Sharon Patton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sharon Patton
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| Born | 1944 (age 80–81) |
| Alma mater | Roosevelt University Northwestern University University of Illinois |
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| Institutions | Mankato State College Lake Forest College Virginia Commonwealth University University of Houston University of Maryland Monclair State College Studio Museum in Harlem University of Michigan Allen Memorial Art Museum Oberlin College National Museum of African Art |
Sharon F. Patton (born 1944) is an American historian who studies and teaches about African art. She has spent her career learning about and sharing the rich history of art from Africa.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Sharon Patton was born in 1944 in the southern part of Chicago. She began her college journey at Roosevelt University, where she earned her first degree in 1966.
Just three years later, in 1969, she received her master's degree from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. She then continued her studies at the University of Chicago. By 1980, she had earned her Ph.D. in the history of African art from Northwestern University. This showed her deep dedication to understanding art from Africa.
Sharon Patton's Career
Sharon Patton started her teaching career in 1968. She became an instructor in the art department at Mankato State College in Minnesota. There, she taught about African-American art.
Over the next few years, she taught at several other colleges. From 1971 to 1972, she was at Lake Forest College. Then, from 1972 to 1973, she taught at Virginia Commonwealth University. In 1976, she worked at the University of Houston.
Becoming a Professor and Director
From 1979 to 1985, Sharon Patton was a professor at the University of Maryland. Her work there led her to become the art director at Montclair State University in New Jersey by 1986.
In 1987, she took on a very important role. She became the curator-in-chief of the Studio Museum in Harlem in New York. A curator is someone who manages and organizes collections of art or artifacts in a museum.
In 1991, she moved to the University of Michigan. There, she worked as an associate professor. Later, in 1998, Patton was named the art director of the Allen Memorial Art Museum. This museum is part of Oberlin College.
Leading National Museums
In 2003, Sharon Patton moved to Washington, D.C. She became the director of the National Museum of African Art. This museum is a part of the Smithsonian Institution, which is a group of museums and research centers. She held this important position until 2008.
Throughout her career, Sharon Patton organized and presented 20 art exhibitions. Three of these special shows were held at the Studio Museum in Harlem. Her work has helped many people learn about and appreciate African art.
See also
In Spanish: Sharon Patton para niños
