SAMELLA LEWIS : PIONEERING VISUAL ARTIST AND EDUCATOR
Film by Eric Minh Swenson.
Samella Lewis says, “My inspiration as an artist and
art historian comes from the need to bring greater
attention to the accomplishments of African American Artists.”
SAMELLA SANDERS LEWIS - The career of visionary
teacher, scholar and artist Samella Lewis spans some
fifty years and has taken her to many parts of the
world. As an art historian and scholar, her knowledge
is boundless and accessible. As an artist, Lewis remains
at the forefront of her field. As a collector, she has amassed
an impressive and diverse collection that includes
African American, Asian, Caribbean, Native American, South American
and African Arts. As a social and community activist, she will serve
as a reference for generations to come.
Her college education began in 1941 at Dillard University
in her native New Orleans, where she studied with her
mentor renowned artist Elizabeth Catlett. After two years
at Dillard, she transferred to Hampton Institute (University)
where she was a student of Viktor Lowenfeld, a Jewish refugee
from Austria who taught his students not to feel they had to
produce art to please anyone, but to produce it from the heart.
This is an attitude Lewis still maintains and imparts to others.
At The Ohio State University, Lewis received her Master of Arts degree
in 1947 and her Ph.D in fine arts and art history in 1951.
In 1952 she became chair of the fine arts department at
Florida A&M University. Her next stop was a teaching position
five years later at the State University of New York (Plattsburgh),
where she developed an interest in Chinese language and
Chinese art history. This soon led to a Fullbright Fellowship to
study Chinese language and art history in Taiwan.
On her return from Taiwan, Dr. Lewis was awarded a
New York state grant to study Chinese language and
art history at the Freer Gallery in Washington D.C.
with famed author and art historian Sherman Lee.
Following this she resumed her studies at
New York University and later at the University
of Southern California with a three year course
in Chinese language and history on a
National Defense and Education grant.
Currently Dr. Lewis is Professor Emerita of art history at Scripps College
of the Claremont Colleges. Scripps was instrumental in two of
Lewis' career milestones. The school provided space and assistance
in 1975 when she founded The International Review of African American
Art. The school also lent support to The Museum of African American Art
in 1976, of which Lewis was founder and director.
During the course of her career, Lewis has received numerous awards
and honors, including an appointment as a distinguished scholar at
the Getty Museum and the Samella Lewis Scholarship and Contemporary
Art Collection at Scripps College in Claremont, California.
About
: BAILA (Black Artists in Los Angeles) Film Series is a
collaboration between Eric Minh Swenson and Lili Bernard.
The series celebrates the diversity found within the
Black visual arts community of Los Angeles, featuring the
voices of important artists and leaders therein.
Lili Bernard is a Cuban-born, Los Angeles-based artist
whose work explores the impact of trauma and the
unconquerable nature of the human spirit.
For more info on Eric Minh Swenson visit his website
at thuvanarts.com. His art films can be seen at
thuvanarts.com/take1
Eric Minh Swenson also covers the international art
scene and his writings and photo essays can be seen
at Huffington Post Arts :
http://m.huffpost.com/us/author/eric-
Greco