Tradition Redefined: The Larry and Brenda Thompson Collection of African American Art
Tradition Redefined: The Larry and Brenda Thompson Collection of African American Art
Larry and Brenda Thompson have amassed a remarkable collection of art by African Americans from around the nation. The strength of the Thompson’s collecting process lies in their considered attention to artists who have typically not been recognized in the traditional narratives of African American art. In addition to the acknowledged “masters,” the Thompsons have collected works by artists who have been labeled “emerging,” “unknown,” “outsider,” “eccentric,” “vernacular,” “regional” and more. The result is a collection that redefines the landscape of American art, offering a more in-depth, inclusive understanding of African American artists and their aesthetic and social concerns. The Thompsons have not only identified and supported artists inside and outside of the canon, but they have also cultivated meaningful relationships with a variety of artists and their families that have lasted decades. The fruits of these relationships are highlighted in the exhibition Tradition Redefined: The Larry and Brenda Thompson Collection of African American Art.
Installation Images
Travel Schedule
February 21 - May 18, 2014
Saint Louis University, 221 N Grand Blvd St Louis, MO 63103
April 11 - June 16, 2013
Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 Worlds Fair Park Drive Knoxville, TN 37916
September 13 - November 18, 2012
Rice University Art Gallery, 6100 Main Street, 352 Sewall Hall, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005
January 29 - March 27, 2011
Georgia Museum of Art, 90 Carlton St., University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602
April 23 - August 20, 2010
MOCA, Museum of Contemporary Art, 333 North Laura St. Jacksonville, FL 32202
February 18 - May 29, 2009
The David C. Driskell Center,
1214 Cole Student Activities Building, University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742
Larry and Brenda Thompson have amassed a remarkable collection of art by African Americans from around the nation. The strength of the Thompson’s collecting process lies in their considered attention to artists who have typically not been recognized in the traditional narratives of African American art. In addition to the acknowledged “masters,” the Thompsons have collected works by artists who have been labeled “emerging,” “unknown,” “outsider,” “eccentric,” “vernacular,” “regional” and more. The result is a collection that redefines the landscape of American art, offering a more in-depth, inclusive understanding of African American artists and their aesthetic and social concerns. The Thompsons have not only identified and supported artists inside and outside of the canon, but they have also cultivated meaningful relationships with a variety of artists and their families that have lasted decades. The fruits of these relationships are highlighted in the exhibition Tradition Redefined: The Larry and Brenda Thompson Collection of African American Art.
Installation Images
Travel Schedule
February 21 - May 18, 2014
Saint Louis University, 221 N Grand Blvd St Louis, MO 63103
April 11 - June 16, 2013
Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 Worlds Fair Park Drive Knoxville, TN 37916
September 13 - November 18, 2012
Rice University Art Gallery, 6100 Main Street, 352 Sewall Hall, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005
January 29 - March 27, 2011
Georgia Museum of Art, 90 Carlton St., University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602
April 23 - August 20, 2010
MOCA, Museum of Contemporary Art, 333 North Laura St. Jacksonville, FL 32202
February 18 - May 29, 2009
The David C. Driskell Center,
1214 Cole Student Activities Building, University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742