Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to William Rhodes. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

William, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I was born in 1966 in Baltimore, Maryland and raised in a working-class neighborhood where social activism and political unrest were common. My early life was influenced by my extended familial connections and the challenges of growing up in a brutal urban environment. As a result, I suffered physical injuries that required an extended period of recovery. I was oftener bullied for my small size and stature. The circumstances led to me pouring my time and energies into my drawings and imagined narratives that would serve as his path back to health.

As art became his healing ointment, my experiences with my family fueled my perspective. When it was time to go the High school, I was scheduled to attend a zoned school which had a reputation for violence and poor education. The school had metal detectors students had to walk through before entering the building. This earned this high school a reputation for being violent and a poor learning environment. I know if I had to attend this school my future would not look good. I heard that there was new type of high school in Baltimore. It was called the Baltimore School for the Arts. It was hard to get in because students from all over the city had to audition to get in. The school only had 300 students total so space was very limited. Through the support of my father, I developed an art portfolio so I could present during my audition. After the audition, I waited weeks to find out if I got into the school. This waiting for results felt like a life changing event because I knew if I didn’t get into the school I was destined to attend the zone school which would have been a place of violence and struggle. After a long wait, I got the letter of acceptance to the Baltimore School for the Arts. At that school we had academic and studio art classes which means we had loner school days than any of the other schools in the city. Work was had but I know at this point that the only thing I ever wanted to do was make art. I made up in my mind that whatever it took to make art was important. So earning a living from it was a part of the creative process.

I wanted to share a bit about my background and what led me to pursue art. I was born in 1966 in Baltimore, Maryland, and grew up in a working-class neighborhood where social activism and political unrest were common. My early life was shaped by my extended family and the difficulties of living as a Black person in a tough urban environment.

During my childhood, I suffered physical injuries that required a long recovery period. I was often bullied because of my small size. These circumstances led me to immerse myself in drawing and creating imagined stories, which became my way of healing.

As art became my solace, my family experiences also influenced my perspective. When it was time for high school, I was scheduled to attend a local school known for violence and poor education. It even had metal detectors. I knew that attending this school would negatively impact my future.

I heard about a new type of high school in Baltimore called the Baltimore School for the Arts. It was very competitive, as students from all over the city had to audition, and there were only about 300 student’s total. With my father’s support, I put together an art portfolio for the audition. The wait for the results felt like a pivotal moment. I knew that if I didn’t get in, I would have to attend the zoned school.

After a long wait, I received the acceptance letter to the Baltimore School for the Arts. At BSA, we had both academic and studio art classes, making our school days longer than other schools in the city. It was demanding, but by that point, I knew that all I wanted to do was create art. I decided that whatever it took to make art was important, and earning a living from it was part of the creative journey for me.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My creative practice encompasses over 30 years of art making deeply intertwined with community engagement. My creative journey explores the legacies of African culture, the lasting impact of enslavement’s forced migration, the significance of generational experience, and the crucial role of community building when facing immense challenges, all while looking towards a hopeful future.

My art manifests these interconnected ideas through a diverse range of mediums, including found objects, carved wood, neon, thread, graphite, paint, and fabric. These pieces resonate with narratives of resilience and connection.

In some of my artworks, I highlight hand-carved elements that often frame found pieces, many of which include drawings and are combined with neon. By repurposing these objects, materials once overlooked are reclaimed and transformed into symbols of strength and continuity. The carved wood, illuminated by neon, creates a bridge between the past and the present, where traditional craftsmanship meets contemporary expression, forging a connection across generations.

I also create quilts which each has a central panel. These central panels become a powerful image that serves as a call to solidarity in confronting the pain and grief of poverty, desperation, and injustice. Several of these quilts are collaborations with Emory Douglas, the former Black Panther Minister of Culture. Additionally, some of my quilts reference The Black Times, a magazine with an East Coast circulation published by my father from 1968 to 1978. This magazine featured articles on Civil Rights activists and other Black heroes at a time when their experiences were often minimized or absent from mainstream publications. These iconic images preserve and reinforce a determination to continue the fight against injustice and inequity, despite disheartening setbacks and frequent incidents of brutality. Surrounding the central panels are my hand-painted portraits of community members associated with the Intergenerational Community Arts Program at Bayview Services in San Francisco, where I serve as Director. By placing these portraits of everyday individuals alongside powerful historical imagery, I aim to highlight the inherent value of each person, regardless of their fame or status.

Lastly, my ongoing Outmigration Series features threaded drawings of portraits. A defining element of these works is the consistently strong red thread, inherited from my grandmother. This heavy and durable thread represents a powerful link of strength passed down through generations, as does the sewing stitch she taught me. In these embellished graphite drawings, I honor the leaders and guiding figures in my life, ranging from widely recognized celebrities to neighbors, family members, and others who have inspired me along my path.

A central theme that distinguishes my work is its strong focus on community and community engagement. Many of my artworks and quilts are intentionally designed to invite community participants to contribute directly to the creative process. In these projects, participants are not merely observers but active makers of the art itself.

A significant example of this approach is a project I initiated following the passing of Nelson Mandela. Recognizing an opportunity to connect art with current events, I engaged a group of students by first inquiring about their understanding of Nelson Mandela’s life and legacy. This sparked the vision for an art project that could involve children in a meaningful discussion about the values he embodied. I immediately saw the potential for fostering international dialogue among children through the medium of art.

The project began with my students at Dr. Charles Drew Elementary School in the Bayview neighborhood of San Francisco. Each student created a square patch for several large quilts. These patches incorporated personal elements such as pictures and found objects, alongside painting, to reflect their families and their interpretations of Nelson Mandela’s inspiration.

Fortuitously, I was later invited by a group of artists to undertake a community-based art project in South Africa. The timing was ideal for the quilt project. Several months later, I traveled to South Africa and engaged local children in the same project, resulting in a quilt that captured the South African perspective on Mandela. Over the course of more than a month, I traveled throughout South Africa, working with students to create dozens of quilt squares. These individual contributions were then symbolically sewn together to form four complete quilts.

The overarching mission of this project was to establish an international exchange between students. It successfully facilitated a dialogue that highlighted the genuine connections between students in both South Africa and the United States. Remarkably, several teachers and students at Dr. Charles Drew Elementary School in San Francisco continue to communicate with their counterparts in South Africa. Beyond the creation of the four quilts and the international dialogue, the project also inspired a clothing drive. Students and parents in San Francisco collected hundreds of socks, gloves, and hats, which were subsequently mailed to various townships in South Africa.

This experience deeply reinforced my belief in the power of art to foster community engagement, facilitate meaningful dialogue, and even inspire tangible acts of kindness and connection across borders.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

As a child I often struggled to be accepted by my peers. School life was a struggle. I didn’t know at the time but, I had several learning disabilities. I felt like an outcast in most environments, this made me feel very sensitive to the mistreat other of people and especially racial mistreatment. I struggled to integrate fully into my community and became an introvert. It was like I failed at most things except art. As I began to grow older, I realized that art became my way to deal with the sadness and angry I felt in this unjust society. My creative process showed me how to become resilience? As I mastered my craft, I could communicate and work through all of the trauma in my life. An example of this is one of my art work entitled, “Onward Christian Soldiers”. This artwork made from carved wood, fabric, paint and neon tell the story of an event that effected my life. When I was 13 years old I witnessed while visiting a cousin being honored for her academic achievements a cross burning on my family’s farm. In those days, to be nominated the first Black valedictorian at a local high school was enough to incite death threats and attract this abominable form of American terrorism.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Art allows me to share my creative communication with the world and open a space for others to share their creativity. There is no right or wrong way to tell your story through art. I feel so much freedom when I make things.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.williamrhodesart.com
• Facebook: william rhodes art facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/William-Rhodes-Art-100057545984118/

Image Credits

Photo taken of artist William Rhodes by photographer Pernilla Persson