ALLIANCE CONFERENCE 2012: The Saint Louis Art Museum / July 12-15

Broad range of art experts and connoisseurs brought together for the 12th National Alliance of African and African American Art Support Groups 

The Saint Louis Art Museum will play host to “Navigating the Mainstream: Learning from the Past, Looking to the Future,” the 2012 convention of the National Alliance of African and African American Art Support Groups, on July 12-15.  

Over three days, more than 25 prominent artists and scholars will discuss the rich history and development of African and African American arts. Conference panels and presentations will also address the best practices regarding the collection and preservation of these works as well as their presentation and interpretation, especially in mainstream museums. 

In one such panel, distinguished scholar Dr. David Driskell, professor emeritus of the University of Maryland, will discuss his role in assisting many organizations and individuals in assembling art collections, most notably the Camille and Bill Cosby Collection and the Driskell collection. In 1995, Dr. Driskell supervised the White House’s first purchase of a work of art by an African American artist. 

In addition to engaging in critical discussion and reflection, conference participants will explore surrounding arts organizations such as Theaster Gates’s Rebuild Foundation, located and active in the Hyde Park neighborhood. Rebuild Foundation brings together artists, architects, developers, educators, and community activists throughout the Midwest to affect creative community change. 

The conference will also celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Saint Louis Art Museum’s Romare Bearden Graduate Minority Museum Fellowship. The fellowship was named for African American artist Romare Bearden, who supported young and emergent artists throughout his life, with the goal of preparing minority graduate students for careers in arts and cultural institutions.   

The National Alliance Conference coincides with the summer exhibition of renowned print artist Kara Walker’s Harper’s Pictorial History of the Civil War (Annotated) by KaraWalker. Featured in Gallery 321 until August 26, 2012, Walker’s prints explore historical and contemporary views of the Civil War through parataxis.  This exhibition was co-curated by the 2011-2012 Romare Bearden Graduate Minority Fellow.  

For more information on the conference, including schedules, guest speakers and registration, visit slam.org/bearden2012. Follow the conference on Twitter at @Bearden2012. 

The Saint Louis Art Museum is one of the nation’s leading comprehensive art museums with collections that include works of art of exceptional quality from virtually every culture and time period. Areas of notable depth include Oceanic art, pre-Columbian art, ancient Chinese bronzes and European and American art of the late 19th and 20th centuries, with particular strength in 20th-century German art. The Museum offers a full range of exhibitions and educational programming generated independently and in collaboration with local, national and international partners.  Admission to the Saint Louis Art Museum is free to all every day. For more information about the Saint Louis Art Museum, call 314.721.0072 or visit  slam.org.