David Driskell, artist

Photo by Christina Wnek Photography 

David Driskell is an artist, curator, educator, and scholar who specializes in African-American art. He has contributed significantly to art history scholarship by examining the role of the Black artist in American society. He has authored six books, co-authored four other books, and published more than fifty catalogues for exhibitions he has curated. His articles and essays on African-American art have appeared in more than twenty major publications throughout the world. In 2000, President Clinton awarded Driskell the National Humanities Medal. In 2001, the University of Maryland established the David C. Driskell Center to continue the legacy he established in studying the visual arts and culture of African Americans and the African diaspora. The High Museum of Art in Atlanta established The David C. Driskell Prize in African-American Art and Art History in 2004, a $25,000 cash prize awarded to an artist, art historian, or curator working in the field of African American art. In 2012, the National Academy, an esteemed arts organization, awarded him a Lifetime Achievement Award for his significant contributions to American arts and education. His work is featured in the collections of several Maine institutions, including the Portland Museum of Art, Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Colby College Museum of Art, Farnsworth Art Museum, and Center for Maine Contemporary Art.