James W. Jennings, 41, is a renaissance man most know by “Coach”. Originally from Hartford, Connecticut, James teaches at the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School and works at School of the Future in NYC. James is an educator, a painter, novelist, essayist, athlete, speaker, and, when not in the classroom or workshop ( or studio ), he’s creating spaces for creatives. His students have come to call his paintings “portals”. From his own words James aims to communicate one simple truth. “There is an invisible bond connecting us all,” he says. “Once you can stand still long enough to recognize it. I try to evoke that stillness and illuminate the bond when painting. I try to remind us there is good reasoning in being calm and open and nurturing those connection. The paintings are definitely portals.” James can be found on LinkedIn, FB, and IG @jameswjennings. Commission requests or inquiries can be sent to 49thhour@gmail.com.

James attainted a masters in fine art at Brooklyn College in 2008 and an undergraduate English degree in creative writing from Emory University in 2004. James’ recent activity includes 30 for 30 Impact Hub cohort, Wework Creator, executive board member of Martha’s Vineyard branch NAACP, board member of AAHT, A5 scholarship fund President and Co-founder, Callaloo and La Porte Peinte alum, 49th Hour Masterclass and Inspirations Tour, and over a decade of coaching public high school basketball. James’ novel Wings of Red will be published in 2022.