Dean Susan Cahan Included in Tribute to Faith Ringgold
Susan Cahan, Dean of the Tyler School of Art and Architecture, contributed to an article in Culture Type honoring artist, educator and activist Faith Ringgold. She was best known for her story quilts and political paintings, but over the course of her sixty-plus year career, Ringgold created works spanning multiple disciplines and mediums, often creating a bridge between fine art and craft, and always utilizing her storytelling skills to shed light on the racism embedded in America and its institutions, explore themes of womanhood, and express her own biography.
Of the prolific artist, who passed away in April 2024, Cahan wrote:
"FAITH RINGGOLD WAS A FEARLESS ACTIVIST, a loving humanitarian, and a savvy negotiator. She broke barriers that excluded Black artists—especially Black women—with confidence, flair, and power. A widely published photograph shows Faith boldly picketing the Whitney Museum of American Art, in early 1971, wearing a dashing fur coat. She was a leader and organizer with the Art Workers’ Coalition; Art Strike; the Ad Hoc Women’s Committee; and co-founder of WSABAL (Women Students and Artists for Black Art Liberation), which consisted mainly of Faith and her daughters, Barbara and Michele. Less well-known, were her influential behind-the scenes political skills.The appointment of the first Black trustee of The Museum of Modern Art came out of a conversation she had with the director of the museum at her kitchen table. Faith was a glorious powerhouse who forged her own path and paved the way for others."
Read the full story on the Culture Type website.