Dewey Crumpler facts for kids

Dewey Crumpler, born in 1949, is a talented American artist and teacher. He is known for his amazing paintings and murals. For many years, he taught art at the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI). His artwork has been shown in museums all over the world. You can find his art in famous places like the Oakland Museum of California. He has also won many important awards for his work.

Early Life and Education

Dewey Crumpler was born in 1949 in Magnolia, Arkansas. He grew up in Hunters Point, a neighborhood in San Francisco. This area has a rich history, especially for Black families. He went to Balboa High School, which was a special school for arts. He graduated in 1967.

As a young person, Dewey was involved in the Civil Rights Movement. This was a time when people worked hard for equal rights for all. He showed his art around the city. He even met Emory Douglas, an artist from the Black Panther Party. Dewey also studied art in Mexico City in 1974. There, he learned about mural painting from famous artists like Pablo O’Higgins and David Alfaro Siqueiros.

Dewey Crumpler earned several art degrees. He got his first degree (BFA) in 1972 from the San Francisco Art Institute. He then earned a master's degree (MA) in 1974 from San Francisco State University. Later, he received another master's degree (MFA) in 1989 from Mills College.

Art Career

Teaching Art

Dewey Crumpler became a professor at the San Francisco Art Institute. He taught both art history and how to create art. He started teaching there in 1989. One of his most famous students was Kehinde Wiley. Kehinde Wiley is well-known for painting Barack Obama's official presidential portrait.

Amazing Artwork

Dewey Crumpler's art is displayed in many important places. You can see his work in the permanent collections of the Oakland Museum of California. His art is also at the Triton Museum of Art and the California African American Museum.

The George Washington High School Mural

In 1936, an artist named Victor Arnautoff painted a large mural. It was at George Washington High School in San Francisco. This mural, called Life of Washington, showed scenes from American history. Some parts of it showed difficult topics like slavery and how Native Americans were treated.

Dewey Crumpler first saw this mural when he was a high school student. He was amazed by how big it was. But he didn't like how it showed African Americans and Native Americans. A few years later, when he was about 18, he was chosen to paint a new mural. This new mural would be a response to the Arnautoff work. Students had been upset by the older mural.

To get ready for his mural, Dewey traveled around the country. He researched different murals and talked to other artists. He even went to Mexico to get advice from artist Elizabeth Catlett. In Mexico, he also met Pablo O’Higgins and David Alfaro Siqueiros. After learning from O'Higgins, Dewey began to see Arnautoff's mural differently. He realized it might have been a way to criticize George Washington, not just celebrate him.

After getting many approvals, Dewey Crumpler painted his mural. It was called Multi-Ethnic Heritage. His mural showed Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and African Americans in strong, positive ways. It included important historical figures like Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. In 2019, when some people wanted to remove Arnautoff's murals, Dewey spoke out against it. He believed the murals should stay as a way to learn from history.

Exhibitions and Awards

Notable Exhibitions

Dewey Crumpler's art has been part of many important shows.

• 1987 – The Ethnic Idea, at the Berkeley Art Center in Berkeley, California.
• 2018 – Collapse: Recent Works by Dewey Crumpler, a solo show in Seattle, Washington.

Honors and Awards

Dewey Crumpler has received many honors and awards for his artistic talent.

• 1967 – Honorary Resolution Award from the Mayor's Office in San Francisco.
• 1967 – Honorary Citation from the California State Assembly.
• 1969 – Purchase Award from the Arts Commission in San Francisco.
• 1975 – Outstanding Achievement Award from the National Conference of Artists.
• 1992 – Eureka Fellowship Award from the Fleishhacker Foundation.
• 1995 – Fellowship Grant Award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
• 2005–2006 – Visual Artist Award from the Flintridge Foundation.