Wilmer Angier Jennings

He was hired by the Rhode Island WPA to create wood-engraved prints that explored themes of economic and social hardships experienced by African-Americans.

[3][4] While attending Morehouse College, Jennings studied under the artist Hale Woodruff who introduced him to the principles of modernism.

Wood engraving uses a dense block for processing and as a result, Jennings was able to create thin lines that displayed subtle detail.

Both Still life, 1937 and Statuette, 1937 include images of an African Fang sculpture in addition to the objects found in Gabon working-class households.

[2] Jennings enjoyed reading and was influenced by the African-American folklore that was recorded by Zora Neale Hurston and by the poetry of Sterling Brown.

[2] After moving to Providence, Rhode Island in the mid-1930s, Jennings represented the effect of the urban development on the black community in some of his works.

His prints included images of ferry boats, oil industry sites, race tracks, and the transformation of residential areas.

[2] After injuring his right hand in 1957, Jennings began to train himself to draw and paint left-handed, which he continued to do up until the time of his death.

[8] Kenkeleba House was founded in 1974 by Joe Overstreet and Samuel C. Floyd in addition to Corrine Jennings.