Keynote Lecture » Kerry James Marshall

Kerry James Marshall, one of the most widely known and respected American artists of the twenty-first century, uses painting, sculptural installations, collage, video, and photography to comment on the history of black identity both in the United States and in Western art. He is well known for paintings that focus on African American subjects and has explored issues of race and history through imagery ranging from abstraction to comics. Marshall will talk art and community, and about playing an important role as a mentor to the next generation of artists, including Mequitta Ahuja, whose work is currently on exhibit in the State of the Artexhibition. Marshall has work in numerous public collections and is the recipient of several awards, grants, and fellowships, including the MacArthur genius grant in 1997.