The Friends of African American Art & Culture celebrates first-ever art acquisition

Honor a major milestone at FAAAC presents Modern Rhythms on June 2

Columbia, S.C. – CMA affinity group the Friends of African American Art & Culture (FAAAC) announces their first-ever art acquisition — Oliver Lee Jackson’s Monotype IV (2006) — recently gifted to the museum in memory of D. Delores Logan and now showcased in Modern Rhythms, a new gallery featuring works on paper from the CMA Collection. This major milestone will be celebrated on Thursday, June 2, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m., with the program FAAAC presents Modern Rhythms.

“We’re delighted about this special event where we will officially present our first art acquisition and also remember our dear friend, Delores Logan,” says FAAAC President Therese A. Griffin. “African American art is enjoying a nice moment in history right now, and FAAAC is pleased to play a small part in helping to shine a light on both the art and artists who have helped shape American culture.”

The evening begins with a cocktail reception hour in The Loft that includes the smooth jazz stylings of saxophonist Dante Lewis, light appetizers, and a cash bar. The CMA’s new curator, Michael Neumeister, then discusses the works newly on view in the light-sensitive gallery. Afterwards, attendees are encouraged to visit the Modern Rhythms gallery and to enjoy self-guided tours of works on view by Black artists throughout the collection galleries. 

This event also serves as the annual meeting for members of FAAAC. During cocktail hour, President Griffin briefly reviews the activities of the 2021–2022 fiscal year. 

The Modern Rhythms gallery uses Jackson’s Monotype IV as a basis with which to consider the relationship between visual art and music. In the late 1960s, Jackson was associated with the Black Artists’ Group (BAG), an interdisciplinary St. Louis collective led by the saxophonist Julius Hemphill. Like many artists of the period, he was inspired by jazz’s dynamic, expressive qualities and saw parallels between creating music and his own artmaking. Drawn wholly from the museum’s collection, Modern Rhythms presents Jackson’s work in dialogue with peers — including Romare Bearden, Betty Blayton-Taylor, and Wadsworth Jarrell — whose practices were variously informed by musical sources.

FAAAC gifted Monotype IV to the museum in memory of the late D. Delores Logan, who was both a member of the FAAAC board of directors and the CMA board of trustees. Known in both local and regional arts circles for her patronage and advocacy, Logan also served her community in many other areas — supporting both social services and small business concerns.

Dante Lewis is a popular jazz saxophonist across the Carolinas and the Southeast who plays a variety of music ranging from R&B to jazz standards. His musical talent and energy make listeners fall in love with the saxophone and keep coming back for more.

FAAAC presents Modern Rhythms

Thursday, June 2 | 5:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Cocktail hour at 5:30 p.m. | Curator talk at 6:30 p.m. | Self-guided tours at 7:00 p.m.
$5 / free for FAAAC members | Cash bar
This program is supported by Richland County Government.