Elevation from Within: Art at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Elevation from Within: Art at Historically Black Colleges and Universities presents a historically and culturally impressive selection of original works of art by Black artists spanning the 20th and 21st centuries.  Elevation from Within is curated by Dr. Leo Twiggs. A native of St. Stephen, South Carolina and Claflin University alumnus (1956). Elevation from Within pays homage to HBCU alumni and professors whose educational backgrounds chronicle a vital chapter of American history and whose aesthetic achievements have made an indelible mark on this nation’s art. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have served as stewards of visual art by Black artists since the early 20th century.  This curated collection features works drawn from the Johnson Collection’s holdings of paintings, prints, drawings and sculpture. On view are works by 20th- and 21st-century artists John Biggers, Beverly Buchanan, Elizabeth Catlett, Aaron Douglas, James Herring, James Porter, Alma Thomas, Leo Twiggs, Charles White, Ellis Wilson, Benny Andrews, and Hale Woodruff. This exhibition speaks both to and of the curator’s own experiences. Twiggs stated, “For African Americans living in a segregated society, the sources for our creative expression came from within. Our hardships are expressed in our blues, our many moods in our jazz, and our relationship to God in our spirituals. Painting, sculpture, and dance became a way to express all of it visually.” “My paintings always express my personal journey. It is only through the humanity of the personal that expression is elevated to the universal.” The Foster-Tanner Fine Arts Gallery hours are Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.