John T. Scott
John T. Scott | |
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| Born | June 30, 1940 Gentilly, New Orleans |
| Died | September 1, 2007 (aged 67) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Xavier University of Louisiana |
| Known for | woodcut, sculpture |
| Awards | MacArthur Fellow |
John T. Scott (June 30, 1940 - September 1, 2007) was an African-American sculptor, painter, printmaker and collagist.
Early life
Scott was born on a farm in Gentilly, a historic section of New Orleans, Louisiana. When he was 7 years old, his family moved to the Lower Ninth Ward.[1] His father was a chauffeur and restaurant cook. Scott said his art training began at home where he learned embroidery from his mother.[2]
Education and grants
After high school, he attended Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans and received a Bachelor of Arts degree. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree from Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan in 1965 where he studied under painter Charles Pollock.[2] Afterwards, he returned to Xavier where he taught for 40 years. In 1983, Scott received a grant to study under the internationally renown sculptor George Rickey.[3] In 1995, Scott received an honorary Doctor of Humanities from Michigan State University and a Doctor of Humanities from Tulane University in New Orleans in 1997. In 1992, he was awarded the exclusive MacArthur Grant (also known as the "Genius Grant") from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. He used the money to build a larger studio.
Works and commissions
Scott is best known for creating large woodcut prints and for his African-Caribbean-New Orleans-inspired kinetic sculptures. In 2005, he was the subject of a major retrospective exhibit at the New Orleans Museum of Art entitled "Circle Dance: The Art of John T. Scott."[4] Scott was also commissioned to create several pieces that are placed throughout the City of New Orleans. These public works in New Orleans include Spirit Gates at the New Orleans Museum of Art and Spirit House at DeSaix Circle (at St. Bernard and Gentilly Boulevards) in the Seventh Ward and River Spirit at Woldenberg Park along the Mississippi River near the Port of New Orleans.[5] Scott had been quoted as saying that he tried to capture the musicality of New Orleans in the colors and rhythms of his sculptures.[6]
Themes
Scott's work frequently displayed themes related to African American life, partcularly the rich Afro-Caribbean culture and musical heritage of New Orleans. One of the best examples of this style is his sculpture called ''Ocean Song" located in Woldenberg Park (New Orleans). Scott said the rings at the top of the sculpture represented circle dances performed by slaves who frequented Congo Square.[7]
Collections
John T. Scott’s works are exhibited in several permanent collections including:
- The Ogden Museum of Southern Art (New Orleans)
- The Louisiana State University Museum of Art in the Shaw Center for the Arts (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
- The Amistad Research Center Collection at Tulane University (New Orleans)
- The Blanche and Norman C. Francis Collection at Xavier University of Louisiana (New Orleans)
- Loyola University (New Orleans)
- The Museum of Fine Arts (Houston, Texas)
- The Scripps College (Claremont, California)[8]
- The Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington D.C.)
- Fisk University (Nashville, Tennessee)
- Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities (New Orleans)[4]
Death
Scott fled New Orleans just before Hurricane Katrina made landfall in August 2005 and settled in Houston, Texas. He died at Methodist Hospital in Houston after receiving two double-lung transplants and his long struggle with pulmonary fibrosis.[9]
An exhibition called "Beyond Black" featuring Ed Clark, Eugene J. Martin and John T. Scott opened at the LSU Museum of Art, Shaw Center for the Arts, Baton Rouge, LA, on January 28-May 8, 2011. The McKenna Museum of African-American Art in New Orleans hosted a tribute exhibition in fall 2014 as a Prospect.3+ satellite exhibition.[10]
See also
- Sculpting
- MacArthur Fellowship Recipients of 1992
- Xavier University of Louisiana
- Gentilly, New Orleans
- Ninth Ward of New Orleans
External links
- Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities
- John T. Scott’s 2005 Retrospective at NOMA
- Circle Dance: The Art of John T. Scott by Richard J. Powell
- Obituary of J.T. Scott by Holland Cotter in The New York Times
- Renowned N.O. artist John T. Scott dead at 67
- John T. Scott by John R. Kemp
- Somewhere in sculpture heaven, John T. Scott is smiling By Doug McCash
- John T. Scott's recovered art: See video By Doug MacCash,The Times-Picayune
- Press of John T. Scott at the Arthur Roger Gallery
References
- ^ "John T. Scott, 67; New Orleans artist known for his sculptures". Associated Press, LA Times. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
- ^ a b Cotter, Holland (September 14, 2007). "John T. Scott, New Orleans Sculptor Dies at 67". New York Times. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
- ^ "The Art of John T. Scott". Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. September 2007. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
- ^ a b "LEH Opens John T. Scott Exhibit". Louisiana Endowment for Humanities. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
- ^ Stunda, Hilary. "Playing It Straight, Upside-Down, and Backwards: A Conversation With John Scott". Sculptor.org. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
- ^ "New Orleans Native Sculptor John T. Scott Dies (2007-09-04)". Retrieved 2010-02-23.
- ^ MacCash, Doug (February 1, 2012). "John T. Scott: The Times-Picayune Celebrates 175 Years of New Orleans History". Times-Picayune. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
- ^ Recent acquisitions: John T. Scott in Scripps College
- ^ "Sculptor John T. Scott fights for his life (2007-09-04)". Retrieved 2010-02-23.
- ^ "The McKenna Museum of African-American Art". The McKenna Museum of African-American Art. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
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