The Museum Lives in Me! The NCMA has commissioned Victoria Scott-Miller, owner of North Carolina Black-owned independent bookstore Liberation Station, to author a children’s book titled The Museum Lives in Me. The picture book showcases the discovery and exploration of the NCMA’s collection by a group of students visiting on a school field trip. It highlights their inclusive experiences, opportunities for self-reflection, and meaningful connections to art. Due out in May, the book features original illustrations by Raleigh-based artist JP Jermaine Powell.
Victoria Scott-Miller is a Raleigh-based author and owner of the trailblazing, nationally recognized Liberation Station Bookstore, which specializes in children’s literature that centers on Black children and families. Victoria’s work has been featured in the Washington Post; O, The Oprah Magazine; Medium; American Way, American Airlines’ magazine; and Walter, as well as on Good Morning America and CNN. In 2021 she was the first Black woman to be inducted into the Wake County Public School Hall of Fame in the category of entrepreneurship.
As an innovator, liberation strategist, and literacy advocate, she is committed to creating uplifting stories of the possibilities of Black and brown children while building infrastructure and initiatives that promote legacy building, generational safekeeping, and historical guardianship for marginalized voices. Since 2020 the NCMA has partnered with Liberation Station for recorded readings, live in-gallery story times, and a curated book selection in the Museum Store.
JP Jermaine Powell’s curiosity and love for the arts began at a young age in Cleveland, Ohio. His natural talent for drawing, painting, and connecting with people led him to attend and graduate from Pratt Institute in New York.
He creates large-scale public art pieces and exhibits his work regularly in the Triangle and beyond. Recent shows include Visual Vanguard: An Exhibition of Contemporary Black Carolina Artists at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture in Charlotte and JP Jermaine Powell—Breathe, Back to Life at the Betty Ray McCain Art Gallery, Duke Energy Center for Performing Arts, Raleigh. He resides in North Carolina with his wife, daughter, and two sons and enjoys traveling the world and sharing his experiences through his paintings.
*This title will ship on May 21st, 2022
The Museum Lives in Me is a vivid, imaginative, fantastical narrative with illustrations that invite us all to peek into our human museums. This beautiful and whimsical story of “Miss Edmonia” and her “Wildfires class” reminds us to discover our best selves in the world.
The images created by JP Jermaine Powell include recognizable visitor favorites in the People’s Collection, including Mickalene Thomas’s Three Graces: Les Trois Femmes Noires (2011); Romare Bearden’s New Orleans: Ragging Home (1974); and Yayoi Kusama’s LIGHT OF LIFE (2018).
Get to know the creators and characters better with these curated playlists!
North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
Bastian Family Charitable Foundation
- North Carolina Museum of Art Commissions Victoria Scott-Miller, Owner of Liberation Station Bookstore, to Create Children’s Book about the People’s Collection
- North Carolina Museum of Art Reveals Cover, Announces Day of Celebration for The Museum Lives in Me Book Commission with Victoria Scott-Miller and JP Jermaine Powell