09/05/2026
Loïs Mailou Jones to David C. Driskell. Driskell to the next generation.
Legacy is not static. It is passed from one generation to the next through teaching, mentorship, artistic practice, and the sharing of knowledge.
David C. Driskell embodies this continuum at the heart of Loïs Mailou Jones: Sphere of Influence.
Driskell studied with Loïs Mailou Jones at Howard University, where her teaching and example became part of the foundation of his development as an artist and scholar. Her influence extended far beyond their time together in the classroom. Driskell carried that knowledge forward, building upon it through his own artistic practice, scholarship, curatorial work, teaching, and mentorship.
His artistic practice drew upon nature, spirituality, African and African American cultural traditions, and personal memory. Working across painting, collage, and printmaking, Driskell developed a visual language rich in color, symbolism, texture, and layered meaning.
His influence beyond the studio was equally profound. In 1976, Driskell organized the landmark exhibition Two Centuries of Black American Art, bringing greater visibility to generations of Black artists and helping challenge longstanding omissions within American art history. Through decades of teaching, scholarship, curatorial work, and mentorship, he helped create pathways for artists and scholars who followed.
This continuum is central to Sphere of Influence. The exhibition considers legacy not simply as what an artist leaves behind, but as what is transmitted, transformed, and carried forward by those who come next.
Experience the work of David C. Driskell in Loïs Mailou Jones: Sphere of Influence, now on view at Center of Knowhere and virtually at Knowhere Art Gallery’s website.
Center of Knowhere
73 Circuit Avenue · Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard
Open Wed–Sat: 11–5 · Sun: 12–5
The David C. Driskell Center Howard University Fisk University FISK Gallery University of Maryland High Museum of Art Michener Art Museum Raven Fine Art Editions