Celebration and Vision:
The Hewitt Collection of African-American Art

In July 1998, the Bank of America Foundation announced the purchase of one of the country's largest and most diverse private collections of African-American art of this century. The artwork belonged to Vivian Hewitt and the late John Hewitt of New York and represents 50 years of collecting. Since 1999, Bank of America has been underwriting a traveling exhibition of the works to museums and cultural centers throughout the United States.

"For the Hewitts, collecting this art over the course of their lifetimes was an exercise in community-building," said Ken Lewis, Bank of America Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "The collection stands as a testament to the passion of Vivian and John Hewitt, their close interaction with many of the artists and their knowledge of the history of African-American art."

Collecting art by the country's best African-American artists was Vivian and John Hewitt's life-long passion. Although the Hewitts did not have an unlimited budget, they had an eye for fine art and for emerging artists who would grow to national prominence. Today, the Hewitt Collection is regarded as one of the most important and comprehensive collections of African-American art. Art & Antiques magazine listed the collection in its third annual compilation of Top 100 Treasures in its March 2000 issue.

"My husband and I both grew up with an appreciation for art and it has brought us great joy over the years to put this collection together," said Vivian Hewitt. "So many people, through the generosity of Bank of America now have the opportunity to learn about and appreciate the outstanding contributions of some of the greatest African-American artists, many of whom have become friends of ours."

The collection includes 55 two-dimensional works of art by 20 artists. Renowned works such as The Card Players by Hale Woodruff; Morning Ritual by Romare Bearden; Woman in a Blue Coat by Ernest Crichlow; Gate in Tangiers by Henry O. Tanner; Easter by Jonathan Green; and Head of a Woman by Elizabeth Catlett are included.

The Hewitt Collection - Representative Images

A Charlotte native, Charles Alston began his career as an active member of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the government agency that supported artists during the Depression. Alston was among the first African-American artists to execute a major mural project for the WPA. Under the influence of such significant muralists as Diego Rivera and Jose Orozco, Alston's mural style incorporated the dramatic, often geometric, forms and heavy black outlines around the figure which typified the muralists endeavor. In this work, Woman Washing Clothes, we can see the artist incorporating aspects of this mural style on a much smaller scale, but with the same result: a strong, bold figure captured in dramatic outline.

The lithograph Head of a Woman emblematizes Catlett's work. In this piece, Catlett isolated her subject's face in order to focus the woman's intense gaze on the viewer. Both the subject matter and the composition prioritize the black woman—who has historically been relegated to a secondary role in the arts of Europe and the Americas—and accord her strength of character and intellectual self-sufficiency.

As the signature work of this exhibition, Jonathan Green's Easter encapsulates the themes of the show: celebration and vision. A somber moment at an Easter church service is captured with a shocking palette. The contrast between the occasion and its presentation draws our attention to the dual nature of the holiday, as a time of celebration and mourning. Green's work likewise highlights the issue of vision for the couple is presented as faceless and thus without the ability to see. And while we might take their inability to see as characteristic of the lack of black power within American society, the painting is more about the centrality of the visual experience to black culture.

Combining unity and movement, Canal Builders II is based not only on Ann Tanksley's enduring interest in the condition of the black laborer, but also on conversations with her cousin who had worked on the Panama Canal. Color, line, and perspective are used to create a dramatic image that underscores content. Identically dressed in dark trousers, white shirts, and hats, the figures move in a boldly colored landscape. The rhythm of the workers' actions and postures demand from the viewer a more complex understanding of the nature of this type of work. We are not to feel sympathy for these workers, but rather we are to appreciate and respect their efforts.

During a 1926 trip to Paris, Hale Woodruff became enamored with the work of Pablo Picasso and Paul Cezanne. Woodruff created the first version of The Card Players in 1928-9. The artist executed the version currently on view in 1978 to replace the badly deteriorated first version. Like other artists who were influenced by cubism, Woodruff incorporated the movement's interest in African art into his own paintings. The masklike faces of the card players demonstrate a fascination with African masks. However, for an African-American artist such as Woodruff, the borrowing of African aesthetics involved something more.