Wednesday, April 14, 2010

The Journey of Kerry James Marshall

"De Style" by Kerry James Marshall

Artist Kerry James Marshall was born in 1955 in Birmingham, Ala. When he was a child, he moved with his family moved to California (first to Watts, and then to Los Angeles) so his father could find a better job.

Marshall’s third-grade teacher sparked his interest in art. The next year, he started to learn about technique at the library and from John Ggnagy’s “Learn to Draw” television programs.

Although these events were important in Marshall’s interest in art, he says what had “the most profound impact” was his experience visiting a museum.

Marshall went on a fifth-grade field trip to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where he could finally see works about which he had read. He viewed two paintings by Paolo Callari Veronese and states that they were “beyond.” Marshall also saw a Senufo figure in the African Art section and says, “something about it was haunting.”

Marshall received a BFA from Otis Art Institute in 1978 and was awarded an honorary doctorate in 1999. His paintings and other works reflect the Civil Rights movement and African American popular culture. In 1997, Marshall won a MacArthur Genius Grant.

Marshall’s journey really shows the importance of exposing children to art. An experience as simple as a tour of a museum can change influence a child to become an artist. In fact, GMOA ensures that every fifth-grade class in Athens-Clarke County has the opportunity to visit the museum, thanks to the support of Buddy and Lucy Allen.

Check out the PBS Art 21 feature on Marshall.

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