The Frimpong Case
Vincent Frimpong
The Arts Center Main Gallery
May 21 – July 3, 2026
Opening Reception and Panel Discussion: May 21, 5:30 – 7 PM
Community Clothing Swap – Main Gallery: Saturday, June 27, 12 – 5 PM. Drop off dates: June 23 – 26, 12 – 5 PM.
About the Exhibition
Vincent Frimpong uses mixed media installation to confront social and environmental issues caused by the massive amounts of textile waste produced by the western world. Specifically the work in The Frimpong Case, “A Common Hope for Tomorrow”, was created using shoes that would otherwise end up in West African landfills. The project employed friends and family living in Ghana, and showcases the human hand as a tool to explore what it means to be an African.
“The western world brings all unwanted trash to places like Africa, as both a way to make profit and get rid of the responsibility of alleviating permanent waste”, Frimpong explained. “As a boy I had learned how to reuse what was in my environment to survive, as did my family and neighbors, so I took it upon myself to use my practice as a way to help better the lives and environment of people in my town of Kumasi while giving the objects back to the western world after turning them into art”.
Panel Discussion
The Frimpong Case opens with an expert panel discussing the social and environmental strains caused by textile chains, both on a local and global scale. The talk starts at 6 PM. Arrive early to experience the exhibition by Vincent Frimpong. Food and drinks will be provided.
- Leslie Davis Burns, Ph.D. – Former President, Responsible Global Fashion LLC andProfessor Emerita, Oregon State University
- Dazie Carnes – Vina Moses Center Volunteer Manager
- Tiga Evans – The Cat’s Meow Thrift Store Manager
- Ann Morey Ross – The Arc Thrift Stores General Manager
About the Artist
Vincent Frimpong is a contemporary ceramic artist from Accra, Ghana. He holds an M.F.A. in Ceramics Art from the University of Arkansas and a B.A. in Industrial Arts (Ceramics Option) from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana. His work has been exhibited in numerous group and solo exhibitions, including A labor of love at the Poole Gallery, University of Montevallo (Birmingham, AL), Beyond the Single at the Shircliff Gallery of Art (Vincennes, IN), and The Frimpong Case Continued at the Hall Gallery, Millsaps College (Jackson, MS).
Frimpong’s research and creative practice have been supported by several fellowships and awards, including the 2025 NCECA Emerging Artist Fellowship, Amaco Fellowship at Archie Bray Foundation, and the 2025 Rudy Autio Endowed Fund for Creatives. He has also received the Windgate Accelerator Grant (University of Arkansas), the Artists 360 Practicing Artist Grant (Walton Arts Foundation), the CXF MARs Award (The Medium / CACHE), the Zenobia Award (Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts), the Windgate University Fellowship (Arrowmont), the Maxwell-Hanrahan Fellowship (Haystack), the John Glick Scholarship (Penland), and awards from CIRCA and the Midsouth Sculpture Alliance. He currently serves as Assistant Professor of Art at Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois.