HONOLULU (HI Now) - Dr. Robert E. Steele is a retired professor of psychology at the University of Maryland College Park, and former director of the David C. Driskell Center at University of Maryland College Park which supports the promotion and study of African-American art and the art of the African diaspora.
Dr. Steele is generously adding 56 prints by 26 African American artists to HoMA’s collection of works by influential American artists, increasing its representation of art by women and artists of color, an important component of HoMA’s commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and the art of our time. As a whole, this notable collection of prints celebrates the enormous contributions these artists have made to American art and culture. This collection will vastly increase HoMA’s options to display and educate our community on these individual artists, the medium of printmaking, and the artistic styles and broader themes commonly investigated by American artists in the latter half of the 20th and early 21st century.
This group of 55 prints and 1 photograph by 26 artists encompasses three generations and illustrates the enormous contributions and diverse breadth of the work being done by African American artists in the 20th and into the 21st centuries. Prints dating from 1976 to 2014 tackle themes of civil rights, politics, war, African American history and culture, and the diversity of American identity. Stylistic approaches include figuration, abstraction, dynamic line, expressive color, black and white, and a variety of printmaking media and techniques.
Dr. Steele recently joined HoMA’s board of trustees in January.
For more information, visit honolulumuseum.org.
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