By AFRO Staff
Decades before the first celebration of Black History Month in 1970, Baltimore-based and world-renowned artist Joseph Sheppard was painting and exhibiting art that depicted the life of African Americans. From his first National Prize for “Preston Street” in a 1956 Allied Artist show to “Mr. Mack’s Fighter’s Gym,” which earned other national awards; and years later in 2003, was part of an exhibit called “Joe Sheppard’s Fighters” at the Walter’s Museum. Sheppard has been at the forefront of creating art that depicts diversity and inclusivity. Exhibit at The Leroy Merritt Center to open Feb. 23.
Sheppard was prolific in creating a body of work that represented the life of African American workers, celebrities, athletes and scholars. Beginning Feb. 23 more than 30 of those pieces will be on display as part of his “An African American Experience” exhibit at The Leroy Merritt Center at the University of Maryland Global Campus.
Martydom in Alabama (Photos Courtesy of Joseph Sheppard)
“Early in my career there wasn’t any art being exhibited with African-Americans as the subject, and in fact, most all of my subject matter was taboo,” said Sheppard. “Having this body of work on display here in Maryland is a great honor to me and a tribute to the subjects of my work.”
The exhibition at The Leroy Merritt Center will feature Sheppard’s oils, large drawings and sculptures that date from the 1940s to the present time. They will include subjects such as Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, Martin Luther King Jr., Mack Lewis’ Fighter’s Gym and Frederick Douglass.
Girl With Flowers (Photos Courtesy of Joseph Sheppard)
The Leroy Merritt Center showcases the work of Joseph Sheppard, honors his extraordinary work, underscores his lifelong devotion to creating and promoting classical art and celebrates the legacy of Maryland philanthropist and businessman Leroy Merritt. Sheppard was born in 1930 in Owings Mills, Md, and educated at the Maryland Institute College of Art under Jacques Maroger, the former technical director of the Louvre Museum in Paris. One of Maryland’s most renowned artists, Sheppard stands now as an acknowledged master of a realism that recalls the style of the Renaissance masters.
The Leroy Merritt Center for the Work of Joseph Sheppard is located at 3501 University Blvd. East, Adelphi, MD 20783. For additional information, visit https://www.umgc.edu/administration/arts-and-diversity/arts/leroy-merritt-center-for-art-of-joseph-sheppard/index.cfm.