April 11-June 21The Lyda Moore Merrick Gallery at the Hayti Heritage Center is proud to present the art exhibition “Down Home: The Visual Stories of James Ransome”, April 11 through June 21, 2008 curated by Cheryl Sutton.

Selected from a lifetime of work as an artist and children’s book illustrator, his exhibit contains paintings, prints and portraits that capture the significance of people, places and things. Educational and appealing to all ages, in the visual stories of James Ransome, you will find stories that have been passed down orally for generations and new stories with familiar social themes, a broad variety of subject matter, in rich imagery that tell these stories in a universal language.

Ransome, a native of North Carolina has received numerous awards and recognition for his paintings and illustrations. Among these awards are the Coretta Scott King (Honor CUT) Award, The NAACP Image Award, and the Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance Award.

“Visual Stories, the Artwork of James Ransome”, another traveling exhibition of Ransome’s work began its tour of the country at Vassar College in New York in 2003 and travels the country through 2008. A catalog of the traveling exhibition that complements and accompanies both exhibitions will be available for sale. Many of the paintings and prints in this exhibition will also be available for sale.

Mark Your Calendars for “Jazzy Friday”! Join us for an artist talk with James Ransome, May 16, 2008 from 6pm. until 8pm. Light refreshments and jazz entertainment will be provided. And a Visual Storyteller Workshop and Readings, Saturday, May 17 from 10:30 am until 12:30 pm in celebration of the Bimbe Cultural Arts Festival.