The David Owsley Museum of Art (DOMA) at Ball State University will showcase The Art of Elizabeth Catlett from the Collection of Samella Lewis from Sept. 19–Dec. 20, 2024. The exhibition features works from the collection of Dr. Samella Lewis (1923–2022), a renowned artist, educator, and author who was professor emerita of art history at Scripps College in Claremont, Calif. Dr. Lewis, a student of Ms. Catlett’s in the 1940s, was mentored by her, and the two maintained a lifelong friendship.
Elizabeth Catlett (1915–2012), a sculptor and printmaker, is recognized as one of the most significant African American artists of the 20th century. Her work combined art with social activism, addressing injustices faced by African Americans. Born in Washington, D.C., she studied design, printmaking, and drawing at Howard University and, in 1940, became the first student to earn a master’s degree in sculpture from the University of Iowa. A 1946 fellowship took her to Mexico City, where she studied painting, sculpture, and lithography, and collaborated with the Taller de Gráfica Popular, a collective of artists dedicated to social change. Ms. Catlett eventually became a Mexican citizen and taught sculpture at the National Autonomous University of Mexico until her retirement in 1975.
“Elizabeth Catlett was my friend and my mentor in art,” wrote Dr. Lewis. “She is the reason that I began to see and think creatively. When I first met Elizabeth in 1941, my attempts at making art were strictly based on visual concepts of the European models. Upon my graduation from high school, it was my good fortune to receive a scholarship to study at Dillard University, where Elizabeth was the art professor. I shall always remember her as being my mentor who was responsible for my life in art.”
The Samella Lewis collection includes examples of Elizabeth Catlett’s most significant works, such as Sharecropper, Survivor, and There is a Woman in Every Color. “Ms. Catlett and Dr. Lewis were great champions for Black women,” said Dr. Robert La France, DOMA’s director. “Ms. Catlett’s art conveys a powerful message of social justice, triumph over economic hardship, and pride for all women and people of color.”
The exhibition is organized by Landau Traveling Exhibition, Los Angeles, and is being brought to Ball State by the Friends of the David Owsley Museum of Art.
DOMA is located at 2021 W. Riverside Ave., in Ball State’s Fine Arts Building. It is open to the public from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays through Fridays and 1:30-4:30 p.m. on Saturdays. There is no admission fee.
Visit DOMA’s website for information on related programs and events—including an Oct. 10 lecture by Elizabeth Catlett scholar Melanie Anne Herzog and a Nov. 12 screening of “Standing Strong: Elizabeth Catlett” at Pruis Hall. These related programs are part of Ball State’s Arts Alive series, presented by the University’s College of Fine Arts.