By Ilana Williams
A woman looks outward with a yellow flower and a peach tree behind her. A cobblestone path leads to a gray church with a man’s face above it.
These images are all featured on a 35-foot-wide mural in the Cole Field House building. The mural celebrates the late University of Maryland Professor David C. Driskell, who died in 2020 from complications of COVID-19.
Driskell’s legacy at UMD was cemented decades ago when the university established the David C. Driskell Center in 2001. The center is meant to celebrate Driskell’s legacy as an artist and to be a home for African American art, said its director, Curlee Holton. Driskell started as an artist in the 1950s when it was difficult to get opportunities, Holton said.
The mural was painted by Brandon Donahue, a former artist-in-residence at the center, and four UMD art students. Donahue spent two months digging through Driskell’s work and archives.
“When I heard about all of these things, I said, ‘this mural has to be a staple of his legacy,’” Donahue said. “I just thought about how important it is for artists of color, for people of color, to see a representation of themselves in history.”
Donahue said Driskell’s collaborations inspired him to invite other artists to participate. Each of the four students on the project was assigned a piece of the project and showed their own skills.
Senior information science and studio art double major Boma Tende worked on the peach tree in the top left corner of the mural
“I don’t usually draw or paint food in general, but it was a learning experience and I was really excited to try a new style,” Tende said.
The students also learned more about Driskell’s work and the mission of the center while improving their own techniques.
“It was so amazing to hear all the things he’s done, especially for the Black community or for artists in general,” Tende said. “Being part of the mural was such a wonderful learning experience, and it definitely did inspire me to continue trying something new.”
Simone Skerritt, who graduated in 2020, focused on a rock pathway and greenery.
“Being able to work on that project and then studying Driskell’s work reminded me to stay [focused] and keep trying new mediums,” Skerritt said.
Daria Parsa, another 2020 graduate, mostly works on oil paintings and drawings with charcoal or chalk pastels. She used the opportunity to challenge herself.
“[The mural] wasn’t stuff I usually do,” Parsa said. “But seeing the final product and having it be something that people are going to walk by and — hopefully it’ll be something that will bring color and creativity and vibrancy.”
Featured image: The mural is 9 feet wide and took months to complete. It incorporates the different styles of Driskell and other artists. Photo by Ilana Williams.