Leon Jones: Renewed and Ready to Make
Edited by Alex Coffey
On the edge of Omaha’s booming arts and culture district, The Old Market, lies The Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts. The Bemis has been offering residencies to artists since 1981 and provides a live/work space as well as extensive facilities, such as a 9,000 square foot ceramics studio and industrial woodshop. Current Artist in Residence at Studios Inc., Leon Jones, spent two and a half months at the Bemis over the summer and has recently returned to his studio here in Kansas City. We had the pleasure of a studio visit with Leon to learn about his first-ever residency away from home and the work he created while there.
Jones’ work grapples with themes of racism and the political climate in America as well as acknowledging and celebrating Black lived experiences, contributions, and culture. His recent work, begun at Bemis, centers around controversies surrounding the election and the theme of “The Family and The Father.” Leon sees America as being founded on four pillars: democracy, patriarchy, capitalism, and white supremacy. This work explores how those ideals are under threat in the modern day and age. One of two main works Leon started at Bemis — which remains untitled — depicts a traditional American family dining room completely constructed out of OSB Plywood. OSB is a common housing material found under the floor and in the walls, camouflaged by polished hardwood and wallpaper. It is ingrained, just as the patriarchy is, into the foundation of every home in America. There are currently three chairs stationed at the table, one of which sparked the idea for the rest of the sculpture. Situated at the head of the table, separated by a great dividing curve, lies “The Father’s” chair in pieces, the catalyst with his ideals at risk. This particular chair was constructed, or rather deconstructed, before his residency at Bemis began, and has remained an anchor for the sculpture as it transitioned to Bemis and then back again to Studios Inc.
Leon’s second and larger project that began at Bemis culminated in an installation during the residency’s open studios event. Inspired by photo negatives he collects, the piece revolves around a negative of Black children in a school setting from the 1930’s or 40’s. Jones created an imagined narrative that two hours after the photo was taken the room was blown up in a racist attack. The aftermath is depicted in ceramic, stone, wood, and chain. Pieces of blackened, broken chairs made of ceramic are scattered across the space with one hanging from a chain in the air behind a projection of the negative. Images of chairs beneath the floor and on the wall evoke shadows of what once was. The room is divided by a large scar of soot, dirt, and stone across the floor culminating in a vestige of what was once there.
Leon spoke incredibly highly of the Bemis Center residency and recommends that all artists apply at some point in their careers. He is continuing to work on what he began at Bemis and has come back renewed and ready to make. His time at Bemis allowed him complete creative freedom without outside stressors like a full-time job. If you are interested in keeping up with Leon’s new work, it will be displayed at a show at 3 West KC opening November 15th right here in Kansas City! And — keep an eye out for Leon Jones’ solo exhibition at Studios Inc in 2025.