Biography

Her college education began in 1941 at Dillard University in her native New Orleans, where she studied with her mentor, renowned artist Elizabeth Catlett. At Catlett’s suggestion, after two years at Dillard she transferred to Hampton Institute (University), where she was a student of Viktor Lowenfeld, a Jewish refugee from Austria, regarded as the father of Art Education, who taught his students not to feel they had to produce art to please anyone, but to produce it from the heart. This is an attitude Lewis would maintain and continue to impart to others. At Hampton, she earned her B.A. degree in Art History in 1945.
Dr. Lewis completed her graduate studies at Ohio State University, earning her M.A. degree in 1947. In 1951, she became the first African American woman to receive her doctorate in Fine Arts and Art History. In 1952 she became chair of the fine arts department at Florida A&M University. Her next stop was a teaching position five years later at the State University of New York (Plattsburgh), where she developed an interest in Chinese language and Chinese art history. This soon led to a Fullbright Fellowship to study Chinese language and art history in Taiwan.
On her return from Taiwan, Dr. Lewis was awarded a New York state grant to study Chinese language and art history at the Freer Gallery in Washington D.C. with famed author and art historian Sherman Lee. Following this she resumed her studies at New York University and later at the University of Southern California with a three year course in Chinese language and history on a National Defense and Education grant.
In order to publish Black Artists on Art Volumes 1 and 2 (1969-1971) with her esteemed colleague Ruth G. Waddy, Dr. Lewis founded the first African American-owned art publishing house, Contemporary Crafts. From 1969 to 1984, Dr. Lewis worked as professor of Art History at Scripps College in Claremont, California, becoming the college’s first tenured African American professor. Scripps provided space, support and assistance that was paramount in helping Dr. Lewis achieve two major career milestones; becoming the founder and director of the Museum of African American Art in Los Angeles in 1976 as well as founding and establishing the scholarly journal, International Review of African American Art that same year.
The journal, originally known as Black Art Quarterly went on to become one of the leading forums for educating scholars and others about the many contributions African Americans have made to visual arts. Through the museum and journal she founded, Dr. Lewis created exhibition opportunities for African American artists which have bolstered their credibility. Her own artwork has been exhibited in many important galleries and museums as well. Her deeply personal art embodies some experience from her own life.
In 1978 Dr. Lewis published the first edition of the textbook titled Art: African American, which would be expanded and revised through four editions and also retitled African American Art and Artists. These books document the history of African American art since the colonial era. Other important publications by Dr. Lewis include The Art of Elizabeth Catlett (1984), African American Art for Young People (1991) and Barthé: His Life in Art (2009). A biographical catalog for her exhibition at the Louis Stern Fine Arts Gallery titled “Samella Lewis and the African American Experience” was published in 2012 and serves as a great reference chronicling her personal art as well as many important works in her collection.
Dr. Lewis has received many awards and distinctions. In 1995, she received the UNICEF Award for Visual Arts. From 1996 to 1997, she worked as a distinguished scholar at the Getty Center for the History of Art and the Humanities in Los Angeles. In 2021, Lewis received a lifetime achievement award from the College Art Association. Scripps College has also named an academic scholarship in Lewis’ honor.