“Hawkins Bolden: Seated” for Institute 193, January 12 – February 26, 2022. ⁠Scarecrows made from stuffed pairs of work pants—likely worn out after many years in his garden—distinguish Bolden as an epithet for recycled and utilitarian art (Smithsonian American Art Museum). 

Phillip March Jones is an artist, writer, and curator. He grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, attended Emory University, the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, and Auburn University before founding Institute 193 a non-profit gallery space, venue, and small-scale publishing house in 2009. 

Located in Lexington, Kentucky, Institute 193 embraces the notion that groundbreaking contemporary art can and does emerge outside of large metropolitan centers. The organization provides artists from Kentucky and the Southeastern United States—selected not by commercial viability, but by the quality and relevance of their work—with exhibition and publication opportunities. It also endeavors to help these artists gain broader media exposure and foster connections in art markets across the globe. Institute 193 collaborates with artists, musicians, and writers to document the cultural landscape of the modern South. Phillip says, “All of the work I do is focused on providing access and points of entry to new ideas and material.” 

In October 2020, Jones continued his pursuits with the founding of MARCH in New York City. MARCH is a curatorial platform and gallery operating at the intersection of visual art and social justice. The gallery presents artworks in a variety of formats and settings—online, in collaboration with other institutions, and at off-site locations—with the aim of amplifying the voices and showcasing the talents of under-recognized artists. Incorporated in New York City as a public-benefit corporation, MARCH is also dedicated to education, publishing, and generally making the world a better place. In line with these ambitious goals, the gallery makes recurring contributions to non-profit organizations working in the fields of art and culture. 

Our Brightly capsule collection incorporated Phillip’s artwork and a bright palette inspired by his daily practice of uncovering the beauty and significance in the human experience—as we see in the work at both of his organizations (and beyond). A portion of proceeds from the collaboration benefited Institute 193. 

Explore Phillip’s workbooks, the inspiration behind the collaboration here. Order your own Journal with Phillip’s artwork here.

Find a copy of Institute 193 here. Edited by founder Phillip March Jones and Chase Martin, this book chronicles the varied artists’ exhibitions held in its original Lexington, Kentucky, gallery space from 2009 until 2014. 

Learn more about the featured exhibitions and artists of Institute 193 here and MARCH here.