Born November 13, 1930, in Madison, Georgia; George and Viola Andrews, parents.
Father did day work on nearby farms; family lived in a wood-frame house rented to them by Mrs. Mamie Hampton.
1935
Moved with family to grandfather's cluster of houses; father went to work for WPA, later worked for local sawmills.
Drew cowboys and Santa Clauses in school.
Started to make own comic characters.
1943
Family moved to farm, became cotton sharecroppers.
1944
Entered Burney Street High School in the town of Madison, Georgia. Attended school only when it was not possible to work in the fields.
1945
Joined 4-H Club; met Mr. Lloyd Trawick, Negro County Extension Agent. Went to the annual 4-H Club convention at Georgia State College (now Savannah State). First time outside of Morgan County.
1948
Graduated from Burney Street High School. Went to Atlanta, Georgia; lived at the Butler Street YMCA. Met Warren C. Cochrane, Executive Director of the "Y."
Received 4-H club scholarship of $600 (to be split evenly over a period of two years) to attend one of the three black state colleges.
1950
With end of scholarship, failing in almost every class, and because of lack of opportunity to study art, entered the USAF, July 26, 1950. Honorably Discharged 1954.
1954
Entered the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
1958
Received B.F.A. from School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and left immediately for New York City.
Moved to Suffolk Street on the lower East Side.
First child, Christopher, was born one week after arriving in New York. Set up easel and started to paint and take care of baby.
1959
Married Mary Ellen Jones Smith. Their second child, Thomas, was born.
Exhibited in the Washington Square outdoor art fair, sold $400 worth of drawings.
Entered the "Philadelphia Academy 159th Bi-Annual Exhibition" and was accepted.
1960
Solo exhibition at Paul Kessler Gallery, Provincetown, Massachusetts. Met Chaim Gross.
Moved to Thompson Street in lower part of Greenwich Village. Met painters Dick Miller, Bill Creston, Emilio Cruz, Chuck Bowers, and sculptor Ludvik Durchanek, who became a very close friend. Also got to know Jacob Lawrence.
Got a job in the Christmas card section at the Metropolitan Museum.
1961
Solo exhibition at the Kessler Gallery in Provincetown. Paintings began to sell.
1962
Invited by Bella Fishko to become a member of new gallery, The Forum, that she was opening with artists Raphael Soyer, Chaim Gross, Sari Sherman, Joseph Hirsch, Sidney Laufman, Hugo Robus, and Bruno Luchessi.
Family drove to Mexico for a two-month stay. Saw works of Orozco, Siqueiros and Rivera. Worked and lived in San Miguel Allende.
Solo exhibition, Forum Gallery, New York. Received good reviews from The New York Times and The New York Herald Tribune.
1963
Exhibited at the Henri Gallery, Alexandria, Virginia; the Mari Gallery, Woodstock, New York; and in many group shows, including one at the Brooklyn Museum.
1964
Moved from apartment to a loft studio on Beekman Street in downtown New York City.
Third child, Julia, born.
Solo show at the Forum Gallery.
1965
Second trip to Mexico, spending most time in Oaxaca and Guanajuato.
Received a John Hay Whitney Fellowship.
1966
Solo exhibitions at the Bray-Hampton Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia; the Henri Gallery; and the Forum Gallery (insisted on exhibiting "Autobiographical Series" to the dismay of the gallery).
Group exhibitions included shows at the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the Chrysler Museum.
Started teaching drawing and painting classes at The New School for Social Research, New York.
Started teaching a painting and drawing class at the Bayonne, New Jersey, Jewish Community Center.
Participated in "A Collage of Protest." Met artists Rudolf Baranik, Irving Petlin, Leon Golub.
1967
Exhibited "Autobiographical Series" in communities throughout New York under the auspices of the Union Settlement House.
Took a job with a South Bronx art project under a federal Title III grant.
1968
Illustrated I Am The Darker Brother for MacMillan.
Exhibited in "New Voices: 15 New York Artists" at the American Greeting Gallery, New York City. It was later expanded, entitled, "30 Contemporary Black Artists."
Attended reception to introduce "Harlem on my Mind" exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum, June 4. Met Thomas F. Hoving.
Exhibited in the "Martin Luther King Memorial Exhibition" at the Museum of Modern Art.
Participated in Harlem Cultural Council meeting to withdraw support from the "Harlem on my Mind " exhibition, November 22.
Participated in a protest demonstration against the Whitney Museum of American Art over its omission of black artists in its "Artists of the Thirties" exhibition.
1969
Participated in protest demonstrations at Queens College.
The Black Emergency Cultural Coalition was organized in studio, January 9, 1969, to protest the exhibition, "Harlem On My Mind." Elected one of the three co-chairmen.
Participated in protest demonstrations against the "Harlem On My Mind," exhibition on January 12, along with artists Norman Lewis, Romare Bearden, Reginald Gammon, Raymond Saunders, Vivian Browne, Leroy Henderson, Russ Thompson, Cliff Joseph, Bob Carter, Bill Durante, Mahler Ryder, and later joined by white artists Alice Neel, John Dobbs, and Mel Roman. April 24, 1969, met with officials at the Whitney Museum of American Art to begin negotiations between the museum and the Black Emergency Cultural Coalition over policies of discrimination against black artists.
Served as Visiting Artist, Summer 1969, at California State College at Hayward. Lectured at Fort Valley State College, Georgia; Atlanta University; and Bennett College, New York.
Along with Jay Milder, Peter Pausintino, Nicholas Sperakis, Peter Dean, Michael Faureback, and Ken Bowen, organized the Rhino Horn group.
Met Edmund B. Gaither, teacher at Spelman College, Atlanta. Met often with members of the Art Workers Coalition and especially Tom Lloyd to discuss ways that the B.E.C.C. and the Art Workers Coalition could work together. Also, met with Ralph Ortiz.
1970
Received the University of Bridgeport (Connecticut) Dorne Professorship Award.
Lectured at Universities of Bridgeport and Delaware, and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
Exhibited at the "Rhino Horn Exhibition," at the New School for Social Research, the first of many exhibitions by this group throughout the country.
Solo exhibition at the Acts of Art Gallery, a black-owned gallery.
Exhibited in the historical all-black exhibition, "The Afro-American Artist: Boston and New York," which opened at the Boston Museum. Exhibited the painting Champion, in it.
1971
Exhibited the first works of "Bicentennial Series" at the Studio Museum in Harlem. Ed Spriggs wrote the catalogue.
The Museum of Modern Art bought the painting No More Games. Received a New York State Council on the Arts Grant.
Received the Atlanta University Negro Art Collection Award for Educational Arts.
Served as coordinator of artists for Dr. J. Brooks Dendy, director of the exhibition "Art USA," shown at the Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Lectured at Wabash College, Wabash, Indiana; Talladega College, Alabama; Spelman College, Georgia; University of Pittsburgh; Dennison College, Ohio; Carnegie Institute, Pennsylvania; and New York University. Was a visiting critic at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
Met Lawrence Alloway and Sylvia Sleigh. Met May Stevens. Visited with George Deem and Ronald Vance.
Participated in protesting the Whitney Museum of American Art's exhibition, "Contemporary Black Artists." This was the exhibition that disregarded protests By the Black Emergency Cultural Coalition that an all black exhibition should include some black curatorial input. Participated in a "rebuttal exhibition" held at the Acts of Art Gallery consisting of artists who refused to exhibit in the Whitney's black exhibition.
Took a two-month trip to Italy, staying at Cortona, and visiting museums in Florence, Rome, and adjacent areas. First trip to any European country.
On November 10, taught an art class at the Manhattan House of Detention, "The Tombs." This was to be the beginning of a major prison art program under the auspices of the B.E.C.C. that would eventually spread throughout the USA.
1972
Exhibited Trash, second work in the "Bicentennial Series," at the ACA Gallery, New York City.
Lectured at Mount Holyoke College; University of Rhode Island; Western Michigan University; University of Pittsburgh; and the Rhode Island School of Design.
Met the artist Palmer Hayden. Took a two-month trip to Europe, spending time in Italy, Belgium, and France.
With Jim Fisher, established a prison-college seminar that would take students from Queens College into the New York City Detention Centers to teach.
Co-edited The Attica Book with Rudolf Baranik (Artists and Writers in Protest).
Paintings eligible for purchase under the "Childe Hassam Fund," the American Academy of Arts and Letters, November 10-December 17, 1972.
Exhibited in "Black American Experiences," Oakland Museum, November 28, Oakland, California.
1973
Exhibited Circle, third work in the "Bicentennial Series," at the ACA Gallery, New York City.
Exhibited at the Aronson Gallery, Atlanta. Met Gregorio Prestopino.
Awarded a "Certificate of Merit" by the City of New York, presented by Mayor Lindsay for the work done in prisons.
Participated in a protest demonstration against the Museum of Modern Art because of its refusal to sell The Attica Book in its bookstore.
Took a month's trip to Europe, going to Paris, Madrid, Milan and Cortona.
Received a MacDowell Fellowship, spent two months there, and did a large number of studies for Sexism, fourth in the "Bicentennial Series."
Served as guest curator for the exhibition, "Blacks: USA, 1973," shown at the New York Cultural Center.
Lectured at the Hartford Art School; the Afro-American Center in Boston; Rutgers University; Bennington College, Vermont; University of Wisconsin; and the University of Indiana.
Met Claes Oldenburg. Exhibited in "Voices of Alarm," Lerner-Heller Gallery, New York City, May 1973.
1974
Visiting critic at Yale University.
With Jim Fisher, established seminars of 15 students, each to work in a center for abused children in Queens, New York, and in a senior citizens center in Brooklyn.
Awarded a grant by the National Endowment for the Arts.
A film, "The 24-Hour Life of Benny Andrews," produced by Nafarsi Productions and directed by John Wise. Was screened at the Studio Museum in Harlem.
Awarded a second MacDowell Fellowship.
Lectured at the University of Michigan; Tougaloo College, Mississippi; the School of Visual Arts, New York City: Bowie College, Maryland; and Livingston College, New Jersey.
Became Associate Editor (art critic) of Encore Magazine.
Met Diane Weathers. Included in film, "All Things Human," produced by Queens College.
Started working with Ronald King, a poet just out of Auburn Correctional Institution. Participated in a memorial for Moses Soyer at the New School for Social Research.
Exhibited the print Sexist in the "19th Annual Print Exhibition" at the Brooklyn Museum.
1975
Solo exhibition, "The Bicentennial Series," opened at The High Museum in Atlanta. This exhibition consisted of four works (Symbols, Trash, Circle, and Sexism) plus oil and pen-and-ink studies for those works. The catalogue featured an essay by Lawrence Alloway.
Solo exhibition of War (the fifth work of "The Bicentennial Series"), at the ACA Gallery, New York.
Solo exhibitions at South Carolina College; Spelman College, Atlanta; the Craftery Gallery, Hartford, Connecticut; Gallery 7, Detroit, and the Gallery of Sarasota, Florida.
The article, "The Big Bash," appeared in the annual special issue of Black Creations.
Appeared on WABC-TV program, "AM New York," to talk about "The Bicentennial Series."
Received a MacDowell Fellowship.
"The Bicentennial Series" opened at the Johnson Museum, Ithaca, New York.
Solo exhibition at the Trisa Karlis Gallery, Provincetown. Included in the group exhibition, "Jubilee," held at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the curator of which was Edmund B. Gaither. Utopias, the sixth work of "The Bicentennial Series," included.
Solo exhibition at Alabama State University, Montgomery. Solo exhibition at Pennsylvania State University, Middletown.
"The Bicentennial Series" opened at the Afro-American Center, Boston.
Joined with Rudolf Baranik and Lucy Lippard in writing a letter of protest and then meeting with Thomas N. Armstrong, Director of the Whitney Museum of American Art, about the omission of Black and women artists from the museum's bicentennial schedule of exhibitions.
Solo exhibition of pen-and-ink drawings at the Madison, Georgia Cultural Center to help celebrate its opening. Subject of an entire issue of magazine, Ataraxia, edited by Phil Williams.
1976
Started the New Year off by picketing 'the Whitney over its omission of black and women artists in the "John D. Rockefeller III Exhibition of American Artists."
Solo exhibitions at West Virginia State College; the Lerner-Heller Gallery, New York City; Aronson Gallery, Atlanta; the Craftery Gallery, Hartford; the Tirsa Karlis Gallery, Provincetown; Solo exhibition at the Afro-American Center in Springfield, Massachusetts; and Gallery of Sarasota, Florida.
Selected to be a member of the Advisory Board of the National Center of Afro-American Art.
Participated in the Third Artists Congress in St. Louis, Missouri.
Helped to organize "The Fine Art of Collecting" for the Studio Museum in Harlem along with Courtney Callender, Bill Day, and Arti Freeman. Selected to be a member of the curatorial council of the Studio Museum.
Selected to be a member of the MacDowell's Fellows Committee.
Moved to 26th Street Studio.
Ludvik Durchanek, a sculptor and a very close friend, died.
Exhibited American Gothic in "A Patriotic Show" at the Lerner-Heller Gallery, New York City.
Son, Christopher, entered Rhode Island School of Design to study art.
Served as guest curator of the exhibition, "Echoes: Prisons, USA - 1976," which was shown at the Studio Museum.
Included in the exhibition, "20th Century Black Artists," shown at the San Jose Museum and the guest curator of which was Marie Johnson.
Joined ICRY (Inner City Roundtable of Youths) as Art Coordinator.
Served on the Alternative Spaces panel for the National Endowment.
The film, "The 24-Hour Life of Benny Andrews," shown at the Metropolitan Museum.
Harold Andrews (brother) was killed in an automobile accident while driving home to Atlanta from Arkansas, where he was serving as a Black Muslim minister. A great loss.
1977
"The Bicentennial Series" shown at the Ulrich Museum, Wichita, Kansas. Dr. Milton Ratner donated the work Symbols to the museum.
Included in the "Tenth International Biennial Exhibition of Prints" at Tokyo. Received the Ohara Museum Prize for the work, From Home.
War study # 5 purchased for the permanent collection of the Harlem State Building.
Solo exhibitions at Illinois State University at Normal and the Gallery of Sarasota, Florida.
Visiting critic at Cornell University.
Exhibited in the group show, "Ringside" at the Madison Square Garden Museum of Sports.
Solo exhibition at Jackson State University to help celebrate its centennial. His first art teacher at Fort Valley State College in 1947, Lawrence Jones, coordinated the show.
Elected to the Board of Directors of the College Art Association.
Elected to the Board of Directors of the Foundation for the Community of Artists.
Joined in protesting a proposal by the Board of Directors of the Studio Museum to move it out of Harlem.
Selected to be a member of the policy making panel on the visual arts of the National Endowment for the Arts.
Included in the exhibition, "Provincetown Painters" at the Everson Museum. Workers Table shown.
Took a trip across the USA, spending time in Colorado and Arizona, sketching. Did mostly pen-and-ink drawings.
Solo exhibition at the Tirsa Karlis Gallery, Provincetown and Pelham-Stoffler Gallery in Houston.
Directed ICRY Art Program. Held a "Youth Day" exhibition at the Harlem State building, with works of the youths from ICRY.
Visited John Biggers, the head of the Art Department at Southern University.
Shades, an oil collage, was bought in the Childe Hassam Fund Purchase for the National Academy of Art.
Worked with Ronald King to complete his autobiography. Did drawings.
Started work on a series of drawings and works on paper for Raymond Andrews' (brother) first novel, Appalachee Red, to be published by Dial Press in 1978.
Met Mary Schmidt Campbell, new director of the Studio Museum. Participated with Owen Dodsen on Ellis Hazslip's interview program on radio station WBAI.
Did a series of etchings with Ben Wigfall of Communications Village at Kingston, New York. Lectured at Illinois State University at Normal; University of North Carolina; and Jackson State University.
1978
Left the ACA Gallery on good terms and joined the Lerner-Heller Gallery.
Traveled to Haiti, spent 2 weeks there drawing and writing. Appalled by the poverty.
Met with policy panelists for the NEA at Cal State College at San Diego, CA. serving as a member of the NEA's Policy Panel for the Visual Arts.
Solo exhibition, "Women I've Known" opened at the Lerner-Heller Gallery in New York City.
Served on a Veteran's Administration panel to select an artist to do a $30,000 commission to paint a mural in a new hospital building - we chose Jasper Johns.
Solo exhibition at the Adley Gallery, Sarasota, Florida. Solo exhibition at University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh.
Solo exhibition of drawings (for Raymond Andrews' novel, Appalachee Red, published by Dial Press) opened at the Handshake Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia.
Conducted a memorial service at my studio for the poet and art critic, Barry Schwartz.
Solo exhibition titled "Benny Andrews/Matrix 42"opened at the Wadsworth-Atheneum, Hartford, CT.
Solo exhibition opened at the Wendell Street Gallery, Cambridge, MA.
Raymond Andrews' novel, Appalachee Red, is published by Dial Press.
Drove up to the MacDowell Colony, Peterborough, NH, on a 3- month fellowship. Attended a 3-day conference at the SECCA in Winston Salem, NC, to celebrate SECCA's existence with people from all over the USA. When I returned from Winston-Salem, NC, back to the MacDowell Colony, I settled in to work and also I met Nene Humphrey, a sculptor. We immediately became friends. Did a portrait of Nene Humphrey, titled Nene (what else?). I had a party for MacDowell Fellows who were leaving to go back to their studios, these included Kathy Morris, Ed Honig, Peter Winkler, Stella Waitkin, and Nene Humphrey.
Raymond (Andrews) and I gave a lecture on our works at Langston Hughes Library in Corona (Queens), NY.
1979
Attended a reception and award ceremony at Dial Press headquarters (NY City) where Raymond (Andrews) received the first James Baldwin Award for his novel, Appalachee Red. James Baldwin personally presented the award to Ray. A very touching moment for all of us.
Solo exhibitions at the Selma Burke Art Center, Pittsburgh, PA.; Mississippi Valley University, Greenville, Miss.; Lerner-Heller Gallery, "Women I've Known II," Tennessee State University.
Gave a lecture with Raymond Andrews at the University of Georgia (Athens).
Went to San Juan Puerto Rico with daughter, Julia.
Took a trip to Toronto, Canada, first time in Canada. Met with Artists, including Judith Schwartz, a friend of Nene Humphrey's.
Served on a jury for the NEA's Art in Public Places, along with Peter Kosalak (Hudson River Museum), Sam Hunter (Curator/Princeton Univ. Art Gallery), Pat Fuller (NEA), and other government representatives to select artists for Commissions at the Pennsylvania Train Station in Newark, NJ.
Took a camping trip through the State of Utah and did work for a landscape series. Went to Provincetown, Mass. to continue working on landscape series.
Drove son, Thomas, up to Alfred University, NY.
Received notification from the Mayor's (Atlanta) Arts Advisory committee that I'd been selected to submit a design for the new airport being built to replace the old one.
Attended a memorial service for Norman Lewis, at St. Peter's Church, NY City.
Attended opening reception at the Chicago Art Institute for the "One Hundred Artists, One Hundred Years" exhibition. My work The Bath, was included.
Served on a Fullbright Fellowship panel, United Nations Plaza, NY City.
1980
Started preliminary work on a mural for the Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta, GA.
Joined in a celebration of Raphael Soyer's 80th birthday hosted by Chaim Gross. People there included Alex Katz, Philip Pearlstein, Alice Neel, Lloyd Goodrich, Jack Levine and Leonard Boccur.
"Bicentennial Series" opened at the gallery of the NY State University at Stony Brook, NY, curated by Lawrence Alloway.
A group exhibition titled "Six Black Artists" opened at the New Jersey State Museum at Trenton, NJ. Along with me were Richard Hunt, Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, Betye Saar and Sam Gilliam. The exhibition was curated by Zoltan Buki.
Served as a juror to select winners for state fellowships to be awarded to pupils in the Massachusetts Public School system (the jurying took place in Boston).
Gave a lecture on my paintings at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA. Solo exhibition and lecture at Northern Illinois Univ., at Dekalb, IL. Lecture at SUNY (Stony Brook Campus) on "The Bicentennial Series" which is on exhibition there. Participated on a NEA Visual Arts policy panel conference in Houston, TX, to discuss national policy for the upcoming year in the visual arts. Lecture and solo exhibition at the St. Paul School (Prep) in Concord, NH. Lecture on collecting at the Randall Art Gallery, New York City.
The exhibition "gun show" opened at the Great Western Fair, Los Angeles Fairgrounds, Pomona, CA. "Cage"(a collage sculpture) in the exhibition. Lecture at Kean College (New Jersey) on my work.
Christopher (Andrews) graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design, receiving his bachelor's degree in Architecture.
Raymond (Andrews) and I signed copies of our books. Mine, Between the Lines and his, Appalachee Red, and Rosie Bell Lee Wild Cat Tennessee.
Attended the opening of an exhibition of outdoor sculptures on Wards Island, NY. Nene Humphrey had a work in the show titled "Four Mountains."
Had two paintings in a group exhibition at the newly opened Afro-American Museum, Dorchester, Mass.
Helped Nene Humphrey load and drive her sculpture supplies from her NY studio up to Art Park in Lewiston, NY, where she was to do an outdoor piece.
Worked in Atlanta on my airport mural Flight, for 2 weeks.
Went up to Lewiston, NY Art Park to see the finished work An Enclosed Garden, of Nene Humphrey.
Visited Artist friends in Toronto, Canada.
Worked in Atlanta on "Flight", my Atlanta airport mural. Attended a reception at the Atlanta Airport to celebrate the finishing of murals by 14 artists including Sam Gilliam, Phyllis Thompson, Richard Smith, Curtis Patterson, Andy Nasisse, Santo Bruno, Michael Seide, David Hammons, Steve Antanokos, Napoleon J. Henderson and me.
Attended a reception at the White House honoring the 15th year anniversary of the NEA. My daughter, Julia, was with me. We toured the White House.
Signed a separation agreement between myself and Mary Ellen.
Attended a memorial service for Palmer Hayden at the community church in New York City.
Bought a 5-acre piece of land outside of Athens, GA, and 20 some odd miles from Madison, GA, to eventually build a studio on. First piece of land I've ever owned. I attended a reception for a group exhibition entitled "Figure 19 - 1980"at the Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, VA.
I also participated on a panel at the museum. Participated on a panel at Emory Universiity about staging exhibitions of black artists (Atlanta, GA).
Solo Exhibition opens at the Lerner-Heller Gallery, New York City, titled "Flight;" works from my Atlanta Airport commission
Lecture on "The problems of the Black Artists Today" at the Craftery Gallery in Hartford, CT.
1981
Lecture at the University of Mississippi at Oxford to a group of graduate students and people in the community. It was a cooperative effort on the part of the University to bring students into closer contact with the community. I spent three days giving lectures and workshops to schools.
Solo exhibition opened at the Firehouse Gallery at Nassau Community College, Hempstead, NY.
Lecture at Nassau Community College tided "Collage Paintings" Hempstead, NY.
The exhibition titled "Ten Masters" that I guest-curate& opened at the Community Church Gallery, New York City. Included were: Owen Dodsen (writer/playwright), James Van Der Zee (photographer), and ten painters: Ellis Wilson, Jacob Lawrence, Romare Bearden, Palmer Hayden, Hale Woodruff, Alma Thomas, Beauford Delaney, Norman Lewis, Charles White and Charles Alston.
Lecture at Sarah Lawrence' College, Bronxville, NY, on my work.
Gave a lecture to about 250 elementary school children at the Arkansas Art Center in Little Rock, AR. I received awards from Arkansas for my February 24 lectures and workshops.
Participated on a panel tided "The End of Tradition in Art and a New Beginning" held at the New York State University at Old Westbury, NY- Solo exhibition opened at Penn State University Gallery, University Park, PA. A selection of oils and works on paper.
I attended Nene Humphrey's solo exhibition at the 55 Mercer Street Gallery, New York City.
Awarded a Creative Artists Program Grant of $3,500 from New York State.
Lecture at my exhibition at Penn State University, University Park, PA.
Attended a group exhibition at the Touchstone Gallery, New York City.
Nene has a piece of sculpture and a drawing in the show.
Went down to Philadelphia with Nene Humphrey to visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art, especially to see the works of Marcel Duchamp.
Solo exhibition opened at the Craftery Gallery, Hartford, CT.
Held a meeting of the group of artists I'd selected to be in an exhibition I'm guest curating at the Alternative Museum in New York City. They were Jim Merrel, Warner Wada, Nene Humphrey, Howard McCalleb, M. L. Johnson, Page Ogden, Kathy Stark and Elisa D'Arrigo. Absent were Judith Schwartz, Dick Miller, Mary and Bill Buchen.
The title of the exhibition was "Ambiance/Stimuli"
Nene and I took a plane from New York City to Albuquerque, New Mexico, rented a car and from August 3 until August 25 camped out throughout the state working on our art.
Went to the Pilchuck School in Washington State for a conference titled "Arts in Institutions" (including representatives from prisons, to discuss art in these environments.) Both Nene and I had been invited to attend because of our involvement with similar institutions.
Served as the lone juror for the exhibition "Third Annual Black Art Exhibit" sponsored by the First National Bank in Louisville, KY.
Purchased my New York loft studio (six artists in all in the co-op on 26th Street in Manhattan) for $5,000. My second piece of property.
Lecture to students at Jackson High School in Queens, NY.
Attended a memorial service for Rudolph Baranik and May Steven's son, Steven.
Served as a juror on a NEA panel on drawings, prints and books with Ed Ruscha and the curator of prints and drawings at the Chicago Art Institute, Ester Sparks.
Solo exhibition opened at Lerner-Heller Gallery, "Still Lives" my first show of only still lifes.
The exhibition "Ambiance/Stimuli" opened at the Alternative Museum.
1982
Served as a panelist (2nd stage of the jurying), on the NEA'S prints, drawings, and books. At break time the 3 panelists were asked to come up to the Chairman's office to discuss two art programs he was having trouble justifying Frank Hodsoll, the new chairman, greeted us and questioned the validity of Fashion Moda and Change, Inc. getting funding as fine arts qualifiers.
Christopher (son) and I went down to my Georgia property to discuss him building a studio for me.
Served on a panel about "becoming an artist" at SUNY at Purchase NY, with Irving Sandier, Bob Berlind and Carl Andre.
Frank Hodsoll, Chairman of the NEA, came up to my studio from Washington, DC, and asked me whether I would like to be considered for the position of Director of the Visual Arts program for the NEA.
Nene (Humphrey) left for the University of Illinois at Normal to be artist-in-residence for 2 weeks.
Worked on ideas for an outdoor structure (art) at Wards Island, NY "The Georgia Group" as we were calling ourselves held meetings at our studios to discuss a reception to show our work in New York City in my and John Hardy and Page Ogden's studios. We would call the exhibition "Georgia Artists in New York"
Received notice that the Newark (NJ) museum had bought my oil and collage on canvas "Golden Still Life" for their collection.
Solo exhibition, lectures and workshops at the University of Ohio at Columbus, and at the University of Ohio at Athens.
Accepted and officially began my tenure as Director of the Visual Arts Program for the National Endowment for the Arts. Took a leave of absence from position at Queens College. The program has a budget of 6-1/2 million dollars and a staff of 15 specialists and clerical workers.
The exhibition of outdoor artworks opened at Wards Island. My work was a 24 foot high by 12 foot wide simulated picture frame racing the Hudson River. Its title was Picture Scape.
Held first staff meeting with the visual arts program. The Assistant Director of the program, Leonard Hunter, introduced me and then each member described his or her functions.
Gave first lecture as Director of the Visual Arts Program at the University of Maryland (Baltimore).
Met with Frank Hodsoll, Chairman, and we discussed my being away in Europe till August working on my art.
Spoke at the artists' spaces dinner at the Cannon House office building (Congressional Caucus Room) to congressmen and art representatives.
Nene and I left JFK Airport for Europe where we spent over a month traveling throughout cities in England, Holland, France and Germany, visiting museums and working on our art. The artists, Rembrandt Jan Steen, Vermeer and other artists representative of that area really interested me.
Went down to Vence, France (with Nene Humphrey) to take up a one-month artists' fellowship at the Michael Karolyi Foundation. Nene was also an artist fellow. We were given studios and living quarters. Visited the Matisse Chapel in Vence, visited the Madget Foundation outside of St. Paul of Vence and was struck by the Stations of the Cross done by Braque. Left the Karolyi Foundation for Paris. After a couple of days Nene and I left France for America.
Went to Washington, D.C., to begin working full time as Director of the Visual Arts Program.
Solo exhibition opened at Nyangoma Gallery, Washington, D.C. Mother and Raymond (Andrews) attended reception.
Received a proclamation from Mayor Marion Barry of Washington D.C. for "Accomplishment in Arts."
Dick Lerner (Lerner-Heller Gallery) committed suicide.
Went to Los Angeles to co-chair with Chairman Frank Hodsoll, a two-day seminar titled "The Chairman's Seminar on the Visual Arts."
1983
Nancy Hanks' (former Chairwoman of the NEA) obituary appeared in the morning New York Times. I was shocked and saddened. I'd known her fairly well.
Lecture at LaGrange College, GA.
Trip to New Orleans to discuss art plans for World's Fair to be held there later.
Went up to Alice Neel's studio (NY City) to help her fill out an application for NEA painting fellowship. "I'm Famous", she said, "But I don't have any money. People come here to have me do their portraits and then leave them for posterity."
Solo exhibition at the Savannah College of Art.
Participated on a panel in Philadelphia, Pa., at the Moore College of Art titled "On and Off Capitol Hill."
Lecture at Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla. Lecture at Massachusetts School of Art.
Honored with a dinner at the Chicago Art Institute.
Lecture at the Chicago Public Library and Cultural Center.
Lecture at University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.
Lecture at Loretto College, Denver, CO.
Lecture and Dinner in my honor at the Cardoza Law School of Yeshiva University, New York City.
Honored at Norfolk State University, VA, as one of three eminent scholars of the year. The other two are Donald Byrd (musician) and Paul Warfield (actor/singer).
Lecture at Florida A&M College, Tallahassee, FL.
Visited Federal Correction Institution to check on the Art class and to give a slide lecture to the inmates.
Started working on ideas for art work for Plainview Baptist Church, Madison, GA.
Trip to Mobile, AL, to participate in a program for the disabled. Upon arriving at the airport in Mobile, I was asked to remain on the plane briefly. Waiting for me was a double row of young women dressed in antebellum gowns and holding bunches of azaleas. Then I was given a bunch and many photographs were taken of me standing there. Later I joined in the judging, etc., at South Alabama College.
Raymond's third book Baby Sweets by Dial Press was published. I did the cover and had pen and ink drawings inside.
William Ferris, Director of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi at Oxford came to my Washington, DC, office with a film crew to include me in a film he is doing for the exhibition "Painting in the South: 1564-1980"
Started work on my Athens, GA, studio, which Christopher had designed.
Trip to San Francisco for 3 day visual arts conference.
Lecture at St. Mary's College, South Bend, Indiana. Juried the "19th Annual Arts and Crafts Fair" at the Fine Arts Museum of Alabama.
Lecture at Indianapolis Museum of Art. Met with Sherman Wolfe, Vice President of the Group Insurance Section of Allstate Insurance Corp. I was there (in Chicago) to work on a project I'd initiated in the visual arts program to get health insurance for people in the arts.
Meeting in Chicago with artists' organizations and work on health insurance project. Also worked on the regional artists' fellowship project.
National Council Meeting in Washington, DC. Sid Lippman, Council Member, is very antagonistic to artists receiving grants. Alice Neel testifies before Council.
Met with James R. Donnell, Vice President of Group Insurance, Metropolitan Life, to work on artists' insurance project.
Participated on a panel at a trade school auditorium in Lower Manhattan. I was a substitute for Hilton Kramer. Others on the panel titled "Art and Art Criticism" were Irving Sandier, Marashak, Richard Martin, Ingrid Sishey and Donald Kuspit. Lecture at the Cleveland Museum of Art (Ohio). Gave the commencement exercise speech at the Cleveland Institute of Art.
1984
Testified at congressional hearing before Congressman Sid Yates (D-Chicago), Chairman of the sub-committee on Appropriations. This was the annual fight for the NEA'S budget.
Frank Hodsell announced at the mornings Program Directors meeting that the Critic's Fellowships in the Visual Arts program had been suspended. I rose up angrily and expressed my objections. Then I went on to express why I felt it was crucial for their to be support for art criticism.
Critic Fellowship Panel meeting. I sadly informed them that this would be the last one for Critics.
Series of lectures, workshops and interviews at Albany State College, GA.
Participated on a panel titled "Pity the Poor Critic" chaired by Irving Sandler and with Kim Levin, John Perrault and Connie Robbins.
National Council Meeting in Washington, DC. I made a strong plea for continuing the NEA'S support for Critics Fellowship.
Met in Manhattan with an organization ICRY (Inner City Roundtable of Youth) which is all gang members in the greater NY City area, to work on art programs with and for them.
Raymond packed up all of his belongings from his Queen's apartment into a huge U-Haul truck, and with great fanfare from friends, he, John Hardy and I drove off headed for my Athens, GA, studio (finished with Christopher's overseeing), where Raymond was to stay when Nene and I weren't there. Arrived in Athens. Unloaded truck, bade Raymond goodbye and John Hardy and I went to Atlanta and took a plane back to NY City.
Met with Leonard Andrews in Philadelphia to discuss setting up a non-profit organization for non-professional artists. This was Andrew's idea.
Packed up my personal belongings and left the NEA on June 28th.
Nene and I packed up everything we could imagine needing for a camping trip out west starting north of San Francisco up to British Columbia and back (via car). We worked (on paper and read, sight-saw and ended up back in San Francisco on Aug. 2nd).
Solo exhibition at the Merida Gallery, Louisville, KY.
Became an Art Consultant to the Leonard E. B. Andrews Foundation.
Left the Sid Deutsch Gallery.
Alice Neel died - a very good artist and friend.
Lecture at the High Museum, Atlanta, GA.
Solo exhibition at Gallery 291, Atlanta, GA.
Installed art in Plainview Baptist Church, Morgan County, GA. Mayor Andrew Young (Atlanta) declared "Benny Andrews Day."
The U.S. and France signed an agreement to exchange artists - one of my ideas while at the NEA.
Started working on my "Completing the Circle" series.
1985
Still at Athens, GA, studio on January 1st.
The Exhibition "Conflict and Controversy" opened at the Studio Museum.
Initially, this had been my idea, but I dropped out of the planning when I became Director of the Visual Arts Program for the NEA.
Participated on a panel titled "The Civil Rights Movement in Retrospective: Artists and Activists Members" with James Turner and Charlene Hunter-Gault and Faith Ringgold.
The exhibition "Art is a Family Affair" opened in SUNY at Purchase, NY. It included works by George, Viola, Benny, Raymond, Thomas and Christopher. This was our first large family exhibition (February 27th).
Opening reception for "Completing the Circle"- Armstrong Gallery, New York City (March 6th).
Participated on a panel at NYU Conference Center titled "Cultural Images of the American Working Class" moderated by Professor Neff Postman and Sol Yurick. We had an audience of representatives from the following countries: Canada, West Germany, Ireland, Sweden, Turkey, Britain and Yugoslavia.
Reception for "Icons and Images" curated by Janet Heit opened at the Waterworks Gallery, Salisbury, NC, held on April 14th.
Participated on a panel at the School of Visual Arts (New York City) titled "Racism and its Roots."
Served on a panel at Hofstra University (Hempsted, NY) with Barry Gaither and David Driskell titled "The Harlem Renaissance."
I went to Sarasota, FL, on a 2-week grant from the Ringling Museum to give a series of workshops to 4 public schools in Florida. They were Booker, Riverview, Venice and Sarasota High.
National Arts Program (lst exhibition) under the L.E.B. Andrews Foundation auspices opens at the Philadelphia Civic Center. It was a big success.
Nene and I packed up our art supplies and headed down to the Athens, GA, studio for the summer on July 1st. Reception at the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center for exhibitions of George (father) and Benny (son). Gave a lecture in the Center's auditorium (July 28th).
Served as a juror (2nd phase) for the Greensboro, NC, Art League Competition. I was the sole juror.
Participated on a panel titled "The Harlem Renaissance" along with Elizabeth Cattlett, Ernie Crichlow, Lowery Sims and Romare Bearden. At the Penn State Museum in Pittsburgh/Paul Roberson.
Served as a juror for the Maryland Art Place Organization to select artists for public place commission (in Baltimore).
1986
Reception for solo exhibition "Icons and Images" shown at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art.
Met Rick Gruber, Museum Director. Lectures and workshops in Memphis. (February 1-3)
Reception for exhibition "Completing the Circle" at the Stanback Museum, Columbia, SC. Gave a lecture and workshops. (February 6th)
Served as a juror for the Pennsylvania State Council on the Arts. We (Mo Brooker and Rafael Farrar) were to select artists for fellowships.
Gave a lecture at SECCA on "Is There a Black Esthetic"
Received my divorce papers from Mary Ellen Smith. I immediately called Nene to tell her the news (March 5th).
Participated in a panel at the High Museum titled "New Directions in Public Art" chaired by Pat Fuller.
Solo exhibition opened at Works Gallery in Newark, NJ.
Julia (daughter) graduated with a BA from William Smith College, Geneva, NY (in Biology). Nene and I attended.
Nene and I were married on June 14th on our roof garden at 130 W. 26th Street. Present were friends and relatives including Chris, Thomas and Julia. Laura Hanson was Nene's bridesmaid and Leonard Hunter was my best man.
Nene and I took off for a two-month trip in Europe, one month driving in Italy and the second month driving in France.
Second National Arts Program exhibition at the Philadelphia Civic Center, Lecture at Augusta College (GA).
I received an award from CUNY for my teaching.
"Portraits of .... " opened at the Armstrong Gallery, New York City(December 6th).
1987
"Completing the Circle" series opened at Virginia Tech University, Roanoke, VA. Delivered a lecture.
Notified by the Dean of the University of Michigan that I had been selected as one of the first distinguished M. L. King-Rosa Parks visiting professors.
"Portraits of .... "series opened at the Craftery Gallery, Hartford, CT.
Served on a jury for the Gottlieb Foundation (first stage). Second stage to take place Feb. 25,1986.
Solo exhibition at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Second Phase - Jurying Gottlieb Foundation (New York City) along with his widow, Jack Baur, (former Director/Whitney Museum of Art) and two other artists.
Did my "Martin Luther King-Rosa Parks Fellowship" at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor"- lectures, work- shops and consulting.
Nene and I drove a U-Haul truck full of her sculpture to the Ersatz Gallery (Colony Park Hotel), Atlanta, GA, for her solo exhibition (March 28th).
Nene's solo exhibition opened (March 30th).
Solo Exhibition "The Southland Series" opened at the Gallery 291, Atlanta.
Solo exhibition opened at the Isobel Neal Gallery, Chicago, IL.
Elected to the Board of Directors of the MacDowell Colony.
Received a call from Raymond Andrews that he'd just learned that Warren C. Cochrane (Head of the Butler Street YMCA in Atlanta) had died in April of a heart attack. He'd been both a friend and mentor (May 14th).
Juried the art competition among state and private schools for the Alabama Council on the Arts, in Montgomery, AL.
Nene and I celebrated our first year's anniversary (June 14th).
Worked in Athens, GA, studio (June 24 - September 1).
Elected to the Board of Directors of "Artists Talk on Art."
Exhibition at the Georgia Museum (Athens) with George Andrews, John Hardy and myself titled "Off the Wall"
Lecture at the University of Ohio titled "Dual Professions: Artistic and Administrative." George Andrews, John Hardy and me. Lamar Dodd came to the reception and was very gracious.
Nene and I went to Bellagio, Italy, to spend 5 weeks at the Bellagio Foundation as Rockefeller Fellows. Worked on my "Portrait Series."(October 10 - November 11)
1988
Solo exhibition, opened at the art gallery at Adirondack Community College, Glen Falls, NY.
Opening reception for the group exhibition "Committed to Print" at the Museum of Modern Art. I had two prints in the exhibition. Solo exhibition opened at the Lazarus Gallery, Dayton, Ohio. Lecture at Central Michigan University, Saginaw, Michigan.
Severed my relations with the Armstrong Gallery, New York City.
Lecture at the High Museum, Atlanta, titled "The Americanization of Art: Regionalism to Nationalism." Lecture at the High Museum's Georgia Pacific Gallery titled, "So you want to be an Artist?" Reception at the High Museum's Georgia Pacific Gallery for solo exhibition "Portraits of ...."
Garfield O'Dell, a former student and art assistant of mine, died of a drug overdose. Participated in a memorial service for Romare Bearden at the Nassau Community College, New York.
The group exhibition "Artists' Mothers" opened at the National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C. I had "Portrait of Viola Andrews" in the show.
Lecture at Ft. Valley State College and workshops.
Participated on a panel at the Learning Alliance Institute (NY City) titled "Politics of Art." Also on the panel were: Allan Gussow (artist), Ronald Feldman (Art Gallery owner) and Gino Rodriquez (director of Artists' Space).
Participated on a panel titled "Artist Survival Workshop." Lecture (keynote speech) for Tampa Arts Council.
Participated in a 2-day conference titled "Black Esthetics for the Classroom" at the Baltimore Institute of Art.
Received a phone call from President Shirley Kenny of Queens College that she'd passed on her recommendations to the CUNY Board of Trustees that I be promoted to full Professor of Art.
Lecture titled "The Mother as the Member of the Family of Subjects" at the National Portrait Gallery/Washington, DC.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art purchased the oil and collage on canvas "American Gothic" for their permanent collection.
Worked with Nene at our Athens, GA studio (June 16 - August 24).
Moderated a panel at the Museum of Modern Art titled "African American Art and Institutions." On the panel with me were William T. Williams (artist), Ed Spriggs, Inga Sickel and Betty Blayton. This panel was part of celebrating the 20th year anniversary of the founding of the Studio Museum in Harlem.
Elected to the Board of Directors of the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center. (Georgia)
Nene and I left our Athens, GA, studio on August 24th for New York. Nene stopped off in Salisbury, NC, to install a show of her works at Waterworks Gallery. I proceeded on to New York.
Served as a juror for SECCA (NC) with Terry Allen, Susan Krane, Marge Goldwater and Louis Jimenez to select artists for AVA Awards.
My solo exhibition "Collages of Benny Andrews", guest curated by Donald Kuspit, opened at the Studio Museum in Harlem on September 18th.
Attended my first Board of Directors Meeting at the Sculpture Center in New York.
1989
Opening reception at the Louise McIntosh Gallery in Atlanta (solo exhibition). Solo exhibitions opened at the Danville Museum, Virginia, and the Gross-McCleaf Gallery, Philadelphia.
Lecture on my work at the Danville Museum, Virginia. Lecture at the Studio Museum for public school children. Jury for the Gottleib Foundation (NY City) with Sylvia Sleigh and April Kingsley.
Lecture at the Center for Creative Studies, Detroit, MI.
Given an award called "A Michigan Legislative Resolution" at the Detroit City Council Building. Also received the "Spirit of Detroit Award and Resolution"
Reception for my solo exhibition at the Sherry Washington Gallery, Detroit, MI.
Lecture at the Nassau County Museum, NY.
Solo exhibition of works on paper opened at Wendell St. Gallery, Cambridge, MA.
Served as juror at the Taft Museum, Cincinnati, OH with Juanita Moore and Barry Gaither to select a resident artist for the Duncanson Project.
Worked in Athens, GA, studio (June 15 - August 29).
Solo exhibition of works on paper opened at the Cumberland Gallery, Nashville, TN.
1990
Solo exhibition at Louise McIntosh Gallery, Atlanta, GA. Solo exhibition at Over Holland Museum, Amsterdam. Solo exhibition opened at the Triton Museum, San Jose, California, on January 29th. Gave a lecture on my work. Juried an exhibition.
The exhibition titled "The Andrews Family of Morgan County Georgia" opened on February 18th at the Madison- Morgan Cultural Center and the Uncle Remus Library, Madison, GA. Lecture with Raymond Andrews at Madison Morgan Cultural Center on February 18th.
Received a Presidential Research Award from Queens College.
The film organization "Contemporary Artists Series" continued to film me. This time in my New York studio.
Participated on a panel at NY University titled "Social Criticism and Politics in the Arts" moderated by Jack Salzam (Director of American Cultural Studies/Columbia University), and a producer from NBC's "60 Minutes"
Sat on a selection panel to select the visual art medallist for the MacDowell Colony. David Helinak (Chairman of the Board) chaired the panel.
My solo exhibition titled "People, Places and Predators" opened at the Sid Deutsch Gallery in New York City.
Elected to the MacDowell Board of Directors' Executive Committee.
Began work on "The America Series." (July 21st). Solo exhibition at the Sherry Washington Gallery, Detroit.
Received two proclamations, one from the Detroit County Commissioner, Bernard Kilpatrick and the other one from Congressman John Conyers. I gave a slide lecture to a gathering of Detroit Public Officials.
Solo exhibition at the Milton Ratner Gallery, Chicago, IL. and opened at Columbus College, Columbus, GA.
"Folk: The Art of Benny and George Andrews" opened at the Memphis Brooks Museum, Memphis, TN, on September 23rd. Lectures and workshops for 3 days.
Solo exhibition "America Series" opened at the Tate Center Gallery University of Georgia.
Solo exhibition at Columbus College and I gave lectures and workshops, critiques, etc. for 2 days. Honored as their "visiting" Artist of the Year.
Raymond's book, The Last Radio Baby published by Peachtree Publishers came out. I did the cover and the drawings. (October 18th)
Juried (solo) the "Western Artists Competition" for the Washington State Arts Council. Gave a slide lecture of my work at Washington State University.
Arrived in New York City after spending almost five months at the Athens, GA studio, mostly working on "The America Series."(November 2nd)
Received word the American Academy of Art, purchased the oil and collage on paper "Rows from here to Eternity" and will donate it to the Fine Art Museum of the South in Mobile, AL.
1991
Julia (daughter) serving with the Peace Corps in Morocco.
Louisa Chapman, Washington, is working on a biography of me.
Reception for my "America Series" exhibit at the Center of Contemporary Art, St. Louis, MO. Received a proclamation proclaiming January 17, 1991 "Benny Andrews Day."
Received an award from the Georgia Art Education Association designating me as" Georgia Artist of the Year" (March 6th)
The group exhibition titled "Art and Literature by the Andrews: Benny, George, Viola, Christopher, Thomas and Raymond" opened at the Frederick Douglas High School in Atlanta, GA.
Solo exhibition at Winthrop College of "The America Series." Also gave a lecture on the series. Lecture on "The America Series" at the University of Illinois at Normal, IL.
Attended a ceremony at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia to celebrate the poster designs for the 200th year anniversary of the signing of the Bill of Rights. I did the poster "Freedom of the Press." (April 18th)
Reception for exhibition of my drawings from Raymond's book, The Last Radio Baby, at the Wendell Street Gallery, Cambridge, MA. Raymond was present and signed books.
Opening reception for the exhibition "Folk: The Art of Benny and George Andrews" opened at the Marietta Art Museum (Georgia). (June 20th)
Notified of Milton Ratner's death; he was a major collector and supporter of mine. (July 16th)
Opening reception for "The America Series" at the Triton Museum, San Jose, CA.
Catalogue essay by William Zimmer (New York Times art critic). (July 17th)
The exhibition "Folk: The Art of Benny and George Andrews" opened at the Wichita Museum (Kansas). (August 29th.)
Solo Exhibition opens at the McIntosh Gallery. (September 6th.)
Solo exhibition "Folk: The Art of Benny and George Andrews" opened on September 22nd. This was the exhibition conceived when the Director of the Wichita Museum was the Director of the Memphis Brooks Museum in Memphis, Richard Gruber. Gave a lecture where I showed slides of my "America Series."
Julia (Andrews) is in Graduate School at Columbia University studying to become a midwife, Christopher (son) is a licensed architect and working with a firm in New York City. Thomas (son) and his wife, Irene, are living in Taos, NM, where he is working with his sculpture (in glass)
The oil and collage on canvas "Portrait Viola Andrews" was purchased by the Wichita Art Museum for their permanent collection.
Reception for my solo exhibition at the Gross-McCleaf Gallery in Philadelphia. Nene and I drove down to the Athens, GA studio and found the body of Raymond (Andrews) in the gazebo on November 26th. He shot himself the day before. For the next couple of days, we were totally involved with Ray's suicide.
1992
The exhibition "The America Series" opened at the Sid Deutsch Gallery in New York City.
Nene and I went to Palo Alto, Calif. to do a 2-week print fellowship project at the Smith-Anderson Gallery print workshop.
Opening reception for solo exhibition - Susan Conway Washington, DC.
Nene's solo exhibition opened at the Sandier/Hudson Gallery, Atlanta, GA.
Notified that I was one of five artists selected by the Georgia Council on the Arts by Gov. Zell Miller (GA) to be honored with a dinner and exhibition in the State's Capitol.
Reception for the exhibition, "Folk: The Art of Benny and George Andrews", at the Butler Museum of Art, Youngstown, Ohio. Lecture at Butler Museum of Art, Youngstown, Ohio. (February 23rd.)
Exhibition, "Folk: The Art of Benny and George Andrews", opened on March 14th at the Columbus Museum (GA). Also, lectures: museum and local high schools.
"The America Series" opened on April 30th at the Triton Museum in Santa Clara, CA, with a catalogue and essay by William Zimmer (New York Times art critic).
Lecture at DeAnza College, Santa Clara, CA. All these lectures are in conjunction with the exhibit of "The America Series" at the Triton Museum. I started work on a new series titled "Cruelty and Sorrow."(June 7th.)
Honored for contributions made to the arts at the Georgia Governor's Mansion (Atlanta) by the Georgia State Council on the Arts with a dinner, a stay overnight at the Governor's mansion and an exhibition in the mansion.
Nene and I gave a picnic for the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center at our Athens, GA studio.
Participated in a group exhibition at the G.W. Einstein Gallery in New York City to honor the very sick Peter Dean, artist and friend (has Lou Gehrig's disease).
Trip to Japan on November 3rd to participate (for a week) in a group exhibition titled "Dream Singers, Story Tellers, and African-American Presence", catalogued with essays by the exhibitor organizer, Alison Weld, Assistant Curator/New Jersey State Museum. The exhibition opens at the Fukui Museum, Tokyo. Visited Kyoto.
The exhibition "Folk: The Art of Benny and George Andrews" opened at the Jackson Museum of Fine Arts, Jackson, Miss. I gave a lecture on my work. (November 22nd.)
Nene and I signed closing papers for a home in Litchfield, CT. (November 24th.)
1993
Solo exhibition opens at the Sherry Washington Gallery, Detroit, Michigan. (February 4th.)
Solo exhibition "The America Series" opens at the New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, NJ. (February 4th.)
Lecture at the NY State Museum in conjunction with "The America Series" I attended a funeral for the artist and friend, Peter Dean in New York. (March 18th.)
Met with Leonard E. B. Andrews and Kathleen Jaminson (of the National Arts Program) to work on the NAP's art objectives.
Julia Andrews, daughter, received her nursing license (Columbia Univ.) and will start taking classes at Columbia for a midwife's degree.
Christopher (son) celebrates getting his architect's degree (much earlier)
Honored at the Studio Museum (NY City) as "The Artist of the Year." (May 17th.)
Attended the opening reception for the group exhibition "Dream Singers, Story Tellers: An African-American Presence" at the NJ State Museum, Trenton, NJ. (September 12th.)
Reception for my solo exhibition at the Museum of African-America, Tampa, FL. Received the L. Jones Award as "Artist of the year" Lecture.
1994
"The America Series" opened at the Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, Arkansas. I gave a lecture. (January 20th.)
Attended the "12th Annual Legends Exhibition" in Los Angeles, CA. Received an award for being a "legend"
A group exhibition of former members of the "Rhino Horn" opened at the Whitehall Gallery, NY City. Along with my paintings were works by Jay Milder, Nick Sperakis, Bill Barrell and Peter Dean.
Solo exhibition opened at the Louisa McIntosh Gallery, Atlanta, GA. Also, solo exhibition of George Andrews opened at McIntosh. He attended.
Started working on my "Revival Series."
Attended the solo exhibition titled "The Dot Man" with George Andrews at the Morris Museum in Augusta, GA.
This exhibition was organized and curated by Richard Gruber. There was also a hard cover catalogue. (September 7th.)
Received the "Van Der Zee Award" from the Brandywine Workshop, Philadelphia. "The America Series" (abbreviated) opened at the Wendell Street Gallery in Cambridge, MA.
"The Cruelty and Sorrow" exhibition opened at the Craftery Gallery, Hartford, CT. Lectured.
1995
Solo exhibition of my prints opened at the Brandywine's Firehouse Gallery in Philadelphia, PA.
Solo exhibition of my work opened at the Tubman Museum in Macon, GA. I gave a gallery talk.
Lecture on my work at the Wadsworth Atheneum. Also given a key to the city of Hartford, CT. A proclamation from Governor Rowlands, "Benny Andrews Day." Started working on the "Music Series." (March 5th.)
"The Revival Series" opened at the Bill Hodges Gallery, NY City, with a 48 page catalogue (April 13.)
Solo exhibition titled "People" opened at the Queens Museum (NY City). Curated by Jane Farver. Received an "Artist of the Year Award" from the museum.
The High Museum (Atlanta) purchased the oil and collage on canvas "The Revival" for its permanent collection.
"Revival Series" opens at the Sherry Washington Gallery, Detroit, MI.
Solo exhibition titled "35 Years"opened at the Afro-American Cultural Center at NC State at Raleigh. I gave a lecture at the University. I gave another one to the School of Design.
Solo exhibition "The Art of Benny Andrews" opened at the Bomant Gallery, San Francisco, CA.
1996
My father (George Andrews) died in an Athens, GA hospital after a series of heart attacks. Though I know he'd lived a full life, just short of 85 years, I'll miss him and all his plusses and minuses. (January 11th.)
Conducted a funeral service for my father. Deacon George Williams and Dr. Richard Gruber spoke; others joined in. He was buried beside his mother at the Plainview Baptist Church Cemetery. (January 14th)
The solo exhibition "Cruelty and Sorrow" opened at the Diggs Gallery (Winston-Salem State University). I gave 3 lectures while there. There was also a solo exhibition of my father's work (George Andrews). (February 9th.)
Joined the ACA Gallery (again, I had 4 solo exhibitions with them back in the 1970's).
Started working on the "Langston Hughes" series. (April 7th.)
Served on a jury for the New England Council on the Arts for painting.
Solo exhibition of "The Music Series" McIntosh Gallery, Atlanta, GA. Also, George Andrews and son, Thomas, had a two-man exhibition at the McIntosh Gallery. (June 13th.)
1997
Group exhibition "Community of Creativity: A Century of MacDowell Artists" opens, National Academy of Art, New York City. (January 16th)
Solo exhibition opened at the Masur Museum, Monroe, Louisiana. I gave a lecture about my "Revival Series."(January 18th.)
Simon and Shuster, Children's Book Section, came to my studio to look at works I'm doing for a book titled, Sky Sash So Blue. To be published in the spring of 1998. (January 28th.)
Solo exhibition titled "Works from the Music, Revival and Langston Hughes Series" opened at ACA galleries, New York City.
Solo exhibition titled "Selections from a Life" opened at the Bill Hodge Gallery in New York City. Catalogue with an essay by Jane Farver. (February 8th.)
The group exhibition "Queen's Artists: Highlights of the 20th Century" opened at the Queens Museum in New York City. (March 26th.)
Elected to membership in the National Academy of Design, New York City.
2006
Reception in honor of Benny Andrews, selebrating his Six Etchings and Afterword for Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O'Connor, May 24, 2006, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York City.
Lecture, Contemporary Art Center of Virginia, Virginia Beach, Virginia, January 19.
2007
Memorial held at The Great Hall of Cooper Union in New York, Saturday, January 13, 2007.
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