In 2012, Brenda A. and Larry D. Thompson generously donated a collection of 100 works of art celebrating the African American culture and experience. Since then the couple has also funded an endowment to support the curatorial position held by Shawnya Harris, which focuses on African American and African Diasporic art. Initially, the Thompsons donated paintings, prints and sculptures, including 37 works that were on display at the museum in an exhibition entitled “Tradition Redefined: The Larry and Brenda Thompson Collection of African American Art,” in early 2011.
The museum published “Expanding Tradition: Selections from the Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Collection” to accompany another exhibition drawn from their collection in 2017. “Expanding Tradition” celebrates the shifting art styles as well as the varying concerns expressed by African American artists. The catalogue showcases 50 works from numerous visionaries including paintings from Freddie Styles and John Wesley Hardrick and prints by Norman Lewis and Kara Walker.
With art dating from the 1890s to present day, these works come from a multitude of artists from all walks of life — from those who are considered celebrated to those who are lesser known. Regardless of their status, each artist’s work provides a more in-depth and inclusive understanding of American art. Some artists featured include Radcliffe Bailey, Amiri Baraka, Romare Bearden, Camille Billops, Joseph Delaney, Norman Lewis, Charles E. Porter, Henry Ossawa Tanner, William T. Williams and Hale Woodruff. While the exhibition focused on work in the Thompsons’ collection, the catalogue connected it to the work they had already donated to the museum and discussed how that donation had changed the museum over the years.
In conjunction with the museum’s annual Black History Month Dinner and Celebration, the museum also presents the Larry D. and Brenda A Thompson Award and Lillian C. Lynch Citation. This year’s Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Award recipient will be Atlanta-based artist Kevin Cole, and the Lillian C. Lynch Citation will be awarded to the UGA History Department’s John H. Morrow Jr.
By Aramide Amusat
