We are saddened to announce the departure of the LSU Museum of Art’s first Curatorial Fellow, Clarke Brown. Brown made significant contributions during her tenure. She began at the Museum in July 2020, initially tasked with researching methods to increase diversity within the museum’s permanent collection and assisting the curatorial team. Over the following two years, the position grew, with Brown playing an integral role in exhibitions and programming, seeing her independently curate three exhibitions featuring underrepresented artists, and leading numerous educational initiatives. She helped organize our collection database, actively participated in the Collections Committee, and provided acquisition recommendations. We cannot thank Brown enough for her hard work and commitment to the Museum, the University, and the Baton Rouge community.
The Museum’s premiere fellowship was made possible by a generous gift from Winifred and Kevin P. Reilly, as part of the Winifred and Kevin P. Reilly Initiative for Underrepresented Artists. Founded in 2020, the Initiative not only provided the critical resources to fund Brown’s fellowship, but also allowed the LSU Museum of Art to considerably expand its holdings of artwork by historically overlooked populations, particularly African American and Latinx artists. Thanks to the donation, the Museum has acquired pieces by numerous pivotal American artists including Sonya Clark, Radcliffe Bailey, and renowned Gee’s Bend quilter, Mary Lee Bendolph. Winifred Reilly shared her larger vision for the project in 2022, stating, “Kevin and I developed this initiative with the museum staff to support structural change at LSU Museum of Art by fostering greater inclusivity. We hope this gift will encourage others to join us now and in future gifting to support LSU Museum of Art’s commitment to becoming a place where everyone sees themselves, their culture, and their values represented.”
The Reilly’s altruism was acknowledged by the Louisiana Association of Museums, with the presentation of the 2022 Elizabeth McLundie Bolton Award, which recognizes individuals outside of the museum profession for their extraordinary achievement in service and outstanding support of Louisiana museums.
The LSU Museum of Art thanks Clarke for all of her contributions and wishes her all the best in the future!
EXHIBITIONS ORGANIZED BY CLARKE BROWN
Mario Moore: Responding to History
Volterra and Pasqua by Kevin Benham
Hank Willis Thomas
Unbranded: Reflections in Black by Corporate America
VIRTUAL TALKS WITH CLARKE BROWN
Virtual Artist Talk with Renée Stout
Virtual Artist Talk with Mario Moore and Mark Thomas Gibson
Virtual Artist Talk with Madelyn Sneed-Grays
PRESS
Winifred and Kevin P. Reilly Initiative for Underrepresented Artists is the 2022 recipient of The Elizabeth McLundie Bolton Award at the Louisiana Association of Museums Conference (LAMCON). Learn more in this press release