Donovan DurhamAmerican
James Brown
May one see it?
Not receiving at present
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Minneapolis, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- 3 days ago
- In this state since
- Sep 25, 2026
- Source
- The museum's own collection data
About the work
Donovan Durham (1961–2016), a self-taught painter and draftsman, considered art making an essential mode of communication from an early age. Living successfully with disabilities, the artist spent most of his life in Pennsylvania before moving to Minnesota in the late 1990s. After settling in St. Paul, he joined Interact Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, an organization dedicated to supporting artists with disabilities. Thanks to a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board in 2005, he was invited to make a series of lithographs and color monotypes at Highpoint Center for Printmaking. A fan of the classic Motown sound, Durham created a series of highly expressive black-and-white portraits of some of his favorite R&B performers from the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s, including Anita Baker, Stevie Wonder, and the Temptations.
Read on
In the backgrounds of his works, Durham introduced objects and other visual references he found personally significant, including depictions of his own framed drawings. Commenting on his creative capabilities, Durham modestly observed, “I am a good storyteller, and I work hard.”
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Particulars
- Accession number
- 2020.85.39.2
In the catalog
Sources
- Minneapolis Institute of Art: the museum's own open data · fetched 3 days ago
- Image: Minneapolis Institute of Art — Copyright © Estate of Donovan Durham
