Koopman Chair Exhibition Opens Feb. 24 and Features Artists Floyd Cooper and John Jude Palencar
The Georgette and Richard Koopman Distinguished Chair in the Visual Arts Exhibition presents works by Floyd Cooper and John Jude Palencar.
The Hartford Art School is pleased to exhibit illustrations by John Jude Palencar and in memoriam Floyd Cooper in the Joseloff Gallery as part of the Georgette and Richard Koopman Distinguished Chairs in the Visual Arts Exhibition.
Floyd Cooper illustrated more than 100 children’s stories chronicling African American history and depicting life of Black Americans, including many events that were rarely, if ever, taught in classrooms. Cooper, who grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, illustrated 2021's “Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre,” a Caldecott Honor book, recounting the story of the destruction of Tulsa's Black neighborhood of Greenwood in 1921. The book posthumously earned a prestigious Caldecott Honor for Cooper, who passed away in July of last year.
John Jude Palencar's work has appeared on hundreds of book covers for nearly every major publisher in the U.S., and in more than 30 countries around the world. Palencar has won the most distinguished awards in painting and illustration competitions, including the Hamilton King Award (Lifetime Achievement Award), National Society of Painters in Acrylic and Casein honors, and numerous Gold and Silver Awards from the Society of Illustrators. He has previously taught and worked at multiple schools of art, and has been the guest of honor at numerous conventions and had his work shown in a long list of national exhibitions.
Exhibition Details
- Date: Feb. 24 through March 26
- Koopman Lecture with John Jude Palencar: Friday, Feb. 25 from 2:30–3:30 p.m.
- Location: Joseloff Gallery
About the Koopman Distinguished Chair
The Koopman Distinguished Chair honors some of the world's most vibrant, contemporary artists—who each spend a semester sharing their expertise with our community.
The Georgette and Richard Koopman Distinguished Chair in the Visual Arts is an annual artist-in-residency program that brings prominent artist/teachers to the Hartford Art School. The Koopman Distinguished Chair and related events are supported in part by an endowed fund held at HAS Endowment, Inc.