This exhibition brings together the artistry and scholarship of the distinguished art historian and visual artist, Dr. Leslie King Hammond. The exhibition includes a selection of artworks spanning nearly six decades – from an early tempera portrait created by King when she was a young and aspiring artist to her later mixed media works and larger installations. The oldest child of Barbadian immigrants, King Hammond’s art draws upon her Caribbean ancestry, the African American experience, and different craft traditions to explore the anonymity of women’s labor and the intersection of African Diasporic spiritual beliefs. King Hammond’s research, writing, and curatorial work has centered on expanding the visibility of Black and women artists and cultivating a more inclusive history of art. A selection of King Hammond’s vast archive of exhibition essays and artist monographs is also on display in the library.

Dr. Leslie King Hammond was the Montserrat College of Art 2020 Commencement Speaker and gave the 2021 Academic Convocation address. King Hammond is an art historian, curator, artist and cultural art activist and community innovator. She is Professor Emerita, former Graduate Dean and founding Director of the Center of Race and Culture at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). King Hammond sits on the board of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture as well as the Baltimore Arts Realty Corporation (BARCO) – an initiative committed to developing and supporting arts and culture projects in the communities of Baltimore City. She has had an active career curating exhibitions and writing essays and publications on numerous artists and cultural movements including Jacob Lawrence, Hughie Lee-Smith, Betye Saar, Aminah Brenda Lynne Robinson, and Joyce J. Scott. King Hammond’s artistry has been exhibited at the Museum of Biblical Art, The Smithsonian, Galerie Myrtis, MICA and the James E. Lewis Museum.