David C. Driskell & Friends: Creativity, Collaboration, & Friendship
Works from the David C. Driskell Center
A Dr. Roy E. Morgan Memorial Exhibition
Nov 1, 2022 - Feb 26, 2023
David C. Driskell and Friends: Creativity, Collaboration, and Friendship, Works from the David C. Driskell Center, a Dr. Roy E. Morgan Memorial Exhibition highlights the artistic legacy of David C. Driskell and the importance of his relationships with fellow artist friends—many of which have a significant place in the art canon.
David C. Driskell (1931-2020) was an American artist, scholar and curator; recognized for his work in establishing African-American Art as a distinct field of study. His teaching career includes institutions such as Talladega College, Howard and Fisk Universities, University of Maryland, and served as visiting professor of art at several universities, including Bowdoin College, the University of Michigan, Queens College and Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. At every institution he taught, he ensured that students would have exposure to artists and their work through artist residencies, exhibitions, and prolific slide collections. In his lifetime, Driskell was cited as one of the world’s leading authorities on the subject of African-American Art. In 1976, Driskell curated the groundbreaking exhibition, Two Centuries of Black American Art: 1750–1950, which has been a foundation for the field of African American art history. Driskell passed away April 1, 2020, in Hyattsville, Maryland, from complications of COVID-19. He was 88.
Co-Curated by Sheila Bergman PhD, University of California–Riverside, Curlee Raven Holton, Driskell Center, University of Maryland & Heather Sincavage, Wilkes University, the exhibition, the first of its kind for this collection, explores the work and Driskell’s relationships with such figures as Hale Woodruff, James Porter, Elizabeth Catlett, Kara Walker, Romare Beardon, Keith Morrison, Jacob Lawrence, and many more. Original works of art created by Driskell would also be featured, as well as ephemera from the Driskell Papers that exemplify the artists’ unique friendship. All works featured in the exhibition are from the David C. Driskell Center. The center, established in 2001 by the University of Maryland, honors Driskell by preserving the rich heritage of African American visual art and culture. This traveling exhibition will debut at the Sordoni Art Gallery at Wilkes University, and subsequent venues will include University of California-Riverside, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Maryland.
