Instill and Inspire: The John and Vivian Hewitt Collection of African-American Art

It has only been in the last half-century that African American art has received recognition. In recent years, it has risen significantly in appreciation and value, as evidenced by the opening of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. The current Forbes.com article, "Why African-American Art Is So Hot," is further indication of changing times. Pioneering collectors, such as John and Vivian Hewitt, who began acquiring African American art in the 1950s, have been joined by a growing number of others, including business leaders, media moguls, even sports stars. This catalog accompanying an exhibition of the same name at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts and Culture in Charlotte, NC, includes a succinct yet incisive essay on the history of significant collections as well as biographies about the Hewitts (and other collectors). The art objects are presented as full-page color images arranged alphabetically by artists' names.