A. B. Jackson (painter) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids A. B. Jackson
Born	April 18, 1925
Died	March 23, 1981  (aged 55)

A. B. Jackson, whose full name was Alexander Brooks Jackson, was an American painter. He was born on April 18, 1925, and passed away on March 23, 1981, at the age of 55. He is known for his amazing artworks and for being a teacher.

Life and Career

Early Life and Education

A. B. Jackson was born in New Haven, Connecticut. His father was Black, and his mother was English, from Manchester, England.

He studied at Yale University in the mid-1950s. There, he earned two important art degrees: a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA). He learned from a famous artist named Josef Albers. Before he started teaching, Jackson worked for three years as a designer. He created advertisements for the Watson-Manning Advertising Agency in Stratford, Connecticut.

Teaching and Exhibitions

In 1955, Jackson taught for a short time at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The next year, in 1956, he moved to Norfolk, Virginia. He taught at Norfolk State for ten years.

In 1967, he joined Old Dominion University (ODU) as a full professor. He was the first Black faculty member at ODU.

While he was teaching, Jackson also showed his art in many places. In 1962, he was not allowed to enter the Virginia Beach Boardwalk Art show because of his race. However, in 1966, he entered the same show and won the "best-in-show" award! This was a big achievement.

In 1968, he gained a lot of attention. Several of his drawings were chosen to be part of a special traveling art exhibition by the Smithsonian Institution. This meant his art was shown in different cities across the country.

Artistic Style and Works

Jackson was inspired by famous artists like Rembrandt. He used many different materials in his art. These included watercolors, pastels, charcoal, and acrylic paints.

One of his most famous series of paintings is called "The Porch People." These paintings show ordinary people sitting on their porches. He painted them in Ghent, a neighborhood in Norfolk, Virginia, where he lived. In 1979, he published a book called As I See Ghent: A Visual Essay. This book featured his artwork and thoughts about the area.

Permanent Collections

A. B. Jackson's art is held in the permanent collections of many important museums and universities. This means his work is kept there forever for people to see. Some of these places include:

• Mint Museum of Art
• University of Virginia
• Yale University
• Harvard University
• Dartmouth College Museum
• Howard University
• North Carolina State University
• Old Dominion University
• Longwood College
• Louisiana Arts & Sciences Museum
• Muscarelle Museum of Art
• Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
• Chrysler Museum of Art
• Smithsonian Institution

Legacy

A special art show called Passerby: An A.B. Jackson Retrospective was held at ODU's Baron and Ellin Gordon Art Galleries. It ran from May 23 to August 2, 2015. A retrospective show looks back at an artist's work over their whole career.

Personal life

A. B. Jackson was the grandfather of professional American football quarterback Russell Wilson.