Driskell Center Wins Major Ford Foundation Grant

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - A $100,000 grant from the Ford Foundation will help the University of Maryland 's David C. Driskell Center for the Study of the Visual Arts and Culture of African Americans and the African Diaspora take its publication and educational programs to new heights.

"The Ford Foundation grant will help the Driskell Center 's work to advance the field of African American art," says the Center's Executive Director Dr. Robert Steele. "The two-year grant will provide the resources we need to not only inspire the next generation of African American artists and scholars, but also help us reach new and diverse audiences around the country."

The Driskell Center's ongoing Publication Series celebrates and documents outstanding artistic work, and is published in conjunction with the Center's Exhibition Program. The Publication Series centers on the publication - in hard copy and electronic - of scholarly documentation with full color reproductions of works exhibited at the Center. Over the two-year grant period, the Center will develop, design, and produce two high quality catalogues. Mid-Career Retrospective: Robin Holder will present Holder's narrative and representational art which focuses on political and social issues. The second publication, The Art of William T. Williams, will highlight the work of this Color Field abstract painter who layers color upon color to create texture and emphasizes geometric and organic forms.

The Driskell Center's Educational Initiative aims to reach and inspire future generations of artists, art scholars, museum professionals, and arts audiences. The Education Program reaches a wide range of students at the middle, high school and college levels, focusing on the study of African American and African diasporic art. "With this new support from the Ford Foundation, the Center will continue its popular Education Program offered to students from Prince George 's and Montgomery Counties in Maryland . The program encompasses a range of activities, from gallery tours to lectures and workshops, and concludes with the exhibition of works created by the students at the Driskell Center 's gallery," says Dr. Steele.

About the David C. Driskell Center

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, College Park celebrates the legacy of David C. Driskell - Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of Art, Artist, Art Historian, Collector, and Curator - by preserving the rich heritage of African American visual art and culture. Established in 2001, the Center provides an intellectual home for artists, museum professionals, art administrators, and scholars of color, broadening the field of African diasporic studies. The Driskell Center is committed to collecting, documenting, and presenting African American art as well as replenishing and expanding the field of African American art. See a slide show of some of the Center's holdings.

All exhibitions and events at the David C. Driskell Center are free and open to the public. The facility is located in Cole Field House on campus and is wheelchair accessible. Assistance for the hearing impaired can be arranged with advance notice by calling 301-314-2615. The David C. Driskell Center's gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 11:00am to 4:00pm with extended hours on Wednesday until 6:00 pm. For more information on the David C. Driskell Center , please call 301-314-2615, email driskellcenter@umd.edu .

About the Ford Foundation

The Ford Foundation is an independent, nonprofit grant-making organization. For more than half a century it has been a resource for innovative people and institutions worldwide, guided by its goals of strengthening democratic values, reducing poverty and injustice, promoting international cooperation and advancing human achievement. For more information about the Ford Foundation visit www.fordfound.org .

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