John Early will share images from his studio art practice while discussing projects that engage deeply with the cultural and social landscapes of various communities. Through his site-based work, he explores issues of spatial injustice, urban renewal, and community identity. By addressing topics like the anti-Black racism underlying the absence of basketball courts in St. Louis’s Forest Park and the human toll of urban renewal in the St. Louis Place neighborhood, Early's work highlights the importance of understanding and respecting diverse cultural perspectives. His projects serve as a catalyst for dialogue, advocating for spatial equity, racial justice, and the preservation of community memory. By engaging with issues of social justice and community empowerment, Early contributes to ongoing conversations about the complexities of social change and collective action.

John Early is a multidisciplinary visual artist whose site-based work explores the textures, layers, and histories of place. His recent work addresses power structures of inequity, often in connection with sports and recreation. Over the past five years, his work has focused on spatial injustice in the recreational landscape of St. Louis’s public parks.

In addition to participating in public projects based in Chicago, St. Louis, and Florence, Italy, Early has exhibited widely across the Midwest and nationally. He is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis and is a Faculty Affiliate at the University’s Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity.