for these artists to communicate their experiences and views, as well as educate and inspire others.

The theme of education and inspiration continued this winter when Duberry joined youth artists in the VALT 2.0 program at Juxtaposition Arts to speak on his work and provide demonstration of his relief printing process. Our youth artists were able to apply this inspiration to their own relief prints to complete a series of portraits of local cultural figures from North Minneapolis and beyond- which will be exhibited in conjunction with Jasper’s work.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Jasper Duberry has held a passion for art since he was child. In school he would render his favorite cartoons in hand drawn coloring sheets that he would supply for his classmates. Later, as an undergraduate student at Viterbo University in La Crosse Wisconsin he discovered the printmaking tradition of woodcut relief printing. The meditative process resonated with Duberry and allowed him to explore the relevant themes behind his work. At Viterbo, Duberry focused on art education and continues this by doing various volunteer events, artists talks and workshops with students in hopes of passing on education and exposure to printmaking as well. In 2022,

Duberry was a Full Color Print Fellow at Highpoint Center for Printmaking in Minneapolis. The experience provided access to state-of-the-art facilities and a community of artists that could provide technical and conceptual support for his creative process and blossoming career as a printmaker. Upon completion of the fellowship, Duberry joined Highpoint as co-op member and is an active participant in their dynamic printmaking community.

JUXTAPOSITION ARTS OPEN HOUSE 5-7pm

Coinciding with the opening of From the Back of the Bus Exhibition will be our Winter session Open House featuring an exhibition of final work by our Visual Arts Literacy Training (VALT) program and open studios for JXTA LABS program. We will offer tours, programmatic informationr, and registration assistance. The event is free and open to the public, 5-7pm. Visitors can enter through the 2007 Emerson Ave N. entrance. Families and loved ones of youth ages 12-21 are encouraged to attend.

Image: (detail) Just Us, 2024, Relief print on paper, 48x32”