Lion’s Shadow: In Tribute to Jules Lion highlights the vibrant work being created by African-American photographers in Louisiana. The exhibition was curated by Brent Lewis, who is a Photo Editor at The New York Times and co-founder of Diversify Photo.
McCutcheon’s formal training began in the late 60s at Fisk University where she studied under renowned painter David Driscoll and sculptor Martin Puryear. She later studied collage with Jonathan Talbot and had conversations with Benny Andrews, who were both a great inspiration.
McCutcheon has always been drawn to portraits from any era. “…at first glance, one would not immediately describe my “Wallflower Portrait” series as such. However, they are my interpretation of portraits with a twist and a dash of teenage recollections of trying to become invisible by pretending to blend into my surroundings – I was and at times still am the proverbial “wallflower”.
Artist, curator, author, Art Historian, educator and scholar, Lewis, was born in New Orleans in 1924, later attended HBCU, Dillard University, where she was taught by Elizabeth Catlett before going on and becoming the first African American in the nation to receive a Ph.D. in Art History and Fine Art from Ohio University in 1951. Lewis was a pioneer in the area of African American Art and Artists, who documented the history of these artists in books, exhibitions, film, lectures and as an educator. In 1975 she founded the International Review of African American Art magazine to give visibility to these underserviced artists. Lewis has changed the landscape of Art History and has become an influential and highly respected voice that has also mentored and bolstered the careers of many African American artists. She is the recipient of a myriad of awards and distinctions and has exhibited in many important galleries and museums.