Tuesday, April 28, 2020

"GLORY" by Elizabeth Catlett at Muskegon Art Museum

Today's Museum Alphabet is brought to you by the letter H. 
H is for Head! - "Glory" 1981, by Elizabeth Catlett (American, 1915-2012) was a gift of the Drs. Osbie and Anita Herald Fund in 2000.

In a career spanning more than 70 years, Elizabeth Catlett  created sculptures that celebrate the heroic strength and endurance of African American working-class women. With simple, clear shapes she evokes both the physical and spiritual essence of her subjects. Her hardy laborers and nurturing mothers radiate both power and a timeless dignity and calm. Regardless of the medium, Catlett reveals an extraordinary technical virtuosity, a natural ability to meld her curving female forms with the surface texture, grain, and color of the material.

The subject of this bronze cast is Glory Van Scott, a Chicago dancer, actress, author, educator, and civic activist born in 1947. Catlett met her at a conference on African American women across generations and art disciplines. The sculpture conveys strength, confidence, poise, and beauty. 

Elizabeth Catlett earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1940 from the University of Iowa, where she studied with Grant Wood. He taught students to "paint what you know best." Catlett heeded his advice and focused on the heritage and experience of the African American woman.

See all our downloadable alphabet cards, created by MMA Curator of Education Courtney Jackson, at https://muskegonartmuseum.org/education/museum-alphabet/

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