On View
Not on viewObject number2002.5
For My People
Artist
Elizabeth Catlett
(American, 1919-2012)
Writer / Poet
Margaret Walker
(American, 1915-1998)
Date1992
Mediumlinen bound book, color lithographs, hand-set type and letterpress
Dimensionsimage: 15 3/4 × 13 5/8 in. (40 × 34.6 cm)
Credit LineGift of Ronda Stryker, William Johnston, Michael, Megan, and Annie Johnston
Exhibition History"New Accessions to the Permanent Collection," KIA Long Gallery (Dec. 7, 2002 - Feb. 23, 2003).
"It Speaks to Me," KIA School Commons (Feb. 3 - May 1, 2005).
"Embracing Diverse Voices: African-American Art in the Collection of the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts," KIA Galleries 3&4(Oct. 3 - Nov. 29, 2009).
"Embracing Diverse Voices: 90 Years of African-American Art," KIA Traveling Exhibition, Tyler Museum of Art, Tyler, TX (January 17 - March 20, 2016).
"Embracing Diverse Voices: A Century of African-American Art," KIA Traveling Exhibition, North Carolina Central University Art Museum (October 7 - December 12, 2016).
"Resilience: African American Artists as Agents of Change," at the KIA (September 14, 2019 - February 16, 2020)
"Africa, Imagined: Reflections on Modern and Contemporary Art," KIA Gallerys 3 & 4 (January 22 - May 1, 2022)Label TextKnown primarily for sculpture and prints, Elizabeth Catlett uses art to communicate the African-American struggle. Although a student of both classical and modern European art, she is also heavily influenced by Mexican muralists and printmakers and has worked to combine those styles to create art that reflects her own experiences. She has shied away from abstraction in favor of simple, naturalistic forms created through line and exhibiting a sense of energy and dignity.
For My People: A Limited Edition Club release
Started in 1929, the Limited Editions Club's publications are filled with original artwork by important contemporary artists, unique typefaces on hand-made paper and stunning handcrafted bindings. For an annual fee, members receive 3-4 limited edition books, usually signed, with the illustrations suitable for framing.
Pairing artist Elizabeth Catlett and writer Margaret Walker was especially appropriate as Catlett and Walker are friends and were college roommates at the State University of Iowa. Only 400 copies of this edition were produced. All were signed by the artists and bound in imported red Japanese linen.
