DIRECTOR'S IINTRODUCTION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

          In the spring of 2002, President Swygert casually suggested an alumni exhibition of artists from the Department of Art. Persuaded by his metaphysical certitude and confidence that the Gallery and its staff were equal to the challenge, we chose the centennial of the birth of James A. Porter, second chairman of the Department of Art, as the premiere for the exhibit.

          A committee, including gallery staff, thirteen alumni from the classes of 1949 through 1993 (William Dorsey, Reggie Pointer, Akili Ron Anderson, Jane Wheat Bettistea, Starmanda Bullock, Teresia Bush, Yvonne Pickering Carter, Teixeira Nash, Adrian Loving, Winnie Owens-Hart, Peter L. Robinson, Jr. and George Smith) and one invited colleague, Floyd Coleman, met November 6, 2002, and began to create criteria and establish guidelines.

          An announcement of the exhibition and the call for entries was published in the winter issue of the Howard Magazine and details followed in the spring. Later, the Gallery’s website updated information. We received art works and slide portfolios through October of 2003. The committee convened on January 14, 2004 to review works from each artist. At this session, catalogue matters and funding sources were considered. We engaged a photographer to ensure pristine color and consistency and artists were notified of the choices made by the committee in February.

          For the next six weeks, the chosen works were meticulously organized and labeled by alumni Scott Baker and Eileen Johnston. The committee planned ancillary programs, panels, gallery talks/tours, and studio visits that would take place during the three months of exhibition and public programs... At our final meeting, December 7, 2004, we fine-tuned details and approved the title: A Proud Continuum: Eight Decades of Art at Howard University!

          Although we endeavored to be as inclusive as possible, we were cognizant of the limitations of the process. Major difficulties were encountered in contacting alumni. Even so, there were numerous responses from across the country. We felt compelled to include works of posthumous artists, such as Alma Thomas, the first graduate in 1924, and the most recent loss, Malkia Roberts, from the class of 1936.

          This exhibition has come together from the coordination, organization and focus of the last two years and the contributions of many persons. Without the help of these individuals, we would not have succeeded in bringing the alumni exhibition to the University and metropolitan communities.

          First and foremost, we extend abundant thanks to President H. Patrick Swygert for his unbridled support for this exhibition and for the Gallery’s activities. He was instrumental in obtaining the sponsorship for the production of the catalogue, and, for his impetus and efforts, we are indebted to him. We thank Provost English and Dean Donaldson for their encouragement and support of Gallery programs. We extend our gratitude to Mrs. Stacey D. Stewart, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Fannie Mae Foundation, for her belief in this project and financial support. Peter L. Robinson, Jr., 1949 graduate, has been particularly generous to Alma Mater. He established a scholarship in honor of his father, Major Peter L. Robinson, Sr., and his wife, Romaine Francis Scott Robinson, to support needy art students pursuing a degree in art education or the visual arts. Robinson provided support for the design and production of the invitation for this exhibit as well. We thank him for his consideration and consistent support. We thank Starmanda Bullock for access to laboratory computers and software programs and the design of her signature logo. And, we heartily applaud the alumni committee for their vision and continued assistance. To Robert Hall and the Anacostia Museum for co-sponsoring the artist’s studio visits and providing bus transportation for participants; to J.J. Pryor and Tanya Nelson of the Office of University Communications for their assistance in media preparation and outreach; to Jennifer Lawson and David Shapinsky of WHUT-TV 32 for their assistance in helping to develop broadcasting programs related to the exhibition; and, to Ragan Royal of University Advancement for her assistance on the preliminary proposal and its many drafts, we extend our gratitude. For their numerous hours of research and crafting their insightful and compelling essays, we offer our sincere thanks to Scott W. Baker, Teresia Bush, David C. Driskell, Lisa E. Farrington and Richard J. Powell.

          Our editor, Carolyn Shuttlesworth, former faculty member of the Department of English, has worked with us on several projects through the years. Resident historian Floyd Coleman, has been an invaluable treasure since his arrival in 1987. His committee input and strategic editorial comments were critical to the ebb and flow of this project. To both of these scholars, we offer our sincere thanks. To Thomas Battle, Moorland Spingarn Research Center for permission to reprint photographic materials from the 1923 and 1924 Year Book; to Rosa Anthony and Andrea Only for their assistance in retrieving and making available those mages from the Center. To Clifford Muse of the University Archives for the photographs researched across the decades, and permission to reprint. To James V. Pleasant for providing the photographs of building facades and Porter book covers as a last minute request. To each of you, we are extremely grateful; the catalogue would not have been as meaningful without your cooperation.

          The design of the catalogue was paramount to the success of this endeavor. We are indebted to Adrian Loving of Launchpad Designs for his creativity, cooperation and perseverance in melding the many suggestions and ideas into an exciting design; to Kullen Dickerson of Automated Graphics Systems, Inc. for his pleasant collaboration with the gallery and designer; and to Gregory R. Staley, photographer, for his flexible schedule with this project and his pristine transparencies of the art work.

          The staff of the Gallery, as the President opined, rose to the challenge of this mammoth task. In the planning, data collection, registration and myriad other tasks, Eileen Johnston and Scott Baker have maintained a work ethic that is envious and contagious. I am indebted to their cooperative spirit and unwavering support.

          Finally, sincere appreciation is extended to the artists on exhibition and to those who cheerfully joined the effort to find classmates and friends. Because of them and the artists that follow, the legacy of the department will flourish for many decades to come.

Tritobia Hayes Benjamin , Ph.D.
Director, Gallery of Art