‘How Art & Storytelling Can Create Healing From Grief & Loss’ With Marlee Bunch & Kevin Hopkins

On this episode of The Power of Love Show with TJ & Taj Jackson we welcome special guests, Marlee Bunch & Kevin Hopkins! Marlee Bunch is a researcher & educator with over 16 years teaching experience. She holds two graduate degrees and is currently a doctoral candidate from the University of Illinois. She holds a teaching certificate, gifted education certification, and ESL certification. Her experiences teaching at the secondary and post-secondary level, have allowed her to write curriculum, supervise teachers, tutor, create workshops, and most importantly mentor and advocate for students. Her research focuses on the oral histories of Black female educators and communities.   Kevin Hopkins is a painter based in Kansas City, Missouri whose work explores the celebration of life and the awareness of his own mortality following the passing of an elder. Currently, he has focused his work on highlighting familial relationships through self-portraiture--or personas extracted from self-portraiture. Kevin now attends the Kansas City Art Institute majoring in Painting and Art History. He was recognized internationally as a 2021 Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grantee and nationally as a 2021 AXA Art Prize finalist. Both Marlee and Kevin have experienced loss and death, and experienced healing from mentors, relationships, education & art. Their collaborative work is centered on the premise of empathy, collaborative & created family, and Marlee’s research of Black female educators pre and post integration in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. These women also experienced grief, racial trauma, and loss. However, their stories and Kevin and Marlee’s story, illustrate how healing and joy can occur when we share stories and connect. Marlee and Kevin’s collaboration represents the true nature of ancestry and the Black community. This collaboration is rooted in the desire to capture history, celebrate life and Black joy, bring visual representation to the oral histories of marginalized voices, and honor the maternal presence and mentorship present in this study and our own lives. Learn More: Marlee - Website: marleebunch.com Email: [email protected] Kevin - Instagram: @KevinHopkinsArt Email: [email protected] Did you know that you can support DDJF while you shop on Amazon at no cost to you? Add DDJF as your selected charity via Amazon Smile: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/chpf/dashboard/ref=smi_nav_surl_mi_x_mkt Can’t make the live-stream? You can always watch our syndicated interviews later on YouTube or Facebook! Prefer to listen as a podcast? Click here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-power-of-love-show/id1282931846 Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-Nd1HTnbaI Like Our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/884355188308946/ Join our Official Facebook Page full of supportive community members: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1500933326745571/?ref=share_group_link Have you subscribed to our Podcast? Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/the-power-of-love-show/id1282931846 Spotify Podcasts : https://open.spotify.com/show/6X6zGAPmdReRrlLO0NW4n6?si=bhNl9GjJRxKXUvTdwZme6Q The Power of Love Show is a weekly show sponsored by The Dee Dee Jackson Foundation where we shine a light on loss and grief and how it impacts our lives. Our aim is to build a community where we share inspiring stories, interview experts, learn, grow and empower one another to find proper and healthy healing. Visit the DDJF official website: http://www.ddjf.org/ Donate to DDJF (501c3): https://app.mobilecause.com/form/xDJ0Cg?vid=74qmm Check Out DDJF Merch: https://teespring.com/.../collection/All%20Products... Join the Dee Dee Jackson Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1500933326745571 Follow us on Instagram: @DeeDeeJacksonFoundation • https://instagram.com/deedeejacksonfoundation?utm_medium=copy_link