BAAM & The Gem are honored to show the documentary I Know a Man … Ashley Bryan on April 21st during April vacation. This event will be FREE for all students (up to 18 years of age) living in the MSAD44 area. Adult tickets are “Pay What You Can” with net proceeds going to future BAAM programming at The Gem. Join us for a craft, reading and film celebrating the life of Ashley Bryan!

2:30pm “Stained Glass Butterfly” Craft Project, inspired by Ashley Bryan’s stained glass windows. This will be held in the lobby of The Gem.

3:45pm A reading of Ashley Bryan’s children’s book, Beautiful Blackbird (20o3), which was given a Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrators. The picture book will be projected on the big screen and read by Paula Weisberger.

4:00pm Film: I Know a Man … Ashley Bryan captures this 94-year-old creative wonder who skips and jumps in his heart like a child.  Born in Harlem and raised in the Bronx, Ashley’s talent was nurtured by acclaimed American Black artist Romare Bearden. Ashley was drafted out of Cooper Union College into the segregated US army at age 19. He served in an all-Black battalion during World War II and preserved his humanity by drawing, stowing supplies in his gas mask.

After the war, Ashley lived on the remote Cranberry Islands in Maine until his death at the age of 98 this past February 4, 2022.  He had been using art his entire life to celebrate joy, mediate the darkness of war and racism, explore the mysteries of faith, and create loving community.  He is a poet/illustrator of over 60 published children’s books, and makes magical puppets and sea glass windows from found objects inspired by his African heritage.

(Photo Credit: The Ashley Bryan Center)

5:00pm: Grab a pizza and stay to read some of Ashley Bryan’s other books that will be available in the lobby of The Gem.