David C. Driskell & Friends
Creativity, Collaboration, and Friendship
On View:
Saturday, February 21, 2026 — Sunday, July 19, 2026
Works By:
Charles Alston, Romare Bearden, John Biggers, Elizabeth Catlett, Claude Clark, Eldizer Cortor, Aaron Douglas, Mel Edwards, James V. Herring, Felrath Hines, Earl Hooks, Margo Humphrey, Lois Mailou Jones, Jacob Lawrence, Hughie Lee Smith, Norman Lewis, Richard Mayhew, Sam Middleton, Keith Morrison, Mary Lovelace O'Neal, Stephanie Pogue, Betye Saar, Alma W. Thomas, Kara Walker, James Lesesne Wells, Charles White, Walter Williams, William T. Williams, Ellis Wilson, Hale Woodruff and David C. Driskell
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David C. Driskell & Friends: Creativity, Collaboration, andFriendship highlights the artistic legacy of David C. Driskell (1931-2020) and the importance of his relationships with fellow artists—many of whom hold a significant place in the 20th-century art canon.
This exhibition explores the work of, and Driskell’s relationships with, such figures as Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, Keith Morrison, James Porter, Kara Walker, Hale Woodruff, and many others, bringing together more than 70 artworks by 35 prominent African American artists that exemplify the artists’ unique friendships. One of the exhibition's primary roles is to serve as a building block for audiences to discuss the often hidden dimensions of creative process. By emphasizing a generational understanding of relationship building and creative practice, the exhibition expands the audience's appreciation of the role of collaboration in African American art.
Originally conceived by Dr. Sheila Bergman (University of California, Riverside), Curlee Raven Holton (former director The David C. Driskell Center), and Heather Sincavage (Wilkes University). The collaborative effort behind this showcase mirrors the ethos it seeks to celebrate, emphasizing the interconnectedness that defined Driskell’s artistic journey.
David Driskell (1931-2020) began his teaching career at Talladega College in 1955. He taught at Howard University and Fisk University and served as visiting professor of art at several universities, including Bowdoin College, the University of Michigan, and Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria. He joined the faculty of the department of art at the University of Maryland, College Park, in 1977 and served as its chairperson from 1978–1983, named Distinguished University Professor of Art in 1995. In 1976, Driskell curated the groundbreaking exhibition Two Centuries of Black American Art: 1750–1950, which has been foundational for the field of African American art history. In 2001, three years after his retirement, the University of Maryland established the David C. Driskell Center to honor his contributions as an artist, art historian, collector, curator and scholar. The center honors Driskell by preserving the rich heritage of African American visual art and culture.
Image caption: Alma Thomas, Untitled, c. 1966. Acrylic on paper, 9 x 35 1/2 inches. Gift of Susan Kaim Talley and Bascom D. Talley III, 2020.04.001
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