Black Artists Matter: a selection of influential African American artists from Texas A&M University Collections

On display: July 8, 2020 – September 4, 2020

In recognition of the Black Lives Matter movement and Black Artists around the globe, The MSC Visual Arts Committee will display Black Artists Matter,  consisting of 12 pieces by Black artists from the Texas A&M University Art Collections and the Cushing Memorial Library and Archive. The artists featured are: Dr. John Biggers, Charles Criner, Richard Hunt, Bert Long, Dr. Clarence Talley, Kenneth Taylor, and Charles White. Their works include drawings, paintings, lithography, multimedia works, and textile.

The collection includes three pieces from artist Charles Criner, courtesy of the Texas A&M Cushing Memorial Library & Archives. Born in a small town in East Texas, Criner creates works that tell stories from his personal experiences and encounters. Fishing at Rollover Pass is a reflection of Criner’s favorite pastime and illustrates a childhood memory. Love in Need of Love is inspired by Stevie Wonder’s song Love’s in Need of Love Today, and African Merchant illustrates characters and scenes Criner saw on his trip to Africa in 2003.

Another featured artist in the exhibit is Dr. Clarence Talley, a professor of art at Texas A&M Prairie View. Through his contemporary style, he conveys the African American experience and the human condition and calls upon the Bible for both spiritual and visual inspiration. He gifted the piece Family to the J. Wayne Stark Galleries at Texas A&M.

This selection of the Texas A&M permanent art collections is rarely viewed together in a group. The Reynolds Gallery would like to thank the J. Wayne Stark Galleries and the Cushing Memorial Library and Archives at Texas A&M for lending us these pieces so we can honor and bring awareness to the experience of Black lives and artists around the world. 

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ArtFest 2020

On display: March 4 – Summer 2020

ArtFest is the annual student art competition and exhibition sponsored by the Memorial Student Center’s Visual Arts Committee. Student submissions are displayed in the James R. Reynolds Student Art Gallery for the duration of the exhibit. The top three winners of ArtFest received cash prizes. This year we welcomed 113 different works of art from 58 artists. The winners have been posted on our ARTFEST page!

Everybody Gaines

On display: January 14 – February 29, 2020

Matthew Gaines was born into slavery before the American Civil War, Matthew Gaines settled in Texas after emancipation and gained popularity as a preacher. Eventually he gained enough public support that he was elected as Washington County’s first black state senator. Gaines was an outspoken supporter of public education and black voter rights in Texas during the reconstruction era. As a member of the 12^th Legislature of Texas, he voted in favor of Senate Bill 276 that allowed Texas to donate land for the purpose of establishing universities for agricultural and mechanical studies. Texas A&M and Prairie View Universities are the only two remaining colleges that were established under that land-grant opportunity.

Since 1994 several active groups of students at Texas A&M have campaigned to memorialize Gaines and the 12th Texas Legislature on our campus. This exhibit highlighted his life and legacy, as well as the student initiative to memorialize Matthew Gaines on campus.

Matthew Gaines (attributed), African American activist and Texas State Senator, from the Lawrence T. Jones III Texas Photographs, collection number Ag2008.0005

Thank you to our collaborators:

Francesca Marini,  Cushing Memorial Library and Archives

Students from the Matthew Gaines Initiative

Dr. Jon Kotinek, Office of Undergraduate Research

Anna Transue, Academic Success Center and University Writing Center