Submitted photo An exhibition by Neo-African Abstract Expressionist artist Danny Simmons will be shown at the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown.

A founder of Neo-African Abstract Expressionism will display his work in an exhibition opening Sunday at the Butler Institute of American Art.

Through his use of dots, textiles and tribal markings, Danny Simmons reclaims and recontextualizes traditional African motifs within the language of modernism.

For over four decades, Simmons has created paintings, works on paper and assemblages informed by the spirit imbued in indigenous and African cultures. Simmons is an author, poet, philanthropist, curator, co-creator of Def Poetry Jam and co-founder of the renowned Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation.

Through the nonprofit organization, Rush Arts Gallery NYC and Rush Arts Philadelphia have served as important cultural hubs providing exhibitions, arts education and opportunities for hundreds of emerging, developing and underrepresented artists of color since 1995.

The Butler show, “Danny Simmons: Visual Expressions,” will include 10 unique prints as well as a monumental nine-panel collage by the artist.

According to Simmons, “For an artist, the printing process has a magnetic pull. The transition from a layered painting to a silkscreen print is a powerful evolution. The printing process acts as a mirror, with every layer of ink informing the original artistic decisions I made. Upon seeing the initial prints for my Butler Institute exhibition, my immediate instinct was to continue their story.

“By integrating textiles and fabric back onto the prints, I bridge the gap between original and reproduction, physically constructing my exploration of deep-seated themes of ancestry, memory and the diaspora. I truly enjoyed working with Lichtenstein Editions on this body of work, and I’ve included something totally unique that deviates from those prints while remaining squarely within the exhibition’s themes — you’ll just have to come see it for yourself.”

Butler Interim Director Larry Jones is quoted in the press release announcing the show, “Bringing these works to Youngstown is yet another way this institution shows its commitment to bringing world-famous artists to the region.”

Simmon’s work is part of many private and museum collections, including the Brooklyn Museum, Houston Museum of African American Culture, Montclair Art Museum, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, The Smithsonian, Chase Manhattan Bank and the United Nations.

“Visual Expressions” will be on display through July 26 at the Butler, 524 Wick Ave., Youngstown. An opening reception is scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday with a gallery talk at 2 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, go to butlerart.com.