Exhibition showcases state’s best-known African-American artists

Take advantage of the opportunity to see works from the State Art Collection during the The African-American Voice exhibition, which runs through February 12, 2015, at the Hyman Fine Arts Center Gallery, located on Patriot Drive on the campus of Francis Marion University in Florence, S.C.

The exhibition includes works by 25 African-American artists who are among the state’s best-known and most widely celebrated practitioners. The artists range from self-taught, outsider artists such as Richard Burnside, Leroy Marshall and Dan Robert Miller, to academically trained artists with established careers such as Leo Twiggs, Arthur Rose and Tarleton Blackwell.

“A number of these artists are legendary as arts educators as well,” said Harriett Green, visual arts director at the South Carolina Arts Commission.”Their influences and contributions extend beyond image and object making.”

A preview of The African-American Voice artwork is available online.

The exhibition is free to the public. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. For more information, call (843) 661-1385.

Organizations and businesses interested in hosting an exhibition or displaying works from the State Art Collection should contact Harriett Green at (803) 734-8696. In addition to The African American Voice, two other traveling exhibitions are available: Contemporary Conversations and Points of Departure: Vessel Forms from the State Art Collection.

About the State Art Collection
The State Art Collection is considered the most comprehensive public collection of works by contemporary South Carolina artists. Established in 1967 as one of the first programs of the South Carolina Arts Commission, the State Art Collection has grown to include 489 works in a variety of media and styles by 283 South Carolina contemporary artists. Small exhibitions featuring work from the collection are organized on a regular basis for rural and isolated areas inside and outside of the state. Works from the State Art Collection are available for loan to art museums, state agencies, and public and private organizations for the purpose of public exhibition or public display. The collection is supported in part by the South Carolina Arts Foundation and First Citizens Bank.