Beverly Buchanan
Encyclopedia
Beverly Buchanan is an African American
artist
. Buchanan is noted for her exploration of Southern vernacular architecture
through her art.
Buchanan was born in Fuquay, North Carolina, but grew up in Orangeburg, South Carolina
where her father was dean of the School of Agriculture at South Carolina State College, which was then the only state school for African Americans in South Carolina.
In 1962 Buchanan graduated from Bennett College
in Greensboro, North Carolina
with a degree in medical technology. She went on to attend Columbia University
, where she received a master's degree in parasitology
in 1968 and a master's degree in public health
in 1969.
Although she was accepted to medical school, Buchanan decided not to go due to her desire to dedicate more time to her art. In 1971 she enrolled in a class taught by Norman Lewis at the Art Students League
in New York City
. During the 1970s Romare Bearden
became her friend and mentor. Buchanan decided to pursue art exclusively in 1977 and moved to Macon, Georgia
.
In 1980 Buchanan was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship
and a National Endowment for the Arts
Fellowship. In 1990 she received a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in sculpture. She was chosen as a Georgia Visual Arts honoree in 1997. In 2002 she received an Anonymous Was a Woman Award. In 2005 she was a distinguished honoree of the College Art Association Committee for Women in the Arts. In 2011 she will receive a lifetime achievement award in New York City from Women's Caucus for Art.
She currently divides her time between studios in Athens, Georgia
and Ann Arbor, Michigan
.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
. Buchanan is noted for her exploration of Southern vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture is a term used to categorize methods of construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address local needs and circumstances. Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural and historical context in which it...
through her art.
Buchanan was born in Fuquay, North Carolina, but grew up in Orangeburg, South Carolina
Orangeburg, South Carolina
Orangeburg, also known as "The Garden City," is the principal city in and the county seat of Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city is also the fifth oldest city in the state of South Carolina. The city population was 12,765 at the 2000 census, within a Greater Orangeburg...
where her father was dean of the School of Agriculture at South Carolina State College, which was then the only state school for African Americans in South Carolina.
In 1962 Buchanan graduated from Bennett College
Bennett College
Bennett College is a four-year liberal arts women's college in Greensboro, North Carolina. Founded in 1873, this historically black institution began as a normal school to provide education to newly emancipated slaves. It became a women's college in 1926 and currently serves roughly 780...
in Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
with a degree in medical technology. She went on to attend Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, where she received a master's degree in parasitology
Parasitology
Parasitology is the study of parasites, their hosts, and the relationship between them. As a biological discipline, the scope of parasitology is not determined by the organism or environment in question, but by their way of life...
in 1968 and a master's degree in public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
in 1969.
Although she was accepted to medical school, Buchanan decided not to go due to her desire to dedicate more time to her art. In 1971 she enrolled in a class taught by Norman Lewis at the Art Students League
Art Students League of New York
The Art Students League of New York is an art school located on West 57th Street in New York City. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists, and has maintained for over 130 years a tradition of offering reasonably priced classes on a...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. During the 1970s Romare Bearden
Romare Bearden
Romare Bearden was an African American artist and writer. He worked in several media including cartoons, oils, and collage.-Education:...
became her friend and mentor. Buchanan decided to pursue art exclusively in 1977 and moved to Macon, Georgia
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
.
In 1980 Buchanan was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
and a National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
Fellowship. In 1990 she received a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in sculpture. She was chosen as a Georgia Visual Arts honoree in 1997. In 2002 she received an Anonymous Was a Woman Award. In 2005 she was a distinguished honoree of the College Art Association Committee for Women in the Arts. In 2011 she will receive a lifetime achievement award in New York City from Women's Caucus for Art.
She currently divides her time between studios in Athens, Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
and Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
.