Lonnie Holley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lonnie Holley
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Lonnie Holley in Aarhus, Denmark (2014)
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| Born | February 10, 1950 |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Folk art, experimental music |
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Notable work
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Do We Think Too Much? I Don't Think We Can Ever Stop |
| Style | Found objects |
Lonnie Bradley Holley (born February 10, 1950) is an American artist and musician. He is sometimes called the Sand Man. He is famous for his unique artworks made from everyday objects he finds. These artworks are called assemblages. He also creates large art spaces using these found materials.
Lonnie Holley's art has been shown in many important museums. These include the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the National Gallery of Art. He is also a talented musician. He creates experimental music, often making up songs as he goes along.
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Lonnie Holley's Early Life
Lonnie Holley was born on February 10, 1950, in Birmingham, Alabama. This was during the Jim Crow era, a time when Black people faced unfair rules and segregation. From a very young age, Lonnie worked many jobs. He started working at five years old. He picked up trash, washed dishes, and cooked.
His childhood was very difficult. He lived in different foster homes. Lonnie became a father when he was 15 years old. He now has 15 children. Before becoming an artist, he worked many jobs. He dug graves and picked cotton. He even worked as a cook at Disney World. Lonnie also spent time at a tough school for young people.
Lonnie Holley's Art Journey
Lonnie Holley started making art in 1979. This was after his sister's two children died in a house fire. He carved tombstones for them. He used soft, sand-like stone that he found near a metal factory. Lonnie felt that a special feeling guided him to this material. It also inspired him to create art.
He made more carvings and put them in his yard. He also added many other found objects. In 1981, he showed some of his carvings to Richard Murray. Murray was the director of the Birmingham Museum of Art. The museum quickly displayed some of his pieces. Soon, other museums also wanted his art. These included the American Folk Art Museum and the High Museum of Art. His work has even been shown at the White House.
Lonnie Holley loves to share his art with children. He often brings blocks of stone for them to carve. He enjoys teaching kids how creativity can help them feel good about themselves.
By the mid-1980s, Lonnie's art grew. He started making paintings and sculptures from recycled objects. His yard became a huge art display. Visitors loved it, but it was in danger. People stole scrap metal from it. Also, the Birmingham International Airport wanted to expand.
In 1996, Lonnie learned his property near the airport would be taken. The airport offered to buy it. But Lonnie knew his art space was very special. It had great personal and artistic value. He asked for more money. The disagreement went to a legal process. In 1997, they reached an agreement. The airport paid him money to move his family and art to a new, bigger property.
Lonnie Holley had a big art show in 2003. It was called Do We Think Too Much? I Don't Think We Can Ever Stop: Lonnie Holley, A Twenty-Five Year Survey. The Birmingham Museum of Art organized it. It also traveled to the Ikon Gallery in Birmingham, England. Lonnie also created a large art display at the Birmingham Museum of Art. This was part of their "Perspectives" series.
His art was also part of a traveling show called "Mary Lee Bendolph, Gee's Bend Quilts, and Beyond." This show started in 2007. It traveled to many museums across the United States. In 2014, his work was in "When the Stars Begin to Fall: Imagination and the American South." This show featured many Black artists from the American South. It traveled to several major museums.
In 2015, the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art held a special show. It was Lonnie Holley's first solo museum exhibition since 1994. He also worked there, creating art on-site. He visited with school groups and college classes. In 2022, Lonnie Holley received an award from United States Artists (USA). This group helps artists with funding.
In 2017, Lonnie's art was shown at the de Young Museum. This show was called "Revelations: Art from the African American South." It showed many works from the Souls Grown Deep Foundation. This foundation collects art by Black artists from the American South. In 2018, his art was part of "History Refused to Die" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This show also featured art by self-taught Black artists.
His art has also been shown in other important exhibitions. These include "Souls Grown Deep: Artists of the African American South" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Also, "What Carried Us Over: Gifts from the Gordon W. Bailey Collection" at the Pérez Art Museum Miami. And "Living Legacies: Art of the African American South" at the Toledo Museum of Art.
Other Art Exhibitions
- "Outliers and American Vanguard Art," National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 2018. This show also traveled to the High Museum of Art and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
- "We Will Walk – Art and Resistance in the American South" at Turner Contemporary, Kent, England, 2020.
- "Souls Grown Deep like the Rivers: Black Artists from the American South," Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2023.
Lonnie Holley's Music Career
Lonnie Holley started his music career in 2006. He made recordings in an Alabama church. He used only a keyboard and a microphone. He often sings and plays music without planning it beforehand. This is called improvisational music.
In 2012, he released his first album, Just Before Music. His second album, Keeping a Record of It, came out the next year. In 2018, he released his third album, MITH. Music critics praised it.
His 2020 album, National Freedom, also received good reviews. In 2021, he released Broken Mirror: A Selfie Reflection. This was a collaboration with musician Matthew E. White. His album Oh Me Oh My was released in 2023. It was highly praised by music magazines.
Discography
- Just Before Music (2012)
- Keeping a Record of It (2013)
- Live on the Modern World with DJ Trouble – April 2013
- MITH (2018)
- National Freedom (2020)
- Broken Mirror: A Selfie Reflection (2021) – with Matthew E. White
- Oh Me Oh My (2023)
