biography of David C. DRISKELL (1931-2020)

Birth place: Eatonton, GA

Addresses: Nashville, TN

Profession: Painter, educator, art historian

Studied: Skowhegan Sch Painting & Sculpture, scholarship, 1953, with Jack Levine & Henry V Poor; Howard Univ, BA, 1955, with James A Porter & Morris Louis; Cath Univ Am, MFA, 1962, with Nell Sonnemann & Ken Noland; Riksbureau voor Kunsthistorisches Documentatie, The Hague, Neth, cert, 1964.

Exhibited: NGA, Wash., DC, 1954; Carver Mus., 1956; Savery Art Gallery, 1957; Atlanta Univ Ann, 1959 (John Hope Award); Am Fedn Art, 1962 (Museum Donor Award); Xavier Univ., 1963; Fisk Univ., 1964; Baltimore Mus Area Exhib, 1965; CGA, 1965 (Graphics Art Award); Corcoran Area Exhib, 1966; Art in Embassies, USA, 1966; San Diego Fine Arts Gallery, 1966; The White House, Wash., DC, 1966; Dickson Art Center, 1966; Sheraton Hotel, Phila., 1968; Cheekwood Fine Arts Center, 1968; Norfolk Mus., 1969; Brooks Memorial Gallery, 1969; James A. Porter Gallery, 1970; WMAA, 1971; Univ. of Iowa, 1971-72; Birmingham Festival Exhib, 1972; VD Laskey Lib., 1972; Cent South Ann, Nashville, 1972; Florida Presbyterian Coll., 1972. Special awards: European Mus. Visitation; Fisk Univ. Grant; Rockefeller Fnd. Research Grant, 1967; Skowhegan Fellowship; Scholastic Award in Fine Arts, Howard Univ.

Member: Col Art Asn Am; Nat Conf Artists; Am Mus Asn; Am Fedn Art (trustee, 1969-); Tenn Col Art Coun (co-chmn, 1968-1971); Maine Arts & Crafts Assn.; Nashville Artists Guild.

Work: Smithsonian Inst, Washington, DC; CGA; Barnet Aden Gallery; Birmingham Mus Art, Ala; Carl Van Vechten Gallery Fine Arts, Fisk Univ, Nashville, Tenn; Howard Univ Collection Fine Arts, Washington, DC; Atlanta Univ.; US Embassy, Denmark. Commissions: Mountain and Tile Suite (10 woodcuts-color), Tenn Arts Comn, 1972.

Comments: Preferred media: oils, tempera, watercolors. Research: Role of the black artist in American society and traditional African art, its impact on Afro-American art. Positions: Mem bd adv, Mus African Art, 1967-; mem visual arts adv panel, Tenn Arts Comn, 1969-, mus adv bd, 1971-. Collections Arranged: Modern Masters from the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum (catalogue-Modern Masters, Klee, Kandinsky and Picasso), Talladega Col, Ala, 1956; The Afro-American Series, 12 exhibs each with 16 page catalogue of the work of 12 black artists, Fisk Univ, Univ Miami & others. Teaching: Prof painting & art hist, Talledega Col, 1955-62; prof painting & art hist, Howard Univ, 1962-66; prof art & chmn dept, Fisk Univ, 1966-. Publications: The Afro-American Series, 12 monographs, Fisk Univ.; auth, Two Centuries of Black American Art (exh. cat., New York: Los Angeles County Mus. of Art and Knopf Pub., 1973); auth, Hidden Heritage: Afro-American Art, 1800-1950 (exh. cat., Bellevue Art Museum, Washington, and Art Mus Asn Am, 1985).

Sources: WW73; Cederholm, Afro-American Artists.