Samella Lewis and the African American Experience

Dr. Samella Lewis has touched the lives of artists, scholars, educators, students and countless others through her dedication and perseverance of African American art. She has enhanced the cultural fabric of Los Angeles' art scene and nationally and continues to be an influential voice that is respected. Samella Sanders Lewis is an African American artist (primarily a printmaker), author, and former educator. Widely exhibited and collected as an artist herself, she is nevertheless perhaps even better known as a historian, critic, and collector of art, especially African-American art. Dr. Lewis's professorship as an art historian is an incredible journey of preservation and accomplishments. She has dedicated much of her career to Scripps College of the Claremont Colleges - where she became the first tenured African American professor in art history. She has served as professor emeriti of art history since 1984 and was the school's art history professor since 1969.