Baylor’s Allbritton Art Institute to Host Biennial Artist Conversation featuring Njideka Akunyili Crosby and Jason Kaufman

February 14, 2020

Media Contact: Terry Goodrich, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-710-3321

by Cerenity Austin, student news writer, Baylor University Media and Public Relations

WACO, Texas (Feb. 14, 2020) — Art critic Jason Kaufman and internationally recognized artist, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, will discuss the artist’s life, artwork and career at the 2020 Allbritton Art Institute Biennial Artist Conversation. The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19, in the McClinton Auditorium (Foster 240) in the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation, 1621 S. Third St.

Akunyili Crosby is a figurative painter who was born and raised in Nigeria and developed her transnational style using different materials, subjects and techniques. Kaufman will interview Akunyili Crosby and discuss her strategy of understanding representation, culture and history from multiple viewpoints.

“We are thrilled to bring Njideka to Baylor to share her work and experiences with the Baylor community,” said Adair McGregor, events, acquisition and assets manager at the Allbritton Art Institute. “We hope that the Artist Conversation will inspire students to further seek out artists like Njideka by visiting museums and engaging in their collections.”

As a child, Akunyili Crosby experienced rural life in Enugu, Nigeria, as well as the urban environment in Lagos, Nigeria. Akunyili Crosby draws on her experience with continental African culture as well as black diaspora culture to blend the communities together and unite them as one.

In 2017, Akunyili Crosby was selected as a Fellow of the MacArthur Foundation, an organization which awards a fellowship of $625,000 to talented individuals who are dedicated to their creative pursuits so they can continue to expand their platforms. Akunyili Crosby holds degrees from Swarthmore College and Yale University, and her art has been featured in many institutions and galleries from London to Los Angeles.

The AAI collaborates with Kaufman each year to select talented artists from across the country to discuss their works in the Biennial Artist Conversation.

Kaufman is an art historian, critic and journalist whose critiques have been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and The Los Angeles Times. Kaufman currently works as an authoritative writer and consultant specializing in museums and the international art world.

“These experiences give students a foundation for engaging art and further exploring the art world,” McGregor said. “At the Allbritton Art Institute, we hope to give the Baylor community the opportunity to interact and learn directly from world-renowned artists and expand their understanding of art and the art world.”

This event is free and open to the public and will be followed by a reception.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 18,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.