Hale Woodruff, Nancy Elizabeth Prophet, and the Academy

At Spelman College in the mid-1930s Hale Woodruff and Nancy Elizabeth Prophet established a premiere institution for art instruction for African Americans in the Southeast. While Woodruff is widely recognized for originating the Atlanta University Annual Exhibition of Painting, Sculpture and Prints by Negro Artists, his own artistic accomplishments have not been adequately examined. Although Prophet created an impressive body of work (most of which is currently lost or destroyed) and was regarded as one of the most talented American sculptors by American and European critics alike in the late 1920s and 1930s, her work has never before been the subject of an exhibition outside of her home state of Rhode Island. Hale Woodruff, Nancy Elizabeth Prophet and the Academy brings Woodruff's and Prophet's lives and work into a critical dialogue for the first time. This volume highlights recently conserved works in Spelman College's collection, features more than fifty paintings and works on paper by Woodruff and, for the first time, presents all extant sculptures by Prophet. Highlighting what these artists were able to accomplish in Atlanta, Hale Woodruff, Nancy Elizabeth Prophet and the Academy positions Woodruff and Prophet as institution builders who challenged and transformed the academy for African Americans.