Polk State College Honors African American Artists James Denmark And Kent McAllister With Gallery Reception

As part of Polk State College’s month-long celebration of Black History Month, a reception honoring African-American artists James Denmark and Kent McAllister will be held Monday, February 7, from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. in the WFA Lobby of the Fine Arts building on the Winter Haven campus.

Born into a family of artists in Winter Haven in 1936, James Denmark graduated from FAMU, then earned an MFA at the Pratt Institute of Fine Arts in Brooklyn. His works are highly sought after by such prestigious museums as New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and Atlanta’s High Museum of Art. His works are parts of private and corporate collections in the US as well as in Mexico, South America, Europe, Japan, and Africa. Denmark’s works can be found in many different mediums including watercolor, sculpture, woodcuts, metal works, ceramics, fabrics, and glass. Experimentation and innovation are the hallmarks of his style, and his subjects range from the urban to the rural.

Lakeland artist Kent McAllister received the Ledger’s purchase award in 2008 for one of his paintings in a Platform Art exhibit. He has traveled throughout the Southeast displaying his artwork in such notable venues as the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Education and Enlightenment Group exhibit. McAllister teaches a variety of concepts from design to murals, and he is especially interested in working with the community and helping with community-based art programs and projects. McAllister, a graduate of Alabama State University’s Graphic Arts program, loves working with youth of all ages, especially inner-city.

For further details about this or any other Black History Month activities, please contact Lucille Hadley at 863-393-6081 or Val Baker at 863-297-1095.