Documentary Screening “Proceed and Be Bold”

A documentary on the work of Amos Paul Kennedy Jr., a visionary artist and educator who transforms the tradition of letterpress printing into a vehicle for social justice and collective learning. Kennedy’s prints—bold, layered, and unapologetically direct—blend typographic form with the urgency of protest, creating a body of work that speaks as much to the heart as to the eye. Each poster is a declaration, a reminder, a lesson—designed not only to be seen, but to be felt, remembered, and shared.

Working with handset wood and metal type, Kennedy embraces the physical labor and tactile beauty of traditional printing methods. He overprints vibrant colors in dense, rhythmic layers, allowing chance and repetition to become part of the message. No two prints are ever the same—each carries its own visual weight and emotional resonance. Quoting civil rights leaders, community voices, and proverbs rooted in cultural wisdom, Kennedy’s work confronts injustice while educating and inspiring. His posters transform everyday materials into instruments of empowerment, reminding us that knowledge, like art, belongs to everyone. This exhibition is a celebration of design as dialogue, and of letterpress as a tool for change. The title for this special exhibition comes from the recent book On Amos Kennedy “Citizen Printer”, published by the Letterform Archive in 2025