Renowned African-American Artists Collaborate on Career Spanning Exhibit

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‘A Collaboration of Creativity’ Opens at Banana Factory Aug. 31

 

BETHLEHEM, PA–The works of two of the Mid-Atlantic Region’s most prominent artists, David C. Driskell and Curlee Raven Holton, take center stage in the new exhibit, “A COLLABORATION OF CREATIVITY,” in the Crayola Gallery of the Banana Factory Arts Center, 25 W. Third St., Bethlehem. The exhibition, which runs Aug. 31-Oct. 27, features works on paper and highlights the creativity of Holton and Driskell, both as individuals and as collaborators for more than 10 years.

Both Driskell and Holton have risen to prominence in their field during their artistic careers, and their exhibition will showcase their work in diverse mediums including aquatint, collage, drawing, etching, lithograph and serigraph.

After retiring from Lafayette College, Holton took over as executive director of the David C. Driskell Center for the Study of the Visual Arts and Culture of African-Americans and the African Diaspora at the University of Maryland. Holton is also the founding director of Raven Fine Art Editions, based in Williams Township. A printmaker and painter whose work has been exhibited in more than 40 one-person shows and 100 group shows, he was the founding director of the Experimental Printmaking Institute (EPI) at Lafayette, which brought world-renowned artists to the Lehigh Valley. In addition, he was the David M. and Linda Roth Professor of Art at Lafayette, where he taught printmaking and African-American art history.

Holton’s exhibitions have included prestigious national and international venues like Egypt’s 7th International Biennale, Taller de Artes Plasticas Rufino Tamayo in Oaxaca, Mexico, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Driskell has maintained an active career as a practicing artist, teacher, curator, collector, art administrator and art consultant. He has lectured across the globe, and his works are included in major collections of art museums throughout the world. In addition, he has authored five exhibition catalogues on the subject of African-American art.

Driskell is the recipient of numerous fellowships, awards and prizes, including three Rockefeller Foundation Fellowships and a Harmon Foundation Fellowship. In 2000, he received the National Humanities Medal from President Clinton.

The opening reception and artist talk for A COLLABORATION OF CREATIVITY is set for Sept. 6, 6-9 p.m., at the Banana Factory. As part of the exhibition, Holton will also lead a workshop called “What Do You Treasure? A Class on Collecting” Oct. 26, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., at the Banana Factory Arts Center.

The workshop, which features four experts in the field of collecting, is designed for individuals and organizations who want to expand their personal art or museum collections, while serving as good stewards of local and regional culture. Panelists include Curlee Raven Holton, Raven Fine Art Editions and Executive Director of the David C. Driskell Center; Dr. Christine Oaklander, Independent Historian and Private Art Consultant; William Robinson, Collector; and Dorit Yaron, Deputy Director of the David C. Driskell Center. Cost is $27.50 per person to attend and reservations can be made at www.bananafactory.org.

Information and image provided to TVL by:
Mark Demko, ArtsQuest
http://www.artsquest.org/