Subtitle:

African-American Artists of Los Angeles: Samella Lewis

Series:

African American Artists of Los Angeles

Topic:

African American History

Art

Biographical Note:

African American artist. Founder of the International Review of African American Art and the Museum of African American Art in Los Angeles.

Interviewer:

Mason, Karen Anne

Interviewee:

Lewis, Samella

Persons Present:

Lewis and Mason.

Place Conducted:

Lewis's home in Los Angeles, California.

Supporting Documents:

Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Library's Center for Oral History.

Interviewer Background and Preparation:

The interview was conducted by Karen Anne Mason; B.A., English, Simmons College; M.A., Art History, UCLA.

Processing of Interview:

Lisa Magee, editorial assistant, edited the interview. She checked the verbatim transcript of the interview against the original tape recordings, edited for punctuation, paragraphing, and spelling, and verified proper names. Words and phrases inserted by the editor have been bracketed. Lewis reviewed the transcript. She verified proper names and made extensive corrections and additions. Alex Cline, editor, prepared the table of contents and interview history. Rebecca Stone, editorial assistant, assembled the biographical summary. Kathleen, McAlister, editorial assistant, compiled the index.

Length:

2.25 hrs.

Language:

English

Copyright:

Regents of the University of California, UCLA Library.

Audio:

Series Statement:

The interviews in the series African American Artists of Los Angeles document significant African American Artists and others in the Los Angeles metropolitan area who have worked to expand exhibition opportunities and public support for African American visual culture. The series was made possible in part by support from the UCLA Center for African American Studies, Institute of American Cultures.

Family background in the New Orleans area--Religious and social climate during childhood--Racial mix in New Orleans--Cultural life--Early art experience--Alfredo Gali--College experience at Dillard University and Hampton University--Artistic and political influence of Elizabeth Catlett--Catlett's political activism--Formulating an African American aesthetic--Influence of Viktor Lowenfeld--Early perspective on race.

Teachers and advisers who influenced Lewis--Hampton University's art collection--Early pieces in show at the Museum of Modern Art, New York--Dr. William H. Sheppard and his travels in Africa--More on the racial mix in New Orleans--Study of anthropology and painting at Ohio State University leads to involvement in Chinese art--Travel to China--Study of the African diaspora--Challenging Eurocentric views of art history--Gratitude for preparation received at Dillard and Hampton--Influence of Chinese art on Lewis's own art--Teaching non-Western art.

Study of Chinese art history in New York--Founding of the National Conference of Artists--African American art in the 1950s--Need for artists to create meaningful symbols--Attitudes about artists--Howard Smith--Publishing on black artists--Problems with Harry N. Abrams--Lewis's publishing efforts--Challenges of being on boards of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)--Ignorance about African art--Ways African Americans can challenge the racist status quo in publishing and exhibiting--Exhibitions of African American artists--The Museum of African American Art and other African American art collections.