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African American Women Artists

  • Athenaeum Music & Arts Library 1008 Wall Street La Jolla, CA 92037 (map)
Kara-Walker, Enc. Britannica.jpeg

Presented by Cornelia Feye

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

7:30 PM


A limited selection of African American women artists includes Harriet Powers (1837–1910), folk artist and quilt maker; Alma Thomas (1891–1978), Expressionist painter; Lois Mailou Jones (1905–1998), influential painter and teacher; Betye Saar (b. 1926), assemblage artist; Faith Ringgold (b. 1930), painter, writer, speaker, mixed-media artist; Kara Walker (b.1969), silhouettist, installation artist, and filmmaker; Mary Edmonia Lewis (1844–1907), sculptor of African American and Native American heritage; contemporary artists Amy Sherald (b. 1973), Lorna Simpson (b. 1960), Bisa Butler (b. 1973); and photographers Deb Willis (b. 1948) and Alanna Airitam (b. 1971).

About Cornelia Feye:

Cornelia Feye received her M.A. in Art History and Anthropology from the University of Tübingen, Germany. After five years in New York, she moved to San Diego, where she taught Eastern and Western Art History. Her museum experience includes the Mingei International, the San Diego Museum of Arts, the Museum of Man, and the California Center for the Arts in Escondido. From 2007 to 2017 she was the School of the Arts Director at the Athenaeum. Her first novel, Spring of Tears, an art mystery set in France won the San Diego Book Award for the mystery category in 2011. Her second art mystery, House of the Fox, is set in Anza Borrego desert and San Diego. Her third novel, Private Universe, a coming-of-age story and art mystery, was released in 2017. Publications include art historical essays and reviews in English and German. She is the founder of Konstellation Press, an independent publishing company specializing in genre fiction and poetry at the intersection of art, music and literature. Konstellation Press just won another San DIEGO Book Award for our short story anthology Magic, Mystery & Murder.

The lectures will be in person at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library. There are no physical tickets for these events. Your name will be on an attendee list at the front door. Doors open at 7 p.m. Seating is first-come; first-served. These events will be presented in compliance with State of California and County of San Diego health regulations as applicable at the time of each lecture. Face coverings are required for attendees, regardless of vaccination status. Event capacity is limited to 70% for now.

Earlier Event: November 8
Caprice Strings | Mini-Concert
Later Event: November 10
Children's Storytime