A Successful Trip to Knoxville

My recent visit to Beauford's hometown of Knoxville was quite fruitful!

I spent over five full days perusing the correspondence, photographs, sketchbooks, notebooks, and other documents in the Beauford Delaney Papers held by UT Libraries at the University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK).

Entrance to Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections & University Archives
John Hodges Library
© Wells International Foundation

Beauford Delaney Archives
© Wells International Foundation

I delivered two presentations - one for the GeoSym conference hosted by UTK's Department of Geography and Sustainability and the other for a group of collectors of Beauford's work.

Presenting "Beauford Delaney: Art, Expatriation, and Travel"
© Wells International Foundation

The first event was held on campus and the second at the university's Denbo Center for Humanities & the Arts.

Lobby of Denbo Center for Humanities & The Arts
© Wells International Foundation

Denbo Center Director Amy Elias and crowd
© Wells International Foundation

I saw the Beauford Delaney works held by the Ewing Gallery at UTK.

Ewing Gallery entrance
© Wells International Foundation

Mike Berry and Monique Y. Wells with Beauford Delaney portraits
© Wells International Foundation

I viewed the Beauford Delaney collection at the Knoxville Museum of Art.

 Higher Ground exhibition information panel
at the Knoxville Museum of Art

© Wells International Foundation

Beauford Delaney works in Higher Ground exhibition
© Wells International Foundation

Beauford Delaney at the Knoxville Museum of Art
© Wells International Foundation

I spent invaluable time viewing the works still held by the Beauford Delaney estate.

Portrait of Coretta Scott King
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image by Wells International Foundation

 

Beauford Delaney works on paper held by the estate
© Wells International Foundation

And I was interviewed for a documentary about Beauford that is being organized by the Beauford Delaney estate.

Monique on set for the Beauford Delaney estate's video documentary
© Wells International Foundation

With heartfelt thanks, I want to acknowledge everyone in Knoxville who contributed to the organization of this visit:

Derek Spratley, Court Appointed Admnistrator of Beauford's estate
Amy Elias, Chancellor's Professor and Director, Denbo Center for Humanities & the Arts
Mike Berry, Official framer of the Beauford Delaney estate
Katrina Stack, Graduate Research Assistant for the Beauford Delaney Papers
Kris Bronstad, Modern Political Archivist and Associate Professor at the University of Tennessee Libraries
Stephen Wicks, Barbara W. and Bernard E. Bernstein Curator at the Knoxville Museum of Art