Alumni Art Exhibit Touts Eight Decades of Talent and History Howard University unveiled its alumni art exhibit on Sunday, March 6, in the Gallery of Art. Featuring the work of 122 recognized and respected artists, it is the largest of its kind in Howard’s history. The collection, representing diverse art forms, rivals any exhibition being showcased in the city’s larger galleries. "In spring 2002, President Swygert casually suggested an alumni exhibition of artists from the Department of Art," said Tritobia Benjamin, Ph.D., director of the Gallery. "Persuaded by his metaphysical certitude and confidence in the Gallery and its staff ... we chose the centennial of the birth of James A. Porter, second chairman of the Department of Art, as the premiere for the exhibit."

(c.) Burgundy Suit, 100 percent wool crocheted, by Valerie Chisholm

Among the featured artists are the late Lois Mailou Jones, who worked in a variety of styles in a career that spanned more than 47 years; David C. Driskell, renowned artist and professor of art emeritus from the University of Maryland-College Park, who is regarded as one of the world’s leading authorities on African-American art and for whom The Driskell Center at the University of Maryland was established in 2001; Starmanda Bullock, Ph.D., founder and art director of Star Bullock and Associates Inc.; Elizabeth Catlett, the first woman to teach sculpture at Mexico’s National University where she taught from 1959 to 1975; and Lou Stovall, master printmaker, who founded Workshop Inc., a studio for silkscreen printmaking.

In addition to the exhibit, a series of workshops and colloquia are being held to examine Howard University’s eight decades of influence on and promotion of African-American art and artists.

“The art program at Howard has produced – and continues to do so – artists whose pieces reflect styles that are not only aesthetically pleasing to the eye, but in many ways embrace the cultural, social and geographical mix of our student body,” says Howard University President H. Patrick Swygert.

The exhibit will be open to the public through Sunday, May 29. Additionally, a limited-edition soft-bound collector’s guide is available for purchase.

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