ART Your Lunch! Returns to N.C. A&T with Kelly ’18 on Art and Healing

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Sept. 22, 2025) – The University Galleries at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University will host “The Healing Canvas: The Power of Visual Art and Mental Health in African American Communities” on Tuesday, Sept. 30, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the Dudley Memorial Building, 202 University Circle. The program is part of the Galleries’ Curator’s Gallery Talk Series, ART Your Lunch!

The event will feature Jessica Kelly ‘18, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based artist and instructor of visual arts at North Carolina A&T, who will discuss how art serves as a tool for healing, reflection and transformation, particularly within Black and Indigenous communities.

“African Americans face ongoing challenges related to mental health, many connected to systemic racism,” said Kelly. “Art is a space to process that history, counter harmful stereotypes, and reimagine identity.”

Kelly’s talk will address how stereotypes in media and animation, such as blackface and the Mammy figure, have shaped public perception, self-identity, social interaction, and access to care, providing context for how art can help reclaim narrative and identity.

As Kelly developed as an artist, her work evolved from non-representational paintings, using lines, shapes, and colors as expressive tools, to figurative mixed media works combining clay, mixed media, and digital design.

“My artistic mission is to reprogram the collective mindset, shifting away from distorted narratives and toward uplifting, authentic representations of Black people. My work tells stories with beauty and pride, reminding the world of the value, strength, and historical depth of Black identity,” she said.

Kelly earned her MFA in painting from Howard University and a BA in media design from A&T. Her work has appeared in exhibitions, publications and public murals at Tennessee State University, Arts Council of Fayetteville, North Carolina, Garner (North Carolina) Performing Arts Center, Ellington-White Contemporary Art Gallery, Howard University, Guilford County, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C.

The ART Your Lunch! series launched in spring 2025 introducing diverse themes in art and brings engaging conversations to both the university and public community. Last semester’s inaugural program featured Amy Schwartzott, Ph.D., associate professor at A&T and curator of The University Galleries.

This event is free and open to the public. University Galleries hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday by appointment. Admission is free. Group tours are available.

For more information, contact Roymieco Carter, interim University Galleries director, at 336-334-3209 or visit the University Galleries website.