Born in Birmingham, Alabama, at the height of the Jim Crow era, Lonnie Holley’s life and art have been defined by struggle, resistance, and hope. After enduring endless hardship as a child and as a young man—including a car accident that left him in a coma for several months, and a stint at the infamous Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children—Holley discovered visual arts in the 1970s, when he began crafting pieces from salvaged materials. His work can now be found in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Holley has also released experimental free jazz albums since 2012, and collaborated with Dirty Projects, Bon Iver, and Animal Collective. In 2023, Holley shared his 10 rules for life and creativity as part of our Manifesto series.
Stories with Lonnie Holley