Trailblazer Andrea Barnwell Brownlee wins David Driskell Award

Andrea Barnwell Brownlee accepting the
       High Museum of Art David Driskell Prize       

When Curator Andrea Barnwell Brownlee, Ph.D, began her tenure at the Spelman Museum of Fine Art she chartered a new course. Armed with a fresh vision and determination to make the museum a force within the Atlanta art scene, Brownlee is building her legacy one exhibition at a time. During her 12 years as the at Spelman Museum of Fine Art Brownlee’s work has caught the attention of art enthusiasts around the world. This year Brownlee is the first Atlanta resident to receive the High Museum of Art David Driskell Prize, an award reserved for those who make significant contributions to African-Americans in the arts. A trailblazer, Brownlee says she is humbled to win the $25,000 prize, but it’s her enterprising spirit and irreverent view on art the makes her stand out among the aficionados in the field. Before Brownlee became the Art Director of The Spelman Museum of Fine Art many people didn’t know Spelman housed a museum dedicated to the work of Black American women. As a result of Brownlee’s eye for great works, the museum is slowly becoming a place to take in artwork that otherwise goes unseen.

“I always say 16 years in the life of a museum isn’t that long. We’re unruly teenagers and it’s time we own that,” says the ambitious curator. “Museums shouldn’t be treated like libraries. Museums should be places where we argue and have discourse about what is on the walls and we need to harness that.”

 
Involving everyone in the conversation is a goal Brownlee says is attainable. She backed up her word when she and Spelman Curator Anne Collins Smith created Multiple Choice: Perspectives on the Spelman College Collections, a community curated exhibition. Brownlee and Smith invited 50 alumni, students, faculty and members of the community to view the collection and choose their favorite piece. Each piece is displayed with an explanation of why it was chosen and Brownlee says the exhibit is an example of the role Spelman Museum of Fine Art can play in the vast world of Black art.

“The point was to give people a chance to express what they thought. A lot of people don’t know they have an opinion about art until they are asked,” Brownlee says. “Art can be accessible to so many people from so many walks of life. We’re a professional shop, but we’re not cold. We want people to feel at home and welcome.”

The museum is slowly building its staff and accessibility is a large focus. Accessibility also includes visitors and artists and the intrepid art director is introducing artist who may be unknown to Atlantans. She’s interested in pieces with a second, third and fourth layer resulting in a collection and exhibits that have put Spelman Museum of Fine Art on the map.

“We love the fact that it appeals to people who aren’t Black Americans. We feel we’re expanding the scope of art in Atlanta” she says. “I always say keep ‘em guessing. The artwork is so diverse and vibrant and we continue to underscore how diverse it is.”

For Brownlee it’s about creating presentations that highlight the breadth and depth of the field. The intrepid director captured attention when she curated Iona Rozeal Brown’s, a honoree at NBAF Fine Art + Fashion, exhibit Black on Both Sides. Then in 2005 she delighted viewers with the Amalia Amak exhibit Boxes, Buttons, and Blues. The exhibition Cinema Remixed & Reloaded: Black Women artists and the Moving Image Since 1970 gained Brownlee and co-curator Valerie Cassel Oliver international recognition when it was featured in the 11^th annual Havana Biennial. When choosing artists to display she takes into account the museums mission - which is to include Black women in The Diaspora. She also thinks about other factors like the academic syllabus and how students can incorporate art into the learning process.

       Andrea Barnwell Brownlee, David Driskell, and Thelma Driskell         

“I really wanted to think about a contemporary movement and include projects that spoke to a contemporary audience,’ she explains. “I wanted to include art from the Diaspora that is not put in a traditional Black American Rubric. I think there are assumptions about the art like they are all the same or are already on display, but there are more artists to see.”

A fan of complex art, Brownlee’s for bold and intense work aligned her with some of the most coveted up and coming Black artists. Though her job requires her to view art objectively, she does have her favorites.

“I stand behind artists like Latoya Ruby Frazier, I’m curious about photographer Vanessa German - I can’t wait to follow her and find out about her next project and what she’s working on. I’m closely and quietly following Bethany Collins,” she continues. “When it comes to my taste I like challenging work that makes me differently and change my perspective.”

Winning the David Driskell Prize cemented her position in the Black art world, but Brownlee knows she has to keep pushing the envelope.

“Mixing it up is something I’m cognizant of. I’m very interested in bringing things to Atlanta that have never been seen before,” Brownlee says. “I want to expand the visual landscape.”

*This article was written in 2013. Andrea Barnwell Brownlee is currently the CEO of the Cummer Museum