Remembering Lou Stovall, Sam Gilliam and David C. Driskell

Professor Curlee R. Holton, Director of the Driskell Center, reflects on significant losses over the past few years for the art world.

The Significance of the Loss of Lou Stovall, Sam Gilliam and David C. Driskell to Washington, D.C., and the Nation. 

I was contacted recently for a comment about Lou Stovall’s passing and any artistic collaboration I may have had with him. I never had the opportunity to work with him but of course knew of his reputation as a fellow master printer. My introduction to him personally was through my relationship with Sam Gilliam and David C. Driskell.

Stovall has joined the list of artists in the pantheon of greats that we have lost these past few years. The significance of these losses goes far beyond our individual sense of mourning and collective heartache. It will impact our legacy of stellar individual achievement that has inspired so many to pursue their creative ambition. 

These giants in the arts touched our lives in ways that will not be easily replicated. They fought the battle against disenfranchisement and questions about their worth and the value of their contributions as artists of color. They triumphed over all adversities to shine a light in the darkness of self-doubt and creative struggle. That light will never go out, but we look now to a new generation of extraordinary artists who will lift the lamp and show us the way forward.

Curlee R. Holton
Director, David C. Driskell Center

Image: Lou Stovall with David C. Driskell at the University of Maryland, circa 2001. Courtesy of the David C. Driskell Papers at the David C. Driskell Center at the University of Maryland, College Park. Gift of Prof. and Mrs. David C. Driskell. MS01.11.01.P0697