Illustrator and MassArt alumna Ekua Holmes, BFA ‘77 shares how her art is rooted in love, memory, and community.
Written by Rachael Dubinsky
Award-winning artist, illustrator, educator, community builder, and MassArt staff member and alumna, Ekua Holmes, BFA ‘77 Photography, is a strong believer that everything happens for a reason.
Her art is rooted in love, memory, and community, and speaks directly to the hearts of urban youth and families whose stories have too often gone untold. Her legacy is one of purpose: nurturing beauty in overlooked places, inspiring the next generation, and showing what’s possible when we lead with both vision and heart.
During her time as a student at MassArt, Ekua studied photography because she thought illustration was “too hard.” It wasn’t until after she graduated that she decided to teach herself graphic design in order to make flyers and posters for her neighborhood. It was that community-centered work that has always fed her soul.
“Success for me was continuing to have art in my life,” she says.
One of her first breaks came unexpectedly—after putting up artwork at a JP Licks ice cream shop in Jamaica Plain in Boston. Her first book grew out of artwork she had placed in an ice cream shop in Jamaica Plain. That image caught someone’s eye, and a seed was planted that led to an opportunity for her first gig as a book illustrator.
And then there was a random email. Subject line: Google Doodle.
“It was from someone named Matt,” Holmes says, laughing. “I thought it was spam.” She ignored it—until a follow-up came a few weeks later. Turns out, Google was inviting her to create a doodle honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
It was a monumental task—translating the legacy of the civil rights movement into an image that would be seen around the world, within the frame of one of the most recognizable logos on the internet. And when the Doodle went live at exactly 12:01 a.m., the emails started coming. People from around the world wrote to her. That moment shifted her sense of what was possible and also reminded her of the quiet power of presence.
Her work in children’s literature has garnered national recognition. Her debut illustration project—“Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement” by Carole Boston Weatherford— received a Caldecott Honor, the Coretta Scott King Award, the Robert F. Sibert Honor, and a Horn Book Award. In 2018 and 2019, she won the coveted Coretta Scott King Award again for her illustrations in “Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets.” and “Stuff of Stars.”
Books illustrated by Ekua Holmes.
Through community connections, both on and offline, Holmes continues to grow her artistic practice. She eventually came back to MassArt to join the Center for Art and Community Partnerships (CACP), developing what has become sparc! the Art Mobile, funded by a grant from the Kresge Foundation. She continues to lead the College’s research and commitment to getting out into neighborhoods to art with and for the people.
She’s spoken about the value of community-driven work in a TED Talk, emphasizing the importance of showing up, listening, and building something with people, not just for them.
Holmes is a true believer that we have something to learn from people of all ages. “Older people have wisdom, yes—but young people do too. We receive from many places,” she says.
From the page, to the classroom, to the garden, Ekua continues to plant seeds—both literal and figurative—in the community that raised her. Another brainchild of hers, The Roxbury Sunflower Project, is now in its eighth year, transforming what was once a weedy, trash-filled lot into a space of color and hope.
She’s reflective when looking back on her path. If she could revisit those early years, she says, she would’ve traveled more. “You’re not stuck anywhere. It’s a big world out there.”
Her reach continues to grow. In 2024, she was commissioned by the U.S. Postal Service to create the official Kwanzaa Forever stamp—a striking, deeply meaningful piece that celebrates family, tradition, and unity.
When she’s working, Holmes always has reality shows like Project Runway and Top Chef on in the background. She finds insight in the way artists speak about process, struggle, and joy. “You can hear the creative struggle, the joy, the perseverance,” she says. “It resonates.”
And when young artists ask her how to begin—or whether they belong—her answer is steady, like everything she builds:
Just keep going. Don’t get discouraged. Keep sharpening your skills. Be ready for your miracle.Ekua Holmes BFA ’77 Photography
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