Leslie King-Hammond (born 1944) is an American artist, curator and art historian who is the Founding Director of the Center for Race and Culture at the

Maryland Institute College of Art The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) is a Private university, private art school, art and design college in Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded in 1826 as the Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts, making it one of t ...

, where she is also Graduate Dean Emeritus.

Biography

King-Hammond received a BFA degree from the City University of New York, Queens College, and a PhD in art history from

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hemisphere. It consi ...

. She is chair of the board of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture. Hammond has curated several exhibitions, including the ''Global Africa Project'', that was co-organized with

Lowery Stokes Sims Lowery Stokes Sims (born 1949) is an American art historian and curator of modern and contemporary art known for her expertise in the work of African, African American, Latinx, Native and Asian American artists such as Wifredo Lam, Fritz Scholder, ...

, Ph.D., Charles Bronfman International Curator at New York City's

Museum of Arts and Design The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD), based in Manhattan, New York City, collects, displays, and interprets objects that document contemporary and historic innovation in craft, art, and design. In its exhibitions and educational programs, the mus ...

. In explaining her role and her work, King-Hammond has said:

The intent of my professional activities in the art world at large has centered on facilitating the means to get artists of color and women more ideally represented in the larger arena... My efforts have focused on the redefinition of history as it more correctly profiles the role of the artists in America.

King-Hammond has interviewed other notable artists including

Joyce J. Scott Joyce J. Scott (born 1948) is an African-American artist, sculptor, quilter, performance artist, installation artist, print-maker, lecturer and educator. Named a MacArthur Fellow in 2016, and a Smithsonian Visionary Artist in 2019, Scott is best ...

. The educator

Lawrence Rinder Lawrence R. Rinder is a contemporary art curator and museum director. He directed the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) from 2008 to 2020. Education Rinder received a B.A. in art from Reed College and an M.A. in art history fro ...

conducted research on art and design from leading schools and spotlights the importance of education, the field of study and instructors and notes King-Hammond. Dr. King-Hammond was also noted as an expert in an article written by

Blake Gopnik Blake Gopnik (born 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American art critic who has lived in New York City since 2011. He previously spent a decade as chief art critic of ''The Washington Post'', prior to which he was an arts editor and crit ...

in ''The Washington Post''.

Awards, honors

King-Hammond was awarded the Kress Fellowship in 1974, a competitive fellowship given to curators and historians at the beginning of their careers. While at the Maryland Institute College for Art, King Hammond earned the Trustee Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1986. She received Mellon Grants for faculty research in 1988, 1989, and 2005. She was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Studio Museum in Harlem (NYC) in 2002; an artist grant from the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

in 2001, an Andy Warhol Foundation curatorial fellowship in 2008, and the Alain Locke International Prize in 2010.

Bibliography

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Exhibitions

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:King-Hammond, Leslie 1944 births Living people African-American women writers American women artists Johns Hopkins University alumni Maryland Institute College of Art faculty Queens College, City University of New York alumni Women art historians African-American writers American women academics 21st-century African-American people 21st-century African-American women 20th-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women American women curators American curators