David Driskell: Icons of Nature and History

June 19 — September 12, 2021

The first-ever major exhibition of David Driskell’s remarkable career.

David C. Driskell (United States, 1931–2020), Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, 1972, acrylic on canvas, 50 x 36 inches. Tougaloo College Art Collections, Tougaloo, Mississippi. Purchased by Tougaloo College with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, 1973.084. Photograph by Mark Geil. © Estate of David C. Driskell. — David C. Driskell (United States, 1931–2020),Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, 1972, acrylic on canvas, 50 x 36 inches. Tougaloo College Art Collections, Tougaloo, Mississippi. Purchased by Tougaloo College with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, 1973.084. Photograph by Mark Geil. © Estate of David C. Driskell.

David Driskell: Icons of Nature and History represents a landmark moment in American art: a major exhibition of artist, curator, and scholar David Driskell’s remarkable career as a painter. Driskell’s legacy in the history of American art is unparalleled: through his curatorial work, his writing, and his teaching, he pushed audiences to consider the American story inclusive of the art of Black people.

David Driskell (1931–2020) was long recognized for his vibrant and versatile painting and printmaking practice, which combines his sharp observation of American landscapes and his interest in the imagery and aesthetic innovations of the African diaspora. Although his first love was painting, his professional life was largely devoted to service for others: he taught generations of artists and art historians; mentored emerging artists and young faculty members, primarily at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); researched and wrote extensively about the artistic achievements of Black people throughout American history; and fostered the establishment of African and African-American Studies programs in American academia.

For decades, Driskell split his time between his home in Falmouth, Maine, and Hyattsville, Maryland.

The PMA is honored to organize this exhibition in partnership with the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, which brings together approximately 60 works together to present highlights of his career. The exhibition surveys seven decades of the artist’s painterly practice from the 1950s forward. His command of color and line and attentiveness to the symbolism of form is showcased through his subjects, including the natural world, remembrances of the Southern Black experience, and the Black Christian church. This exhibition features works from both public and private collections, including rarely seen works from the artist’s own collection.

The resulting exhibition tells a rich and vibrant story of art that is intrinsically tied to Maine and uniquely American.