In Conversation: Dr. David C. Driskell on Go Down Death

In 2005, Dr. David C. Driskell, [1] American cultural icon, allowed the museum to purchase Go Down Death [2] by Aaron Douglas from his personal collection. Driskell is one of the world's leading authorities on African-American art. Practicing art since the 1950s, Driskell has exhibited his work worldwide. He has written five exhibition books, co-authored four others and published more than 40 catalogs from exhibitions he has curated.

He has lectured extensively in North America, Europe, Africa and South America, and has taught at numerous universities. In 1977, he began to serve Camille and Bill Cosby as curator of the Cosby Collection of Fine Arts. Driskell placed works of African-American artists on the set of The Cosby Show.

During a recent visit to Cleveland [3]to speak about the connections between art and sacred life, he paused to reflect on the importance of the gift and what the painting means.

-- Kesha Williams [4]