Sylvia H. Williams (née Sylvia Louise Hill; February 10, 1936 – February 28, 1996), was an American museum director, curator, art historian, and scholar of African art. She helped develop the study and appreciation of African art as a significant aesthetic and intellectual pursuit in the United States.
Sylvia Williams
Sylvia Hill Williams stands in front of two objects from the collection of the National Museum of African Art
Williams was born and grew up in Lincoln, Pennsylvania. Her father was a professor of English and dean at Lincoln University. She married Charlton Williams, and the couple never had children. Williams held art history degrees from Oberlin College in 1957 and New York University's Institute of Fine Arts in 1975. Williams served as a curator in the Department of African, Oceanic and New World Cultures at the Brooklyn Museum in 1973.[1][2]
In February 1983, Williams joined the National Museum of African Art at the Smithsonian Institution and in 1987 oversaw the move of the museum to its current location at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. During her time at this museum, she was dedicated to elevating the museum's reputation, whereby she helped the museum acquire more than 845 works of both traditional and modern African art for exhibition, including sculpture, photography, and textiles. She emphasized the importance of connoisseurship in the appreciation and display of African art.[2][3]
She died in Washington, D.C., at age 60 from complications with a brain aneurysm.[1] In October 1997, the National Museum of African Art of the Smithsonian Institution launched the exhibition The Poetics of the Line: Seven Artists of the Nsukka group, which was also the inaugural exhibition of the Sylvia H. Williams Gallery named in her honor.[7]
Exhibitionsedit
1973: African Art of the Dogon
1976: Black South Africa, Contemporary Graphics
1981: African Furniture and Household Objects
1981: Art of the Archaic Indonesians
1989: Icons, Ideals and Power in the Art of Africa
1991: The Art of the Personal Object (aesthetic value of utilitarian objects in African cultures)
1993: Astonishment and Power: the Eyes of Understanding Kongo Minkisi
Publicationsedit
1974: Contemporary Graphics; an essay for African Art as Philosophy
^ ab"Obituaries Section: Sylvia Williams, 60, Museum Director". The New York Times. February 29, 1996. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
^ abc"Sylvia H. Williams". Dictionary of Art Historians. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
^"Sylvia H. Williams". Smithsonian Institution Archives. March 1983. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
^. National Coalition of 100 Black Women. Archived from the original on March 14, 2003.
^Perlik, William (March 9, 1996). "Memorial Minute, Sylvia Hill Williams class of '57, '90 honorary trustee". Oberlin Alumni Magazine (OAM). Oberlin College. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
^"Sylvia H. Williams (1936-1996) Biography and Administrative History of Oberlin". Oberlin College Archives. Oberlin College. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
^Chika Okeke (1998). "The Sensitive Line: seven artists of the nsukka group". Nka: Journal of Contemporary African Art. 8 (1): 54–58. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
January 01, 1970
sylvia, williams, sylvia, williams, née, sylvia, louise, hill, february, 1936, february, 1996, american, museum, director, curator, historian, scholar, african, helped, develop, study, appreciation, african, significant, aesthetic, intellectual, pursuit, unite. Sylvia H Williams nee Sylvia Louise Hill February 10 1936 February 28 1996 was an American museum director curator art historian and scholar of African art She helped develop the study and appreciation of African art as a significant aesthetic and intellectual pursuit in the United States Sylvia WilliamsSylvia Hill Williams stands in front of two objects from the collection of the National Museum of African ArtBornSylvia Louise Hill 1936 02 10 February 10 1936Lincoln Pennsylvania U S DiedFebruary 28 1996 1996 02 28 aged 60 Washington DC U S Alma materOberlin College New York University Institute of Fine ArtsOccupation s Museum director curator art historian and scholar of African artSpouseCharlton Williams Contents 1 Life and work 2 Exhibitions 3 Publications 4 See also 5 ReferencesLife and work editWilliams was born and grew up in Lincoln Pennsylvania Her father was a professor of English and dean at Lincoln University She married Charlton Williams and the couple never had children Williams held art history degrees from Oberlin College in 1957 and New York University s Institute of Fine Arts in 1975 Williams served as a curator in the Department of African Oceanic and New World Cultures at the Brooklyn Museum in 1973 1 2 In February 1983 Williams joined the National Museum of African Art at the Smithsonian Institution and in 1987 oversaw the move of the museum to its current location at the National Mall in Washington D C During her time at this museum she was dedicated to elevating the museum s reputation whereby she helped the museum acquire more than 845 works of both traditional and modern African art for exhibition including sculpture photography and textiles She emphasized the importance of connoisseurship in the appreciation and display of African art 2 3 In 1983 Williams received a Candace Award for History from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women 4 In 1989 she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by Amherst College and the following year 1990 she received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts by Oberlin College 5 6 She served as president of the Association of Art Museum Directors AAMD from 1994 to 1995 2 She died in Washington D C at age 60 from complications with a brain aneurysm 1 In October 1997 the National Museum of African Art of the Smithsonian Institution launched the exhibition The Poetics of the Line Seven Artists of the Nsukka group which was also the inaugural exhibition of the Sylvia H Williams Gallery named in her honor 7 Exhibitions edit1973 African Art of the Dogon 1976 Black South Africa Contemporary Graphics 1981 African Furniture and Household Objects 1981 Art of the Archaic Indonesians 1989 Icons Ideals and Power in the Art of Africa 1991 The Art of the Personal Object aesthetic value of utilitarian objects in African cultures 1993 Astonishment and Power the Eyes of Understanding Kongo MinkisiPublications edit1974 Contemporary Graphics an essay for African Art as Philosophy 1976 Black South AfricaSee also editWomen in the art history fieldReferences edit a b Obituaries Section Sylvia Williams 60 Museum Director The New York Times February 29 1996 Retrieved May 24 2014 a b c Sylvia H Williams Dictionary of Art Historians Retrieved May 23 2014 Sylvia H Williams Smithsonian Institution Archives March 1983 Retrieved May 24 2014 CANDACE AWARD RECIPIENTS 1982 1990 Page 3 National Coalition of 100 Black Women Archived from the original on March 14 2003 Perlik William March 9 1996 Memorial Minute Sylvia Hill Williams class of 57 90 honorary trustee Oberlin Alumni Magazine OAM Oberlin College Retrieved May 24 2014 Sylvia H Williams 1936 1996 Biography and Administrative History of Oberlin Oberlin College Archives Oberlin College Retrieved May 24 2014 Chika Okeke 1998 The Sensitive Line seven artists of the nsukka group Nka Journal of Contemporary African Art 8 1 54 58 Retrieved 5 January 2019 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sylvia Williams amp oldid 1217654055, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
