The artist, who has Jacksonville roots and lives in Italy, is a featured artist in the collection of exhibits that make up this year’s European Festival of Philosophy.
After a gallery he worked with, Jerry Lee Ingram opened an exhibition titled “Justice Witness: Before contacting him with an invitation to participate.
“Of course I was interested,” he said.
This year’s festival featured artist exhibitions in galleries in the Italian cities of Modena, Carpi and Sassuolo, as well as lectures and multimedia presentations. The festival committee coordinates with the galleries, which invite selected artists to create exhibitions. Ingram’s exhibition was on display until October at the Palace of the Dukes of Modena, a Baroque palace where the Duke of Modena Este lived from 1452 to 1859.
“The gallery that invited me, actually, this gallery usually has very famous artists,” Ingram said. “The artists who were in this place last year… are kind of stars. That was flattering to me.”
Justice was the theme of this year’s festival, and the opening event featured speakers from all over Europe discussing the subject.
Ingram decided to work on social justice, he said, and said it was up to each participating artist to decide how to translate the theme.
“I chose social justice leaders who fought for their rights in different areas of society, mostly Americans, but not entirely Americans,” he said. “LGBTQ people, black people, immigrants, migrant workers, women. Those were my focus.”
Ingram moved quickly to work with activists such as Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Cesar Chavez, and LGBTQ rights activist Marsha P. Johnson, a founding member of the Gay Liberation Front and co-founder of the group Street Transvestite Action. I painted a portrait of He was a revolutionary and a prominent figure in the Stonewall Rebellion.
Johnson fought for LGBT rights.
Ingram said it’s difficult to compare the festival to any event in the United States.
“It’s quite amazing,” he said. “I don’t know how to quantify it. There are so many people in these big places.”
Ingram is best known in Jacksonville for overseeing the renovation and interior design of the Villa DeWolfe Bed and Breakfast on State Street, but he has a distinguished career as a fashion photographer, interior designer and artist in Europe. I’m here. His Interiors His design efforts are featured in the European edition of Architectural Digest.
“I did a lot of shows,” Ingram said. “There were some very important shows, one of which was at[Italian Gallery of Costume in Palazzo Pitti, Florence]and ran for three and a half years. , more importantly, it’s about humans, it’s about human rights.
“For me, it was a very important achievement because I sent a message, and I delivered a message to society about itself. I hope it will let people know why and how the people on this show have[affected]human rights.”
