Building on the Legacy
March 21, 2017 - March 21, 2018
Building on the Legacy: African American Art from the Permanent Collection is comprised of more than thirty paintings, drawings, works on paper and sculptures by some of this country’s most renowned artists. This academic year of 2017-2018, the College of William & Mary commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the first African American students in residence: Lynn Briley, Janet Brown and Karen Ely. In honor of this milestone, the Muscarelle Museum of Art is proud to showcase works from the permanent collection that encompasses a variety of media, styles and time periods, exemplifying the plurality of vision among these accomplished artists. The selection embraces a panoply of approaches, ranging from the nineteenth-century realism of Henry Ossawa Tanner to the contemporary conceptualism of Martin Puryear. The subjects include portraiture by realist and folk artists, black-and-white abstractions and colorful landscapes, including recent acquisitions.
Image Credits:
WILLIE COLE | American, born 1955 | Five Beauties Rising, 2012 | Intaglio and relief, ed. 7/9 | © Willie Cole and Highpoint Editions | Acquired with funds from the Board of Visitors Muscarelle Museum of Art Endowment (Image credit line: Image Courtesy of Highpoint Editions and the Artist | Photo credit: David Kern) | 2017.003,1-5
