UPCOMING EXHIBITION
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Graduating Senior Art Exhibition | FALL 2025
Featuring Marseana Lyons and Shuan Wilson
November 6 - December 5, 2025
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The Florida A&M University Fine Arts Program presents our fall 2025 Graduating Senior
Art Exhibition and seniors Marseana Lyons and Shaun Wilson. This capstone exhibition is a final requirement for students graduating with a bachelor's
degree in art at FAMU. The capstone process provides seniors with an opportunity to
create an art series, exhibit, and present at an art talk at the opening reception
at the Foster-Tanner Fine Arts Gallery.
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CURRENT EXHIBITION
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The Figurative Narrative
September 11 - December 5, 2025
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Figurative art refers to a broad category of artwork that represents the observable
world, with a particular focus on the depiction of the human figure. It spans all
mediums, styles, and genres. The unique narrative that results from figurative art
is often both a reflection of the artist’s world and artists themselves.
The Figurative Narrative is a group exhibition at the Florida A&M University Foster-Tanner Fine Arts Gallery
featuring three veteran artists, Nan Liu, Eluster Richardson, and Jeff Whipple and
their unique work within the contemporary figurative movement and painting medium.
These artists have presented captivating bodies of work focusing on portraying the
world in imagery ranging from people in every day scenes to surrealistic portraiture.
We are excited to present these artists together for the fall 2025 semester. This
group exhibition offers a unique chance to view notable artists' varied approaches
and subjectivity to figurative painting.
(Visitor Advisory: Some nudity in exhibition.)
About the Artists
Nan Liu, PhD, is a professor of art teaching drawing and painting at Florida A&M University.
His paintings often portray his students and “provides fresh sensibilities fused with
both contemporary and classic influences from the East and West.” Click link for artist’s
website: Nan Liu's website
Eluster Richardson lives and has his studio in Tallahassee, Florida. Richardson works
in multiple mediums but prefers watercolor and said he prefers painting people are
a challenge. With roots in the Tallahassee, Richardson also has a fascination with
the culture and history of the North Florida region and is reflected in his paintings.
Click link for artist’s website:Eluster Richardson's website
Jeff Whipple resides in Jacksonville, and works in his 12,000 square foot warehouse
studio there. Whipple says of his work that it comprised images, colors, and patterns
to engage viewers in a contemplation of ideas, themes, and emotions.” Many of Whipple’s
compositions include a painterly background in his signature 3-line motif. Click
link for the artist’s website: Jeff Whipple's website
The Figurative Narrative will be on view at the Florida A&M University Foster-Tanner Fine Arts Gallery from
September 11 – December 5, 2025. The gallery hours are Monday through Friday, from
10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information
about this exhibition, contact (850) 412-5478.
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PAST EXHIBITIONS
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Sunsum
june 12 - august 6, 2025
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The Foster-Tanner Fine Arts Gallery in partnership with the Center for African and
African American Studies proudly presents Sunsum, an exhibition of new artwork by
multimedia artist Afia Nson Bonsu. The exhibition is on view June 12 – August 6 at the Foster-Tanner Fine Arts Gallery.
Sunsum features Bonsu’s unique 3D portraiture technique which is a combination of
acrylics and sculpted plaster on multi-dimensional constructed canvases. Bonsu’s artwork
is inspired by the journey of African identity throughout time and across the diaspora.
For her latest artistic journey, she draws inspiration from the current developments
in Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Haiti. Sunsum is an exploration of the understated yet
powerful levels of spirit in the history of African people. We are excited to share
Bonsu's colorful, textural, and multidimensional artworks exploring traditions and
spirit of the African diaspora.
Afia Nson Bonsu is based in Atlanta, GA. She is an educator, mentor, philanthropist,
nationally certified traditional practitioner, and visual artist.
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Graduating Senior Art Exhibition|SPRING 2025
featuring Selena session
april 2 - april 25, 2025
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The Florida A&M University Contemporary Art Practices and Game Art Program (formerly
the Fine Arts Program) presents our spring 2025 graduating senior Selena Session's
(Orlando, FL) capstone exhibition, "Sunday: A Token."
This capstone exhibition is a final requirement for students graduating with a bachelor's
degree in art at FAMU. This process provides seniors with an opportunity to create
an art series, exhibit, and present at art talk at the opening reception in the Foster-Tanner
Fine Arts Gallery.
Session describes “Sunday: A Token” as, "A series of acrylic paintings that each
embody one of my strongest childhood memories. That is, a recollection of routines
of a Sunday night in my household, hence why the series is titled, Sunday: A Token.It is meant to shine a light on my current appreciation/view of routine as an adult
as it differs from the previous outlook I held toward repetition and routine as a
child with an undiagnosed attention deficit.”
The opening reception is Wednesday, April 2, from 5 – 7 p.m. Session's art talk discussing
her series will begin at 5:30 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.
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Stan J. Johnson's Beautiful, I Am! and Naked Emotions Exposed
january 16 - april 25, 2025
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Photographer Stan J. Johnson presents two photo exhibitions at the Foster-Tanner Fine
Arts Gallery this spring 2025, Beautiful, I Am! and Naked Emotions Exposed.
Beautiful, I Am! is a photography project that celebrates the self-esteem and beauty of Black individuals.
Through striking portraits and personal stories, it challenges societal perceptions
and promotes self-acceptance, encouraging a positive dialogue about mental health
within the Black community. Check out the Beautiful, I Am! photography book, now on sale for pre-order here: Beautiful, I Am!
Naked Emotions Exposed encourages viewers to engage with and understand the complexities of Black mental
health through a lens of empathy and authenticity. Advisory: "Naked Emotions Exposed" features nudity.
There was a public reception held Thursday, Janaury 16th, from 5 - 7 PM for both exhibitions.
The exhibitions will be on view spring of 2025 at the Foster-Tanner Fine Arts Gallery. Gallery hours
are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free and open to the
public. For more information, contact the gallery at fostertannergallery@famu.edu
Metered parking is available on Wahnish Way between Gamble and Osceola streets.
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Reaching Towards the Sun: Works by Chris Clark
SEPTEMBER 12 - DECEMBER 6, 2024
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Reaching Towards the Sun was a solo exhibition of Chris Clark’s paintings and multi-media works September
12 - December 6, 2024. Clark is a self-taught visual artist, illustrator, and muralist
living and working in Jacksonville, Florida.
Clark’s series in "Reaching Towards the Sun," reflects his younger self— he states his of his series as, “an emotional dialogue
reassuring that it's okay to stand out.” These works are like letters to little me,
attesting to the importance of being different and celebrating one's uniqueness.
Clark states, “As an artist, my work is deeply rooted in personal experience and cultural
heritage. Growing up, I was the only kid in school with dreadlocks, a significant
part of my identity shaped by my early introduction to the Rastafarian lifestyle.”
He also states they are a symbol of his journey and individuality.
When it comes to Clark selecting subject-matter, he says, “My portraits often feature
composite characters born from mixing features of various individuals, along with
those of family and friends.” Clark also utilizes family photos and people he encounters
daily. It is his lived experiences and interactions that largely shape the faces and
stories in his current work.
Clark’s artwork has been shown in exhibitions around the U.S. and abroad, including
his recent solo exhibition, New Growth at Kent Gallery FSCJ in Jacksonville, FL and "Through Our Eyes: Journey to South Africa" at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. He
has received multiple art awards and grants for his work. Clark was chosen to participate
in the House of Sedulo Artist Residency in London, UK and the Chateau Orquevaux Artist
Residency in Champagne-Ardenne, France in 2022-2023. Most recently he completed his
first artist fellowship the DEAR (Digital Evolution Artist Retention) fellowship through
the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute in New York, New York.
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Graduating Senior Art Exhibition | SPRING 2024
featuring taryn mangram, felicia mcinnis, and haley wilson
APRIL 1 - APRIL 26, 2024
The Florida A&M University Contemporary Art Practices and Game Art Program (formerly
the Fine Arts Program) presented the 2024 Graduating Senior Art Exhibition, featuring Taryn Mangram (Jacksonville, FL), Felicia McInnis (Port St. Lucie, FL),
and Haley Wilson (Augusta, GA) in April 2024.
This capstone exhibition is a final requirement for students graduating with a bachelor's
degree in art at FAMU. This process provides seniors with an opportunity to create
an art series, exhibit, and present at art talk at the opening reception in the Foster-Tanner
Fine Arts Gallery.
About the 2024 Graduating Seniors
Taryn “Ryn” Mangram hails from Jacksonville, Florida and is currently stationed in
Tallahassee, Florida while attending FAMU to earn a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts.
He is an interdisciplinary artist specializing In digital and traditional art, favoring
digital concept design and traditional oil painting of landscapes and portraits. Mangram
enjoys and often makes art that shines a light on underrepresented individuals or
groups.
Felicia “Fel” Ashawnti McInnis was born in Belle Glade and raised in Port St. Lucie,
Florida. McInnis started creating art out of pure fascination with children’s books,
graphic novels, and cartoons. She would take paper straight out of the family’s printer
to draw her favorite characters. McInnis is a multimedia illustrator with a preference
for digital art.
Raised in Augusta, Georgia, Haley (Wilson) Dub is a mixed media artist who advocates
for community engagement and tells the stories of those she encounters through sculptures
and large-scale murals. She will receive a BS in Fine Arts from FAMU in May 2024.
During her studies, she has achieved several accolades, such as studying abroad on
a federal scholarship.
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Land, the Environment, and the African Diaspora (Upper Gallery)
january 29 - april 26, 2024
The Land, the Environment and the African Diaspora. This exhibition is a partnership with theThe Lola Hampton-Frank Pinder Center for Agroecology The Hampton-Pinder Center for Agroecology serves to provide an interdsciplinary space
and think tank for training, developing, and building a sustainable future for Black
regenerative farmers and land stewards.
Florida A&M University is a land grant university established in in 1887 and in 1891
received funding from the Morrill Act establishing it as an agricultural and mechanical
arts college.
This exhibition will examine the themes around the environment and agroecology, (which
includes our human production and consumption practices), and how these essential
elements of our world impact us culturally, historically, socially, and many other
ways. Participating students were invited to share their artwork focusing on their
relationship with the land, the environment, and the African Diaspora.
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The Faculty Art Exhibition (Main Galleries)
Florentine Sketchbook (Lower Gallery exhibit)
The Gallery Members' Exhibit (Lower Gallery exhibit)
september 11 - december 8, 2023
The Faculty Art Exhibition, featured a brilliant array of former and current FAMU art and architecture faculty’s
works of art. The Faculty Art Exhibition was on view from September 11 through December 8, 2023.
The Faculty Art Exhibition celebrated the achievements of the featured faculty and recognized the history of
the art program and its current and past faculty. Featured faculty were Kabuya Bowens-Saffo,
Valerie Goodwin, Nan Liu, Anthony Hayes, Nasab Maxim, and Harris Wiltsher.
We were also presenting two smaller exhibits in the lower galleries. The two smaller
exhibits are firsts for our gallery. The First Annual Members’ Exhibit features the artwork of Foster-Tanner Art Gallery members. As the title suggests,
the Members’ Exhibit will continue each year featuring our growing number of member
artists. The second exhibit is Florentine Sketchbook, a collection of studies and personal work created by FAMU art student Haley Wilson
(c/o 2024) during her study in Florence, Italy in 2022.
The gallery is open Monday through Friday, 10 AM – 5 PM, and is free and open to the
public.
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Graduating Senior Art Exhibition | SPRING 2023
Featuring Kala Way and Jude Jones
APRIL 3 - APRIL 28, 2023
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Nearly each semester, the FAMU Foster-Tanner Fine Arts Gallery presents the Graduting Senior Art Exhibition. This exhibition features the capstone art series of program graduates. This spring,
we are proud to present Visual Art seniors Kala Way (Jacksonville, Fla) and Jude Jones
(Washington, D.C.) April 3 - April 28, 2023 in the gallery. Way and Jones are exhibiting their respective series, Outside the Garden and REM Diaries in the Lower-Level Gallery.
Way said her paintings in Outside the Garden, "highlights the impact that Adam and Eve's sin have on gender roles." Jones' REM Diaries series examines the persona within her dreams and invites the viewer to reconsider
how they process their own subconscious thoughts and emotions.
The public is invited to attend the opening reception, Thursday, April 6, from 5 p.m.
- 7 p.m. Way and Jones will present an art talk about their paintings, starting at
5:30 p.m.
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Elevation from Within: Art at Historically Black Colleges and Universities: From the
Johnson Collection
january 23 - may 5, 2023
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Elevation from Within: Art at Historically Black Colleges and Universities presents a historically and culturally impressive selection of original works of art
by Black artists spanning the 20th and 21st centuries. Elevation from Within is curated
by Dr. Leo Twiggs. A native of St. Stephen, South Carolina and Claflin University
alumnus (1956). Elevation from Within pays homage to HBCU alumni and professors whose educational backgrounds chronicle
a vital chapter of American history and whose aesthetic achievements have made an
indelible mark on this nation’s art.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have served as stewards of visual
art by Black artists since the early 20th century. This curated collection features works drawn from the Johnson Collection’s
holdings of paintings, prints, drawings and sculpture. On view are works by 20th-
and 21st-century artists John Biggers, Beverly Buchanan, Elizabeth Catlett, Aaron
Douglas, James Herring, James Porter, Alma Thomas, Leo Twiggs, Charles White, Ellis
Wilson, Benny Andrews, and Hale Woodruff.
This exhibition speaks both to and of the curator's own experiences. Twiggs stated,
“For African Americans living in a segregated society, the sources for our creative
expression came from within. Our hardships are expressed in our blues, our many moods
in our jazz, and our relationship to God in our spirituals. Painting, sculpture, and
dance became a way to express all of it visually.” “My paintings always express my
personal journey. It is only through the humanity of the personal that expression
is elevated to the universal.”
The Foster-Tanner Fine Arts Gallery hours are Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Admission
is free and open to the public.
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With Roots Deep, Foliage Thrives: A Vision of Chinese Artists in American Academia
november 8 - december 2, 2022
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This exhibition presents a survey on the artworks created by a group Chinese artists
teaching in American universities. The project Across the Divide is a platform where this group of artists and scholars meet with their counterparts
in American universities creativein sharing their research and academic experiences. Through organized exhibitions,
symposiums, and international exchange activities, this group of artists has created
an Association of Chinese Artists in American Academia, and call for participation
from its members across the country in sharing their artistic experiences in both
academic teaching and personal creativities. Reflecting their heritages rooted in
the richness of thousands of years of Chinese history and artistic traditions, these
artists strive to bring the East and the West closer not only through their teaching
engagements, but also in exhibitions as a form of representation in open dialogues
with general publics.
Featured Artists: Xun Chi I Xia Gao I Yu Ji l Lin Xia Jiang l JunCheng Liu l Nan Liu l Qing Liu l Aihua Z. Pearce l Joe Ren l Xuhong Shang l Liqin Tan l Howard Tran l Peter Tong Xiao l Rebecca Ruige Xu l Shencheng Xu l Renqian Yang l Li Zhang l Naijun Zhang l Weimin Zhang l Xiaohong Zhang l Kio Zhu l Yingxue Zuo
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IN WHAT WE SEE: A Printmaker's Response
SEPTEMBER 13 - OCTOBER 29, 2022
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We are excited to announce our first exhibition of the fall 2022 semester. IN WHAT WE SEE: A Printmaker's Response features 12 contemporary Black printmakers and some of their most recent work. Curated
by FAMU Professor of Art and printmaker, Harris Wiltsher, this exhibition seeks to
show the dynamism of print media through the eyes of African and African American
printmakers.
Curator’s Statement: Printmaking, an ever-evolving media, has a long tradition of printmakers of color
like Bob Blackburn, John Muafangejo, Elizabeth Catlett, Leon Hicks, Howard Smith,
Dox Thrash and others. In this quest, this exhibition seeks to uncover the artist’s
perspective of the world around them through technique and context. These artists
are unique in their approach of printmaking, lending to opening the “eyes” and soul
of the viewer. Eyes are said to be the “windows of the soul” thereby these same eyes
of an art maker capture the essence of what surrounds them daily.
Featured Artists: Chloe Alexander, Jamaal Barber, Ricky Dyaloyi, Kenneth Falana, Justyne Fischer, Latoya
Hobbs, Robin Holder, Tenjin Ikeda, Soloman Isekeije, Tracy Murrell, Carl Richardson,
and Harris Wiltsher
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Unlimited, Unbound: Selections from FAMU Affiliated Artists
june 1 - july 1, 2022
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The Foster-Tanner Fine Arts Gallery proudly presents artworks created by FAMU affiliated
artists in Unlimited, Unbound (i.e., faculty, alumni, and current students) in our June exhibition. It is an integral
aspect of the Foster-Tanner Fine Arts Gallery to feature FAMU-affiliated artists who
have contributed much to the goals and mission of the visual art program over the
years and inspired generations of artists.
Unlimited, Unbound exemplifies the extensive art styles coming out of the FAMU visual art program and
the seven featured affiliated artists. Featuring paintings, mixed media, printmaking,
and Chinese brush drawings, the exhibition also showcases everyday figurative subject
matter and abstract works of cultural and historical relevance.
The FAMU Foster-Tanner Fine Arts Gallery serves as a teaching gallery whereby our
primary goal is to provide an environment for students of all disciplines and visitors
of all backgrounds to encounter various visual art mediums, styles, themes, and topics
welcoming them to explore the full range of what the visual arts provide: critical
thinking, cultural concepts and criticisms, aesthetics and so much more. We cordially
invite you to visit and view the artworks from the minds and hearts of our FAMU artists
for the month of June.
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