Upcoming kids’ book celebrates artist Pierce

Illustrations are prints from woodcarvings

The legacy of Elijah Pierce, the masterful woodcarver who lived in Columbus for decades until his death at age 92, soon will be bestowed on a new generation.

An upcoming picture book, “You Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce!: The Storied Life of Folk Artist Elijah Pierce,” will be published in 2023 by Penguin Young Readers. In tribute to his chosen art medium, the book’s illustrations will be prints made from woodcarvings.

Co-authors Chiquita Mullins Lee of Eastmoor and Carmella Van Vleet of Lewis Center tell the story of the community-centered, generous man whose work didn’t really get widespread acclaim until he was in his 70s. “He carved as a hobby,” says Lee. “He described it as ‘a habit.’ ”

Pierce started whittling animals from wood with his pocketknife when he was a boy on a Mississippi cotton farm. And though he later settled in Columbus and became a barber by trade, a preacher, and a mentor, he always continued to express himself through carving. His work encompasses Biblical scenes, political statements, popular culture, social justice themes and personal narratives.

Columbus State Community College erected a 10-foot-tall bronze statue of Pierce 21 years ago on East Long Street, near where his barbershop and adjacent gallery once had been. Those places were a hub for the Black community, where he befriended younger local artists, including Queen Brooks and Aminah Robinson.

Some experts consider Pierce to be one of the most important American self-taught artists.

Contributor Linda Deitch was a Dispatch librarian for 25 years.

FRED SHANNON/COLUMBUS DISPATCH FILE PHOTO Elijah Pierce’s life story and spirituality is reflected in his art. Martin Luther King Jr., Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, Archie Griffin and others have been depicted in his work, which has been shown worldwide, including at the Smithsonian and recently at a major retrospective in Philadelphia at the Barnes Foundation. He is shown here in a 1982 Dispatch photo.