On The Table: Seitu Ken Jones

June 29, 2022
Event Types
Public Program
Virtual
Accessibility

This series will include screen reader enabled PDFs for written components.

For more information, contact:

eagarner [at] mit.edu (eagarner[at]mit[dot]edu)

For the second iteration of On The Table, artist, advocate and maker Seitu Ken Jones invites participants to join in a "Dessert Menu for Peace."

Jones' dessert menu reflects the stories from African American culinary traditions. The menu is inspired from the recipes of Edna Lewis, who inspired two generations of American chefs and Rose McGee, who has used pies as a tool for change and exchange. This equally simple and complex dessert menu will unite participants in a beautiful, poetic experience that exposes each other's differences and inequities, illuminates similarities and connections, and builds bridges of understanding.

About the Artist

Seitu Ken Jones is a multidisciplinary artist, advocate, and maker based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Working between the arts and public spheres, Jones channels the spirit of radical social movements into experiences that foster critical conversations and nurture more just and vibrant communities from the soil up. He is recognized as a dynamic collaborator and a creative force for civic engagement.

On The Table

Our remote summer series, On The Table will present six artist-designed ‘menus’ to respond to what is 'on the table' when it comes to sharing a meal today. Artists creating the series’ prompts include: Lexie Smith, Seitu Ken Jones, Jon Rubin & Habibullah Sorosh, Lexa Walsh, Asunción Molinos Gordo, and TJ Shin.

These menus are driven by current politics surrounding food access and sustainability while considering historical precedents of artists who have made art through communal meals. While some artist-designed menus may provide dinner party instructions or recipes to prepare, others will be imaginative prompts that invite creative interpretation. 

A new iteration of On The Table will be released on the List Center website every other Wednesday, from June 15 to August 25, 2022. Participants are invited to engage with the programs asynchronously throughout the season. Artist-designed prompts can be experienced anywhere and anytime. Visit the program page to learn more about the series.