Myths and Metaphors: The Art of Leo Twiggs

Fabric, wax, and color combine in the venerable art of batik to create poignant and powerful statements about race, identity and history in the exhibition Myths and Metaphors: The Art of Leo Twiggs. See it January 19 through March 26 at the Greenville County Museum of Art.

Leo Twiggs has excelled as artist and educator for more than forty years. He has created compelling and expressive oil and batik paintings that have gained him national recognition. But he has also extended his commitment to art education by developing the art department and the I.P. Stanback Museum at South Carolina State University.

Myths and Metaphors is an exhibition that surveys the entire career of this noted African-American artist; it connects with the Greenville Museum’s year-long exhibition, A History of Color, which examines the African-American experience through selected works from the permanent collection.

Born in St. Stephen, South Carolina, Twiggs graduated summa cum laude from Claflin University, which offered the first art program in the state that was available to African-American students. Twiggs studied under Arthur Rose, who urged him to be an artist, not solely a teacher, although Twiggs continued to pursue both vocations through the years. He taught high school art in Sumter and earned a masters degree at New York University, where he worked with the acclaimed African-American painter and muralist Hale Woodruff. In 1964, Twiggs accepted a position at South Carolina State, and in 1970 he became the first African American to receive a doctorate in art education from the University of Georgia.

Twiggs may be best known for his Commemoration series, which employs a tattered and faded Confederate flag as a reminder that the Civil War was equally important to both African Americans and whites. It is one of the prominent themes in the exhibition, although there are also powerful images that embrace subjects as diverse as the impact of Hurricane Hugo and a visual translation of the Langston Hughes poem, The Negro Speaks of Rivers.

The Museum is planning events through January and February that relate to the Twiggs exhibition and to A History of Color. All are free and open to the public.

A separate exhibition of works by Leo Twiggs will be on view January 20 through February 26 at the Hampton III Gallery in Taylors. Hampton III has represented the artist since 1973.

The Greenville County Museum of Art is located at 420 College Street, on Heritage Green in the heart of downtown Greenville, SC. The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11–5, except Thursday, when the galleries remain open until 8. On Sunday, the galleries are open from 1–5. The facility is closed on Mondays and major holidays, including Easter. Admission is always free.

Tours of exhibitions are available for groups of ten or more. This service is free, but reservations are required. Contact Museum Educator Terri Steck at 864/271-7570 or by email to tsteck@greenvillemuseum.org to arrange for tours.

News media: digital images are available to illustrate stories about this exhibition. Contact Mary McCarthy for assistance by calling 864/271-7570, extension 28, or emailing marymc@greenvillemuseum.org.