Film: This World Is Not My Own

Wednesday, 1/28/2026
3:00 - 4:45
Golden Gate Valley Meeting Room
Golden Gate Valley

1801 Green Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
United States

415-355-5666

Born on July 4, 1900, artist Nellie Mae Rowe lived through the 20th century, creating art largely in obscurity and guided by what she saw as a God-given gift. The daughter of a sharecropper and former slave, she used found materials to make her work and later transformed her home into her “Playhouse,” a colorful world of drawings, sculptures, dolls, and collected objects. Six years before her death, gallerist Judith Alexander “discovered” her and brought her art to wider attention. Rowe’s remarkable story is told through stop-motion animation, drawings, and interviews. Rotten Tomatoes rating of 100%. 

"This winning overview of the life of self-taught black artist Nellie Mae Rowe and her white patron, Judith Alexander, also doubles up as a social history of 20th-century Atlanta, Georgia." - The Guardian

NR, 97 min., 2023. 

Film & Video

Watch party and film discussions. 

More Than a Month: Black Interest

Connect to engaging discussions and performances related to the Black community.

More Than a Month recognizes important events in Black history, honors community and national leaders and fosters steps towards collective change. Programming features authors, poets and craft classes. 

Spotlight

This program is sponsored by Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.

Attending Programs

All programs are drop-in (no registration necessary) unless otherwise noted. All SFPL locations are wheelchair accessible. For accommodations (such as ASL), call (415) 557-4557 or contact accessibility@sfpl.org. Requesting at least 3 business days in advance will help ensure availability.

This program will be conducted in English unless otherwise noted.

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