Join Mr. Jim Hill for an artist workshop, Feb. 24, which is one of many Black History Month events at MHS.
Jim Hill is a substitute teacher who has lived a full life of more than seventy years. He makes a great impression on students by sharing his life stories and experiences while subbing.
He loves creating art and sharing his passion with students. Hill uses small, triangle-shaped pieces of paper to create intricate, mosaic-like works that take a significant amount of time to complete. He has always been part of the creative industry, beginning his career as a model for major magazines.
“I would say my art does have something to do with my past of modeling, but not too much. They both brought out the creative side of me that I love to show,” Hill said.
Hill said his artwork carries strong meaning, often evoking a wide range of emotions, from happiness to sorrow.
“Growing up, I was so into creative hobbies, and I decided to be different. I wanted to express my feelings about our culture and bring it to life. I used small, triangle-shaped pieces of paper and put them on a canvas. I really just let my mind take over,” Hill said.
His work was displayed at the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art in 2020 in an exhibition titled Pieces of History (see a video here). He also compiled a collection of his artwork in the book “Historical Blues…One Hundred Stories and One Hundred Pictures.” According to Hill, his art focuses on trauma and the enduring perseverance of humanity.
“I wouldn’t say it was difficult getting my art out into the world, but there were a lot of different opinions from other people, especially because I’m from a big city and moved to a small area where people are mostly in the same community, so they definitely had their own opinions about my art,” Hill said.
Hill was born in Texas and raised in Brooklyn, New York, alongside his seven siblings by a single mother. Throughout his life, he has achieved numerous accomplishments, including developing the first parenting magazine for African Americans in the late 1980s, titled “Honey Child Magazine,” and running a homeless shelter to support individuals experiencing homelessness. He marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and was later honored by the United Nations. Hill has appeared on television with Queen Latifah and had a main role in the film “Crack Down Big City Blues.” He has also written an autobiography titled “Born to Be,” which can be purchased at Amazon.
