The David C. Driskell Center for the Study of the Visual Arts and Culture of African Americans and the African Diaspora, known informally as the Driskell Center, is an arts archive and academic research center dedicated to

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

and Afro-diasporic art located at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD). Named for the artist, African-American art

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the st ...

, arts educator, and longtime UMD professor

David C. Driskell David C. Driskell (June 7, 1931 – April 1, 2020) was an American artist, scholar and curator; recognized for his work in establishing African-American Art as a distinct field of study. In his lifetime, Driskell was cited as one of the world� ...

, the Center houses a large collection of African-American art and art ephemera, as well as the personal archives of several African-American artists and academics. The Driskell Center was founded in 2001 and comprises several art and archival collections, a library, and an on-campus art gallery.

Background and founding

David C. Driskell was an artist, art historian, educator, and art collector who was among the earliest proponents of the study of African-American art as a distinct, formal academic discipline, and he was widely credited during his lifetime as one of the world's foremost experts on African-American art and art history. Raised in

Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is t ...

, and trained as an artist at both

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a Private university, private, University charter#Federal, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, classifie ...

and

Catholic University Catholic higher education includes universities, colleges, and other institutions of higher education privately run by the Catholic Church, typically by religious institutes. Those tied to the Holy See are specifically called pontifical un ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, Driskell taught at several

historically black colleges and universities Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of primarily serving the African-American community. M ...

early in his career, including

Talladega College Talladega College is a private historically black college in Talladega, Alabama. It is Alabama's oldest private historically black college and offers 17 degree programs. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Hi ...

, Howard, and a decade at

Fisk University Fisk University is a private historically black liberal arts college in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1866 and its campus is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1930, Fisk was the first Afric ...

. In 1976 Driskell joined the faculty at UMD, eventually serving as the chair of the art department and Distinguished University Professor of Art before his retirement in 1998. The Driskell Center was founded in 2001 by UMD, three years after Driskell's retirement from the university. Driskell continued to support the center's collections, exhibitions, and research until his death in April 2020 in Washington, D.C.

Collections

Art collections

The Center houses an extensive collection of artwork by a wide range of African-American and Afro-diasporic artists. Driskell and his wife Thelma G. Driskell donated significant portions of their personal collections to the center, both before and upon David's death, including many works by Driskell himself. The art collection is organized into several sub-collections, including the Driskells' collections, several collections grouped by major donations and bequests, and acquisitions made by the Driskell Center. Artists in the art collection include Emma Amos,

Benny Andrews Benny Andrews (November 13, 1930 – November 10, 2006) was an African-American artist, activist and educator. Born in Plainview, Georgia, Andrews earned a BFA in painting from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1958, and soon after ...

Radcliffe Bailey Radcliffe Bailey (born 1968) is a contemporary American artist noted for mixed-media, paint, and sculpture works that explore African-American history. He is currently based in Atlanta, Georgia. Early life and education Radcliffe Bailey was born ...

Richmond Barthé James Richmond Barthé, also known as Richmond Barthé (January 28, 1901 – March 5, 1989) was an African-American sculptor associated with the Harlem Renaissance. Barthé is best known for his portrayal of black subjects. The focus of his arti ...

Romare Bearden Romare Bearden (September 2, 1911 – March 12, 1988) was an American artist, author, and songwriter. He worked with many types of media including cartoons, oils, and collages. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Bearden grew up in New York City ...

John T. Biggers John Thomas Biggers (April 13, 1924 – January 25, 2001) was an African-American muralist who came to prominence after the Harlem Renaissance and toward the end of World War II. Biggers created works critical of racial and economic injustice. He ...

Camille Billops Camille Josephine Billops (August 12, 1933 – June 1, 2019) was an African-American sculptor, filmmaker, archivist, printmaker, and educator. Early life and education Billops was born in Los Angeles, California, to parents Alma Gilmore, origin ...

, Louis Delsarte, Aaron Douglas, Melvin Edwards, Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller,

Sam Gilliam Sam Gilliam ( ; November 30, 1933 – June 25, 2022) was an American color field painter and lyrical abstractionist artist. Gilliam was associated with the Washington Color School, a group of Washington, D.C.-area artists that developed a form ...

, Loïs Mailou Jones, Paul Keene,

Jacob Lawrence Jacob Armstead Lawrence (September 7, 1917 – June 9, 2000) was an American Painting, painter known for his portrayal of African-American historical subjects and contemporary life. Lawrence referred to his style as "dynamic cubism", although by ...

Samella Lewis Samella Sanders Lewis (February 27, 1923 – May 27, 2022) was an American visual artist and art historian. She worked primarily as a printmaker and painter. She has been called the "Godmother of African American Art". She received Distinguished ...

Faith Ringgold Faith Ringgold (born October 8, 1930 in Harlem, New York City) is an American painter, writer, mixed media sculptor, and performance artist, best known for her narrative quilts. Early life Faith Ringgold was born the youngest of three child ...

Preston Sampson Preston is a place name, surname and given name that may refer to: Places England *Preston, Lancashire, an urban settlement **The City of Preston, Lancashire, a borough and non-metropolitan district which contains the settlement **County Boro ...

Augusta Savage Augusta Savage (born Augusta Christine Fells; February 29, 1892 – March 27, 1962) was an American sculptor associated with the Harlem Renaissance. She was also a teacher whose studio was important to the careers of a generation of artists who ...

, John T. Scott, Lou Stovall,

Alma Thomas Alma Woodsey Thomas (September 22, 1891 – February 24, 1978) was an African-American artist and teacher who lived and worked in Washington, D.C., and is now recognized as a major American painter of the 20th century. Thomas is best known for ...

, James Lesesne Wells,

Walter H. Williams Walter Henry Williams Jr. (1920–1998) was an African American-born artist, painter, printmaker and ceramicist who became a Danish citizen later in his life. The subjects of his artwork evolved from urban street scenes straight out of his New Yo ...

, William T. Williams, Deborah Willis, Hale Woodruff,

James Van Der Zee James Augustus Van Der Zee (June 29, 1886 – May 15, 1983) was an American photographer best known for his portraits of black New Yorkers. He was a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance. Aside from the artistic merits of his work, Van Der Ze ...

, and Driskell himself.

Archival collections

In addition to artwork, the Driskell Center also contains extensive archival collections from several artists, writers, and academics. Driskell donated his own complete artistic and academic archives to the center. Other individual archival collections include those of artist Faith Ringgold, art historian Tritobia Hayes Benjamin, and the arts-focused William E. Harmon Foundation.

Exhibitions and programs

The center has staged dozens of exhibitions since its founding, including several that have gone on to travel to institutions around the country. Past exhibitions have included solo shows of work by Romare Bearden, Willie Cole, Faith Ringgold, and

Kara Walker Kara Elizabeth Walker (born November 26, 1969) is an American contemporary painter, silhouettist, print-maker, installation artist, filmmaker, and professor who explores race, gender, sexuality, violence, and identity in her work. She is bes ...

References

{{University of Maryland, College Park, state=collapsed African-American cultural history African-American arts organizations Black studies organizations Archives in the United States Special collections libraries in the United States Research libraries in the United States David C. Driskell Center for the Study of the Visual Arts and Culture of African Americans and the African Diaspora David C. Driskell Center for the Study of the Visual Arts and Culture of African Americans and the African Diaspora 2001 establishments in Maryland

Art museums and galleries in Maryland Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic ...