242:, made generous donations to the museum. Lewis, as the staff's senior curator in the museum, not only organized a great number of exhibitions but also developed diverse ways of educating the public on African American arts. In an article, she discussed the ideas of "art of tradition", and argued that museums had the responsibility to explore the African roots of African American art. The museum operates on donations in the
134:. Her father worked as a farmer and mother along other jobs worked as a domestic worker. Widely exhibited and collected as an artist herself, Lewis was better known as a historian, critic, and collector of art, especially African-American art. Lewis completed four degrees, five films, seven books, and a substantial body of artworks which have received critical respect. She pursued an art degree starting off at
31:
237:
in 1975. In 1976, she founded the Museum of
African-American Art with a group of artistic, academic, business and community leaders in Los Angeles, California. These founders had similar goals, including increasing the public's awareness of African American art. Many individuals and corporations,
276:
In 2015, Unity Lewis and art entrepreneur Trevor Parham created The Legacy
Exhibit, which featured three generations of black fine artists, including contemporary artists as well as some included in the original "Black Artists on Art." The show launched their recruitment efforts for 500 black
202:"I wanted to make a chronology of African American artists, and artists of African descent, to document our history. The historians weren't doing it. I felt it better the artists do it anyway, through pictorial and written information… It was really about the movement,"
246:
with staff and volunteers who are dedicated to supporting the museum. Lewis once mentioned an "art of inspiration" based on the experiences of
African Americans themselves. Lewis founded three other museums in the Los Angeles, California.
230:, linocuts, and serigraphs, reflected humanity and freedom. Between 1969 and 1970, Lewis and E.J. Montgomery were consultants for a "groundbreaking" exhibition creating awareness to the history of African American history and art.
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member, and a collector of art with her collection including
African, Chinese, Asian, South American, and other works. Some of the art that Lewis collected was transferred to the Hampton Institute, now the University Museum.
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111:“Art is not a luxury as many people think – it is a necessity. It documents history – it helps educate people and stores knowledge for generations to come.”
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Lewis, Samella S. interviewee; Cándida Smith, Richard; Getty Center for the
History of Art and the Humanities, compiler; J. Paul Getty Trust, publisher (1999).
185:. She co-founded, with Bernie Casey, the Contemporary Crafts Gallery in Los Angeles in 1970. In 1973, she served on the selection committee for the exhibition
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and painter. She has been called the "Godmother of
African American Art". She received Distinguished Artist Award for Lifetime Achievement from the
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1964-65: National
Defense Education Act postdoctoral fellow at University of Southern California, studying Chinese language and Asian civilization
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in West
Hollywood, California. The exhibition was accompanied by a full-color catalogue with text by art writer and critic Suzanne Muchnic.
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in 1953; that same year Lewis also became the first
African American to convene the National conference of African American artists held at
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Lewis married mathematician Paul Gad Lewis in 1948 and they had two sons. He died in 2013. She died from renal failure in a hospice in
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Lewis's grandson is Bay Area artist and musician Unity Lewis. He plans to create a contemporary version of
Samella Lewis's catalog
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1962: Fulbright Fellowship to study Asian culture at First Institute of Chinese Civilization and Tung Mai University,
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200:, which featured black artists not typically showcased in mainstream art galleries and sold thousands of copies.
785:"Lewis, Samella 1924– - Dictionary definition of Lewis, Samella 1924– | Encyclopedia.com: FREE online dictionary"
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98:(February 27, 1923 – May 27, 2022) was an American visual artist and art historian. She worked primarily as a
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1980: Solo Exhibition, University Union Gallery, California Polytechnic State University, Pomona, California
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in 1951. Lewis was the first female African American to earn a doctorate in fine art and art history.
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In 2012, works by Lewis were exhibited alongside selected artworks from her personal collection in
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443:"Samella Lewis, Artist and Historian Focused on Advancing Black Art, Awarded CAA's Highest Honor"
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1996-97: Named a Distinguished Scholar by the Getty Center for the History of Art and Humanities
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2004: Special Day Recognition Award for Outstanding Contributions from the City of New Orleans
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2021: Distinguished Artist Award for Lifetime Achievement from the College Art Association
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150:, then completed her master and doctorate in art history and cultural anthropology at the
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In 1960-70s, Samella Lewis belonged to a group of artists that would meet every month.
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473:"Samella Lewis, 'godmother' of Black art who helped preserve its history, dies at 99"
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1984: Solo exhibition, Museum of African American Art, Los Angeles, California
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1980: Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition, United States and Canada
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611:"Fine Arts Program - Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University 2018"
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501:"Samella Lewis, Artist and Activist for Art World Diversity, Dies at 99"
122:
Samella Sanders was born to Samuel Sanders and Rachel Taylor Sanders in
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Creating their own image: the history of African-American women artists
935:
647:
Harris, Juliette. "The international review of African American art".
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146:, earning her master's degree in 1947. She earned her B.A. degree at
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761:"Welcome To The Museum Of Black Art Tucked Away In A Crenshaw Mall"
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1981: Solo exhibition, Pasadena City College, Pasadena, California
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Lewis began collecting art in 1942. She mostly collected art from
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African American Art in Atlanta, Public and Corporate Collections
833:"Samella Lewis | Now Dig This! digital archive | Hammer Museum"
570:"Bay area artist hopes to establish himself at Kaneko Gallery"
161:. Lewis became the first Chair of the Fine Arts Department at
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2005: Alumni Association Award from the Ohio State University
262:, who had been one of Lewis's mentors at Dillard University.
204:
Samella Lewis said of the book published in 1969 and 1971.
963:
Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library
414:"Dr. Samella Lewis: The Godmother of African American Art"
314:
1981: Solo exhibition, University of California, San Diego
930:(Los Angeles, CA: Contemporary Crafts Publishers, 1969),
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American artists to participate in the updated volumes.
888:(Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1990),
688:"Drummond: Oakland exhibit celebrates black fine art"
712:"Black Artists on Art: The Legacy Exhibit | OAKSTOP"
226:
In the 1960s and 1970s Lewis's work, which includes
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Now Dig This!: Art and Black Los Angeles 1960–1980
157:While finishing her doctorate, Lewis taught art at
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66:
40:
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809:"The Museum of African American Art | Los Angeles"
681:
679:
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666:"BLACKS: USA: 1973 Opens at the Cultural Center".
649:Samella Lewis: An Art Institution in Her Own Right
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344:Samella Lewis and the African American Experience
267:Samella Lewis and the African American Experience
948:University of Delaware: Paul R. Jones Collection
258:In 1984, she produced a monograph on the artist
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369:1993: Charles White lifetime Achievement Award
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1022:Ohio State University Graduate School alumni
545:. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
235:International Review of African American Art
29:
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686:Drummond, Tammerlin (4 February 2015).
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175:California State University, Long Beach
130:, on February 27, 1923, and raised in
1082:21st-century African-American artists
1072:20th-century African-American artists
759:Duersten, Matthew (August 30, 2019).
596:Image and belief : Samella Lewis
289:, on May 27, 2022, at the age of 99.
7:
736:"THE MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN ART"
532:
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471:Miranda, Carolina A. (29 May 2022).
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1077:21st-century African-American women
1067:20th-century African-American women
1037:21st-century American women artists
997:20th-century American women artists
412:Robinson, Shantay (19 March 2019).
967:Samella S. Lewis papers, 1930-2010
16:American art historian (1924–2022)
14:
1032:20th-century American printmakers
953:African American Museum of Dallas
441:DurĂłn, MaximilĂano (2021-02-12).
886:African American art and artists
499:Genzlinger, Neil (2022-06-03).
302:, Brockman Gallery, Los Angeles
300:Samella Lewis and George Clack
169:. She was a professor at the
138:in 1941, but left Dillard for
1:
1027:American women art historians
382:2003: The History Maker Award
233:Lewis was the founder of the
1057:African-American printmakers
1042:African-American art dealers
350:, West Hollywood, California
244:Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza
171:State University of New York
599:. Getty Research Institute.
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1052:American women art dealers
1007:American women printmakers
574:The American River Current
167:Florida A&M University
163:Florida A&M University
1062:Historians from Louisiana
1017:Hampton University alumni
537:Farrington, Lisa (2005).
418:www.blackartinamerica.com
376:Award for the Visual Arts
339:, Los Angeles, California
118:Early life and background
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1012:Artists from New Orleans
191:New York Cultural Center
1087:American women curators
1002:American art historians
281:Personal life and death
159:Morgan State University
104:College Art Association
355:Awards and recognition
132:Ponchatoula, Louisiana
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59:New Orleans, Louisiana
972:Louis Stern Fine Arts
348:Louis Stern Fine Arts
271:Louis Stern Fine Arts
183:Claremont, California
152:Ohio State University
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96:Samella Sanders Lewis
89:Artist, art historian
45:Samella Sanders Lewis
1047:American art dealers
965:, Emory University:
928:Black Artists on Art
789:www.encyclopedia.com
670:. 29 September 1973.
287:Torrance, California
198:Black Artists on Art
78:Torrance, California
922:Samella S. Lewis;
113:– Dr. Samella Lewis
884:Lewis, Samella S.
668:Chicago Metro News
505:The New York Times
325:, Atlanta, Georgia
323:High Museum of Art
216:Harlem Renaissance
148:Hampton University
136:Dillard University
958:Tilford Art Group
478:Los Angeles Times
260:Elizabeth Catlett
187:BLACKS: USA: 1973
140:Hampton Institute
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55:February 27, 1923
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35:Lewis in 1984
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615:www.famu.edu
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189:held at the
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72:(2022-05-27)
70:May 27, 2022
992:2022 deaths
987:1923 births
716:oakstop.com
447:ARTnews.com
423:16 February
293:Exhibitions
228:lithographs
124:New Orleans
981:Categories
842:2018-10-23
818:2017-02-06
794:2017-02-06
770:2020-10-07
745:2018-10-23
721:2017-02-06
697:2017-02-06
620:2018-10-23
579:2017-02-06
518:2022-06-22
452:2021-02-15
396:References
100:printmaker
51:1923-02-27
513:0362-4331
177:, and at
128:Louisiana
655:: 14–15.
238:such as
214:and the
144:Virginia
866:3 March
484:22 June
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374:UNICEF
372:1995:
362:Taiwan
342:2012:
331:2011:
317:1984:
298:1969:
240:Macy's
222:Career
80:, U.S.
61:, U.S.
936:48813
765:LAist
252:NAACP
932:OCLC
914:ISBN
906:ISBN
898:ISBN
890:ISBN
868:2018
547:ISBN
509:ISSN
486:2022
425:2021
67:Died
41:Born
269:at
212:WPA
181:in
142:in
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
