The Legacy of Brother Thomas w/ Guest Oompa

The Boston Public Library, in partnership with the Pucker Gallery, is thrilled to present Tales of Thomas featuring Oompa, a virtual event in collaboration with the Boston Public Library’s Never Too Late Program. Celebrating the recent publication of the biography on renowned ceramic artist Brother Thomas Bezanson (1929–2007) Tales of Thomas, the event will include a discussion on the life and legacy of Brother Thomas by Pucker Gallery Owner/Director Bernie Pucker, readings by Editor Jeanne Koles from the biography, and a spoken word and hip-hop performance by Oompa Williams will celebrate Brother Thomas’ legacy through the Brother Thomas Fund, a program that supports Boston artists working in a range of disciplines.

Oompa, a self-described “hood, queer, black, womynist, orphan, auntie, sister, friend and teacher,” was recently named “Unsigned Artist of the Year” at the 2018 Boston Music Awards and was awarded a Brother Thomas Fellowship in 2019. Join us for this enriching event full of songs and stories, and to celebrate the fullness of art and spirituality in our Boston community.

We'll be having this program on Zoom, we ask that interested participants please register with an email so that we can send you the meeting details.

Register here:
https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/5eb062699aad373a0089d846
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Oompa is a nationally-acclaimed, Boston-born, poet, rapper, and educator, who is forever representing the queer, black, orphaned, hood kids and them. She is the winner of the 2018 Unsigned Artist of the Year award from Boston Music Awards after an unprecedented 6 nominations, the 2017 Women of the World Poetry Slam, is a finalist at the 2016 National Poetry Slam. She has been featured on NBC 10, in Huffington Post, Allston Pudding, Mass Apparel, and Killer BoomBox, Boston Globe, Dig Boston among others. Oompa's debut album, Nov. 3, was named one of Dig Boston's Top 30 Local Albums of 2016, one of Allston Pudding’s Favorite albums of 2016, and she just released her second full-length album, CLEO, in August 2019.

Jeanne Koles received her undergraduate degree in Art History and graduate degree in Museum Studies, both from Tufts University. She has twenty years of experience in the cultural sector with a special passion for, knowledge of, and experience in writing, design, and project management. She has written and designed for numerous art publications, including: Sublime Beauty: The Art of Lino Tagliapietra; Parallax: Shahzia Sikander; Tales of Thomas: Brother Thomas Bezanson; and Risk & Discovery: The Art of Hideaki Miyamura.

Bernie and Sue Pucker have served the arts and cultural community of Greater Boston for more than 50 years. In 1967 they opened their eponymous Newbury Street gallery, which exhibits an eclectic and sophisticated collection of works by over 50 international artists. In 2007, they were instrumental in establishing the Brother Thomas Fund at the Boston Foundation to honor the legacy of Brother Thomas Bezanson, a Benedictine monk and world-renowned ceramic artist. The biennial Brother Thomas Fellowship program supports a diverse group of Greater Boston artists working at a high level of excellence in a range of disciplines, enhancing their ability to thrive and create new work. Their considerable philanthropic engagement over the years has included the support and guidance of numerous nonprofits and social entrepreneurs.

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