Valerie Maynard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Valerie Maynard
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Maynard at her exhibition "Lost and Found" at the Baltimore Museum of Art, 2020
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Valerie Jean Maynard
August 22, 1937 New York City, U.S.
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| Died | September 19, 2022 (aged 85) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Education | The New School, Goddard College |
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Notable work
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Polyrhythmics of Consciousness and Light, 2003 |
| Movement | The Black Arts Movement |
Valerie Jean Maynard (August 22, 1937 – September 19, 2022) was an American artist. She created sculptures, prints, and designs. Maynard's artwork often explored ideas about fairness for everyone. She also focused on the Civil Rights Movement, which fought for equal rights.
Her art was shown in the United States, Sweden, and Nigeria. She also worked as an artist-in-residence in different places. These included Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and New York City. Maynard received a grant for her printmaking work. She lived in Baltimore, Maryland.
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Early Life and Learning
Valerie Maynard was born in Manhattan, New York, on August 22, 1937. Her parents were William and Willie Fred Maynard. She grew up on West 142nd Street.
She studied painting and drawing at the Museum of Modern Art. She also learned printmaking at the New School for Social Research. In 1977, she earned a master's degree in Art/Sculpture from Goddard College in Vermont. In 2021, she received a special honorary degree. It was a Doctorate of Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA).
Valerie Maynard's Art Career
Maynard shared her knowledge by teaching art. She taught at the Studio Museum in Harlem. She also taught at Howard University and the University of the Virgin Islands. Later, she taught at the Baltimore School for the Arts.
She was also an artist-in-residence at two technology schools. These were the Rochester Institute of Technology and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Maynard also worked to protect and restore traditional art. This art was made by people of color. She was an important part of the Black Arts Movement. This movement celebrated Black culture through art.
She was an artist-in-residence at The Studio Museum in Harlem. There, she was part of a group art show. The show was called Labor, Love, Live Collection in Context. It ran from November 2007 to March 2008.
Art and Social Justice
Maynard's focus on fairness for everyone grew stronger in the 1960s and 1970s. This was a time when her brother, William Maynard, faced a difficult situation. He was wrongly accused and spent time in prison. He was later proven innocent.
These events inspired her sculpture We are Tied to the Very Beginning. In this artwork, Maynard thought about the Civil Rights Movement. This movement fought for equal rights for all people.
The sculpture shows features of African identity. The head of the figure looks like art from the Igbo or Yoruba people. The figure also has a clenched fist. This symbol was important for African Americans seeking freedom. It connects African-American history to its roots in Africa. It also reminds people of the Civil Rights struggle.
By using these symbols, Maynard's art talked about the challenges. It showed the struggle of people of African descent. They worked hard to get and keep equal rights.
International Art and Public Works
In January 1977, Maynard traveled to Lagos, Nigeria. She was part of a large group of African-American artists. They represented North America at a big festival. It was called FESTAC 77, the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture.
In 2003, Maynard created a special art project. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority asked her to make it. She designed glass mosaic murals. They are called Polyrhythmics of Consciousness and Light. These artworks are still in the subway station at 125th Street in New York City.
A researcher named Karen Berisford Getty studied Maynard's art. In 2005, she wrote about how Maynard used African elements in her work. This was for her thesis at Virginia Commonwealth University.
In November 2015, Maynard spoke at a conference. It was called Art of Justice. The event was held at New York University. It focused on how art can support social movements.
Valerie Maynard passed away on September 19, 2022. She was 85 years old. She died in a hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.
Art Shows
Valerie Maynard had many solo art shows. Here are some of them:
- 1971 American International College, Springfield, Massachusetts
- 1973 Howard University, Washington, D.C.
- 1974 University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
- 1975 Riksutställningar, Stockholm, Sweden (this show traveled to different places)
- 1983 Reichhold Center for the Arts, University of the Virgin Islands, Saint Thomas
- 1988 New Visions Gallery, Millersville University of Pennsylvania, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
- 1988 Caribbean Cultural Center, New York
- 1989 Hammonds House Museum, Atlanta, Georgia
- 1990 Roadworks, Dorsey Gallery, Brooklyn, New York
- 1991 Towne Art Gallery, Wheelock College, Boston, Massachusetts
- 1992 Compton Gallery, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- 1994 Roots Through the Heart, Hartnett Gallery, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
- 2017 Devotion, New Door Creative, Baltimore, Maryland
- 2020 Lost and Found, Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, Maryland
Art Collections
Valerie Maynard's artwork is kept in many permanent collections. This means her art is always on display or stored in these places:
- Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore
- Brooklyn Museum, New York
- Memorial Art Gallery, University of Rochester, New York
- National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center, Wilberforce, Ohio
- National Museum of Mozambique
- National Museum of Nigeria, Lagos
- Riksutställningar, Stockholm, Sweden
- Studio Museum in Harlem, New York
