David's Dream

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David's Dream
David's Dream, Melvin Edwards, 2023.jpeg
David's Dream in 2024
Artist Melvin Edwards
Year2023
MediumStainless steel
Location David C. Driskell Center, University of Maryland, College Park

David's Dream is a stainless steel abstract sculpture by Melvin Edwards created in 2023 and permanently installed on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park.

Contents

Artwork

David's Dream comprises several large stainless steel disks and geometric shapes, along with an enlarged stainless steel chain running from the top to the bottom of one side of the sculpture. The various pieces are stacked and leaned onto one another and welded together. [1] [2]

Background

The sculpture's namesake, art historian and artist David Driskell, was widely cited during his life as one of the most influential scholars of African-American art history and was often credited with the establishment of the discipline as a distinct area of academic study. Driskell was a professor at the University of Maryland, College Park for over two decades and the university's David C. Driskell Center was named in his honor. [3] [4]

In 2021 the Driskell Center announced a new commission of a work of public art by artist Melvin Edwards. [5] The sculpture was unveiled and installed in April 2024. [1] The work was funded in part by the Mellon Foundation's Monuments Project. [6]

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References

  1. 1 2 Siler, Brenda C. (10 April 2024). "Sculpture Unveiled in Appreciation for Artist and Educator David C. Driskell". The Washington Informer . Archived from the original on 10 April 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  2. Durst, Drew (23 April 2024). "UMD Driskell Center holds symposium to preserve Black art". The Diamondback . Archived from the original on 23 April 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  3. Gentzlinger, Neil (7 April 2020). "David Driskell, 88, Pivotal Champion of African-American Art, Dies". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  4. "David C. Driskell (1931-2020)". Artforum . 2 April 2020. Archived from the original on 7 October 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  5. Weiss, Jessica (12 July 2021). "$790K Mellon Grant to Fund Sculpture Commemorating Late Professor and Artist David Driskell, Expand Center's Archive". Maryland Today. University of Maryland, College Park. Archived from the original on 6 June 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  6. Haslam, Maggie (5 April 2024). "Sculpture Celebrating David Driskell Unveiled". Maryland Today. University of Maryland, College Park. Archived from the original on 5 April 2024.