Art, Perception, and Social Transformation

South Carolina artist Dr. Leo Franklin Twiggs and art critic and historian Dr. Frank Martin discuss the legacies of Elizabeth Catlett and Dr. Samella Lewis. These mid-20th century pioneers in African American aesthetics helped shape increasing levels of contemporary interest in and emphasis upon African American visual culture. 

Twiggs was a personal acquaintance of both Catlett and Lewis. He sponsored Catlett's visit to South Carolina in the 1980s, showing her works during his tenure as the Executive Director of The I. P. Stanback Museum at South Carolina State University. Dr. Lewis included works by Twiggs in her ground-breaking writing on African American art history. 

Recorded February 12, 2023