The David C. Driskell Center

The David C. Driskell Center An intellectual home for those who are interested in broadening the field of African Diasporic art.

🎉We’re thrilled to invite you all to Jubilee, Celebrating 25 years of the Driskell Center! 🎉 Join us for the opening rec...
08/17/2026

🎉We’re thrilled to invite you all to Jubilee, Celebrating 25 years of the Driskell Center! 🎉
Join us for the opening reception on September 11, 5:30–7:30 PM.
This exhibition traces the Center’s remarkable journey and looks ahead to what’s next.
All are welcome. đź”— RSVP link in bio.
đź“Ť David C. Driskell Center, University of Maryland
🗓️ September 11 | 5:30–7:30 PM

Installation is underway!Jubilee: Celebrating 25 Years of The Driskell Center, curated by , opens September 14. Preview ...
08/04/2026

Installation is underway!
Jubilee: Celebrating 25 Years of The Driskell Center, curated by , opens September 14. Preview reception Friday, September 11 2026 from 5.30-7.30 PM. Free and open to all. Please RSVP with the đź”— in bio.



Maryland State Arts Council NextNOW Fest UMD Arts for All College of Arts & Humanities UMD Art History

This event is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council (msac.org) and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

✨In anticipation of « Jubilee: Celebrating 25 Years of The Driskell Center, » we’re revisiting memorable exhibitions f...
07/29/2026

✨
In anticipation of « Jubilee: Celebrating 25 Years of The Driskell Center, » we’re revisiting memorable exhibitions from the Center’s history.

Pictured here: « American Landscapes: Scenes from the Americas, 1850–2020 » from 2021. « American Landscapes » was the first exhibition after the gallery reopened in person following the pandemic. Curated by Dorit Yaron and Curlee R. Holton, the exhibition brought together 73 works by 68 artists, tracing the contributions of Black artists to the American landscape tradition while placing their work in dialogue with that of their contemporaries.

Opening September 11, « Jubilee » will reflect on 25 years of collecting, exhibitions such as « American Landscapes, » scholarship, and community engagement through collection highlights, recent acquisitions, and archival materials. Stay tuned as we continue our journey through the Center’s past!

It is with profound sadness that we mark the passing of Betye Saar (1926-2026). A longtime friend, ally and supporter of...
07/28/2026

It is with profound sadness that we mark the passing of Betye Saar (1926-2026). A longtime friend, ally and supporter of David C. Driskell, Saar’s practice marked a turn in Black Art History. Saar’s work has been collected by The Driskell Center since the late 2000s, and for more than six decades, her work transformed everyday objects into powerful statements on gender, race, or memory, shaping generations of artists who followed her.
Saar was last featured at The Driskell Center in 2023, in a duo show in conversation with Faith Ringgold centered on printmaking (Ringgold|Saar : Meeting On The Matrix), and she will be honored in our upcoming fall exhibition, Jubilee. She will be deeply missed. Images:
Betye Saar and David C. Driskell during Saar’s visit to Driskell’s home in Falmouth, Maine (August, 1999). David C. Driskell Papers, MS01.11.01.P0653. The Driskell Center at the University of Maryland, College Park.
The Long Memory, 1998, Serigraph Print, 14.50 » x 11.75”, Edition #81/100 Courtesy of Steven Scott Gallery, Photography by Greg Staley, 2017. 2012.16.001
Betye Saar, LA Sky with Spinning Hearts, 1989, Print, 25’’ x 29’’ Edition # 16/32. Gift from Jean and Robert E. Steele Collection. Photography by Greg Staley, 2017. 2017.08.023

. In anticipation of « Jubilee: Celebrating 25 Years of The Driskell Center, » we’re revisiting memorable exhibitions f...
07/23/2026

.
In anticipation of « Jubilee: Celebrating 25 Years of The Driskell Center, » we’re revisiting memorable exhibitions from the Center’s (pre)history.
Hosted UMD Art Gallery, « Narratives of African American Art and Identity » from 1998 was formative to the Center and is a crucial part of its prehistory. The show brought together 100 works by 61 artists from David C. Driskell’s collection, tracing the evolution of African American identity and artistic expression from the 1870s to the present. The show traveled nationally, introducing audiences across the country to the collection.

Opening September 11, « Jubilee » will reflect on 25 years of collecting, exhibitions including « Narratives, » scholarship, and community engagement through beloved works from the collection, recent acquisitions, and archival materials. Stay tuned as we continue our journey through the Center’s past and register for the opening reception (🔗in bio).
📸 Credit: Artists gathered at a panel discussion held as part of the « Narratives of African American Art and Identity » exhibition at the University of Maryland, College Park. From left to right: Patricio Moreno Toro (holding a copy of the exhibition catalogue), Mary Lovelace O’Neal, Mel Edwards, Lou Stovall (crouching in front), William T. Williams, Jerome Meadows, and David C. Driskell (November 1998). Photograph by Tosha Grantham. David C. Driskell Papers, MS01.11.01.P0636. Courtesy of The Driskell Center at the University of Maryland, College Park.

In anticipation of "Jubilee: Celebrating 25 Years of The Driskell Center," we're revisiting memorable exhibitions from ...
07/16/2026



In anticipation of "Jubilee: Celebrating 25 Years of The Driskell Center," we're revisiting memorable exhibitions from the Center's history.

Pictured here: "Evolution: Five Decades of Printmaking by David C. Driskell" from 2009

"Evolution" was the inaugural exhibition in The Driskell Center's current home in Cole Student Activities Building. Curated by Dr. Adrienne L. Childs, the exhibition featured more than 75 prints alongside preparatory works and woodblocks, offering an unprecedented look at five decades of Driskell's artistic practice. We are delighted to welcome Dr. Childs back as the curator of "Jubilee: Celebrating 25 Years of The Driskell Center."

Opening September 11, "Jubilee" will reflect on 25 years of collecting, exhibitions such as "Evolution," scholarship, and community engagement through collection highlights, recent acquisitions, and archival materials. Stay tuned as we continue our journey through the Center's past!

đź“Ł Save the Dates! đź“Łđź“Łđź“ŁJoin us on September 11th, 2026 for the opening of our new exhibition, Jubilee, celebrating a quart...
07/16/2026

đź“Ł Save the Dates! đź“Łđź“Łđź“Ł
Join us on September 11th, 2026 for the opening of our new exhibition, Jubilee, celebrating a quarter century through our permanent collection and on November 5–6, 2026 for Foundations & Futures: The Driskell Center and the Black Art Archive, The Driskell Center’s 25th Anniversary Symposium.

Bringing together scholars, artists, students, archivists, this two-day symposium will celebrate 25 years of The Driskell Center while exploring the vital role of Black art archives and cultural stewardship in shaping the future of the field. Keynote will be delivered by Dr. Daryle Williams.

Interested in attending? Fill out our Registration Interest Form through the link in our bio to receive updates on the full program.
This symposium is generously sponsored by Terra Fdn. for American Art đź“Ť University of Maryland

This summer, The Driskell Center has been participating in the My Maryland Resource Fair at Stamp Student Union, introdu...
07/14/2026

This summer, The Driskell Center has been participating in the My Maryland Resource Fair at Stamp Student Union, introducing incoming students to the Center through hands-on printmaking activities. Check out what they made!
Using linoleum blocks designed and carved by artist, University of Maryland alum, and Driskell Center preparator Korey Richardson, soon-to-be Terps created prints inspired by Driskell and the Center.
We have enjoyed meeting members of the incoming class and look forward to welcoming them to campus this fall!

As we approach the 4th of July, we're looking back at the teacher training workshop inspired by our spring 2026 exhibiti...
07/02/2026

As we approach the 4th of July, we're looking back at the teacher training workshop inspired by our spring 2026 exhibition "America Will Be!"
K-12 educators joined our students on an April Saturday to explore how contemporary artists use the American flag to question, challenge, and reimagine ideas of nationhood, belonging, and democracy. Through discussion, close looking, artmaking, and lesson planning, participants considered how art can open conversations about the country's past, present, and future.
This workshop was developed in partnership with the College of Education's Art Education program and supported by the Do Good Institute at UMD. Thank you also to the Unity Center for hosting our artmaking activities in their multi-purpose room.
We appreciate the teachers who spent the day with us and continue to bring these important conversations into their classrooms during the school year. Wishing you all a well-deserved summer break!


📸Kevin Cartwright, Do Good Institute

Image Credit:
Slide 1: Mark Thomas Gibson, "Flag 1 (The Big One)," 2024. Mark Thomas Gibson Studio.
Slide 2: Ato Ribeiro, "Asafo Flag #864-3," 2025. Courtesy of the artist and Lisa Sette Gallery, Phoenix.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Keith Anthony Morrison.Jamaican-born American contemporary artist Keith Morriso...
06/16/2026

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Keith Anthony Morrison.
Jamaican-born American contemporary artist Keith Morrison was a painter, educator, and leader whose career is intertwined with The Driskell Center’s history and the university's own. He and David C. Driskell were colleagues at both Fisk University and the University of Maryland. Here at UMD, Morrison served as chair of the Art Department from 1987-1992 and briefly dean of the College of Arts and Humanities in the mid-nineties.

Morrison's vivid, imaginative paintings—filled with brilliant color, history, mythology, and fantasy—speak to African diasporic experience as well as Morrison’s unique sense of humor and narrative composition. His distinctive style is represented in major works that The Driskell Center is privileged to have in our permanent collection, including "Walk Like an Egyptian" (1989) and "Posse" (1994). Morrison’s achievements are celebrated in "The David C. Driskell Series of African American Art: Volume V, Keith Morrison" by Dr. Renée Ater.

Morrison’s artwork and influence will continue to inspire and educate for generations to come.

📸 Aaron Douglas and Keith Morrison at an exhibition of Morrison's work at the Carl Van Vechten Gallery at Fisk University, 1974. Photograph by David C. Driskell. David C. Driskell Papers, MS01.11.01.P0259. Courtesy of The Driskell Center at the University of Maryland, College Park.

🖼️Keith Morrison, "Posse," 1994. Gift of the artist, Keith Anthony Morrison.

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1214 Cole Student Activities Building
College Park, MD
20742

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Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm
11am - 4pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
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Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm
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Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm
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