The illustrated talk, “A Life in Art, Gardening and Material Culture” centers on three of Driskell’s favorite things. One of the most eminent artists of our times, Driskell will be accompanied in conversation with artist and cultural anthropologist Dr. Myron Beasley of Bates College, Lewiston. Tickets to the event are $8 CMCA members; $10 non-members, and may be purchased online at cmcanow.org. Advance tickets are recommended as seating is limited. All proceeds from the event support CMCA and Indigo Arts Alliance.

Highly regarded as an artist, scholar and curator, David Driskell is one of the world’s leading authorities on African-American art. He has been the recipient of thirteen honorary doctorates and has contributed significantly to scholarship in the history of art on the role of African-American artists in America. His paintings and collages reflect his person vision and memory. Marked by the artist’s abiding color sensibilities, his work bears the imprint of a turbulent era, a return to nature, and Driskell’s synthesis of the European, American, and African art forms he knew firsthand.

For additional information about the event, contact CMCA at info@cmcanow.org or call 207-701-5005.

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David Driskell (born 1931, Eatonton, Georgia) was educated at Howard University and received a Master of Fine Arts from The Catholic University of America. In 1953 he attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine. In 1961 he became a summer resident of Maine. He currently holds the title of Distinguished University Professor of Art, Emeritus, at the University of Maryland, College Park. In 1997, Driskell was awarded the President’s Medal, the highest honor the University of Maryland bestows on a member of its faculty. In the 1998, the David C. Driskell Center for the Study of Visual Arts and Culture of African Americans and the African Diaspora was founded to promote his scholarship and service to the University. In December of 2000, President Bill Clinton bestowed the National Humanities Medal on Driskell. Trained as a painter and art historian, Driskell works principally in collage and mixed media. His paintings and prints have been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions in galleries and museums throughout the USA, including the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Oakland Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art. He has been the recipient of several foundation fellowships among which are the Harmon Foundation, three Rockefeller Foundation Fellowships and the Danforth Foundation.

Myron M. Beasley, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Cultural Studies at Bates College. He is a scholar and international curator. His ethnographic research includes exploring the intersection of cultural politics, art and social change, as he believes in the power of artists and recognize them as cultural workers. He has been awarded fellowships and grants by the Andy Warhol Foundation, the Whiting Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, the Kindling Fund, The Davis Family Foundation, the Ruth Landes Award from the Reed Foundation, and most recently the Dorathea and Leo Rabkin Foundation for his ethnographic writing about art and cultural engagement. Some of his recent curatorial projects include Re:Past: Remembering Malaga (Maine), Print Protest Poster (Able Baker Gallery, 2018), Patience on a Monument: Recent work by Eto Otitigbe (UT, Austin 2016), Raw Material, Dakar’rt (Dakar 2014), The Ghetto Biennale (Haiti), CAAR Paris (France). His writing has appeared in many academic journals including Liminalities: The Journal of Performance Studies, The Journal of Poverty, Text and Performance Quarterly, Museum & Social Issues, The Journal of Curatorial Studies and Performance Research, Gastronomica.
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ABOUT CMCA

CMCA is a contemporary arts institution presenting year-round exhibitions, engaging events, and educational programs for all ages.

Location: 21 Winter Street, Rockland, Maine. Hours: June through October, Monday – Saturday, 10am to 5pm, Sunday, 12 to 5pm. Closed Federal holidays. Admission: $8; Seniors (65+) and students with ID $6; children under 18 free; CMCA members free.www.cmcanow.org

ABOUT INDIGO ARTS ALLIANCE

Indigo Arts Alliance’s purpose is to build global connections by bringing together artists from diverse backgrounds of the African Diaspora to engage in their creative process with an opportunity to serve as both mentors and mentees. An integral aspect of the Indigo vision is to provide Maine based artists of African descent access to a broader range of practicing Black artists and artists of color from around the world.www.indigoartsalliance.me