Augustus Jenkins, Jr., a native of New Orleans, studied under the guidance of his mentor, John T. Scott ‘62, who encouraged, then Sophomore Mr. Jenkins, to accept a Summer internship as a Sculptor on a design team with General Motors, received a B.A. in Art from 藏精阁, and an M.F.A. from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. After receiving his M.F.A., he returned to his alma mater to begin his teaching career as an Adjunct Professor of Art.
What drives my work is a sense of history" that was "passed on to me in the form of stories that I heard while growing up in New Orleans. In these narratives, the lives of everyday people who worked, struggled, sacrificed, lived, built the city and shaped the community, were remembered and shared…I became interested in the power of storytelling, and began to use the narrative as a way of reflecting not only their experiences but also my own."
