A Beautiful Career

One of the best aspects of my job as a corporate harasser (picture framing sales rep), is that I actually get paid to visit some truly amazing galleries and artists. Topping that list would have to be any time I get to visit Lou Stovall's Workshop,Inc in Northwest DC.

It was actually about the second or third time I visited Workshop, that it finally hit me "good gravy, this is THAT Lou Stovall", the guy we studied back in college Art history and MICA's Printmaking courses. Lou Stovall who designed 60's concert posters for The Who and Stephen Stills, and landmark DC music venues the Warner Theatre and Merriweather Post. Lou Stovall who has created prints for every type of artist, from famed African American painter Jacob Lawrence to the folksy Amish scenes of P. Buckley Moss. Lou Stovall who has headed, or is on the board, of just about every Arts committee, organization, volunteer artists group, that Washington DC has ever had. Lou Stovall who penned "On the Greening of the Artist", a commencement poem which I often see photo copies of push pinned on walls in artist's studios.

"Good gravy!"

The reason it didn't dawn on me sooner, is that this legend in the Art world is only larger than life on paper. In reality, his personality is more reminiscent of a favorite college professor, than a Andy Warhol or a Robert Williams (although he probably knew both). Always accommodating, and always focused, he'll be the first to give you a tour of the shop -- and the first to politely point you to the door if you linger to long. Just as quick to share a thought or idea with you, as he is to jump back to whatever he was doing before you arrived. He is an artist in the truest WWMM defintion "as someone who not only can, but needs to, create -- one lives and breathes their craft".

So anyway, you could say I am a fan, of both the art and the man.

He has a new show at Georgetown's Prada Gallery, through the end of Febuary, as well as an upcoming show at Dallas' African American Art Musuem starting in May.

wwmm