Art Exhibition: A Success

The annual exhibition for the National Alliance of Artist from Historical Black Colleges and Universities visits Southern University for the first time. More than 24 HBCU’s were represented with a wide variety of mediums including digital, oils, acrylics, watercolors, and many more. Artists came together with the goal of displaying their amazing master pieces to our HBCU. Amongst them were our very own Randal Henry, associate professor of Art at Southern University and curator of the event, and Robert Cox, associate professor of Art and Visual Art at Southern University and the director of the gallery.
The event began promptly at 6:00 p.m., with guest entering Hayden Hall and greeted by a small band playing an arrangement of jazz based melodies. As they proceeded to the art gallery the atmosphere was set with the chattering and excitement of everyone in attendance as the artists presented their paintings. Along the wall was an assortment of artworks, some catching the eye with their amazing uses of color and texture. One of the paintings were “Providence Baptist Church”, painted by Peggy Blood, president of the National Alliance of Artist from Historical Black Colleges and University, which was a spiritual painting based on a small Baptist church in Jamaica and focused on the beauty of women, and ” African School Girl” painted by Joseph Anthony Pearson, a graduate of Jackson State University and self proclaimed social realist, which was based on the kidnapping of over 200 African school girls and displayed the aggression and darkness of the kidnappers. In attendance was our very own chancellor, Flandus McClinton, in full support of the exhibition and its artist.
“I feel special to be here among all these astounding artists,” conveyed McClinton.
The gallery director, Cox was excited about the turn out, being that more people attended than expected. Cox, along with many others, worked hard to prepare for the three day long exhibition.
“I hope that everyone in attendance are genuinely inspired, motivated, and uplifted by the amount of talent displayed here tonight,” said Cox.
“True artists put in extraneous amounts of time, money, and effort into their work and it’s a must if you intend to succeed,” finished Cox.
Although some students were in attendance for a specific grade, they actually enjoyed the exhibition.
“I could feel and see the soulfulness that each artist presented in their work,” said Taylor Washington, a 19 year old sophomore biology major from Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
Some students who are self proclaimed artist and have not yet shown their talents were moved to go to the next level in their work.
“ Being here inspires me with ideas to put forth in my work maybe event have some of my work displayed here one day,” said Jada Robinson, a 19 year old Sophomore urban forestry major from Amite, Louisiana.
More exhibitions are in planning for the near future, hopefully with the same success.