Wilmer Jennings studied at RISD

Jennings came to Rhode Island School of Design in 1933 for additional training as a jewelry designer, painter, and printmaker.

Wilmer Jennings

Wilmer Jennings studied under famed African American artist Hale Woodruff while earning a degree from Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA. He then came to the Rhode Island School of Design in 1933 to study as a jewelry designer, painter, and printmaker. In the mid 1930’s, he worked for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in Atlanta and Providence simultaneously where he became most famous for his black and white wood engravings and varied printmaking techniques. Jewelry design became his focus in the mid 1940’s and Jennings settled into a long career as a designer in the Rhode Island jewelry industry. - written by Keila Davis

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Rhode Island School of Design

The Rhode Island School of Design is among the country's oldest and one of the most prestigious colleges specializing in fine arts and design located in Providence, RI. It was founded in 1877 when the 34 members of the Rhode Island Women’s Centennial Commission voted to invest their group’s surplus funding of $1,675 in founding The Rhode Island School of Design. The school was then lead by Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf and has consistently remained at the forefront of art and design education.   - written by Keila Davis

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