J. Eugene Grigsby

Grigsby was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1918. His parents were both teachers and relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina, after moving around throughout much of his childhood. At age 12, he knocked on a neighbor's door to sell newspapers and saw works of art lining the walls of the house. After inquiring about the artwork, the neighbor, a stonemason and painter, began to teach Grigsby to draw. As Grigsby fell in love with painting, his mother was accepting of it immediately, but his father did not believe he could make a living as a painter and was skeptical. He attended Johnson C. Smith University for one year and transferred to Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia to finish his Bachelor of Fine Arts. There, he studied under Hale Woodruff, a famed social activist and artist. He completed his master's from Ohio State University two years later. In 1963 he received a doctorate from New York University in Arts Education. Additionally, he studied at the American Artists School in New York and Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Marseilles, France. == Career ==

Grigsby volunteered for World War II in 1942 and served in the Army. Upon returning after the war, he eventually settled in Phoenix, Arizona, where he spent much of his professional career. Starting in 1946 Grigsby served as the Founder and Chair of the Art Department at Carver High School for eight years, followed by serving as the Chair of Phoenix Union High School, once Carver High School closed due to desegregation. Grigsby, who joined Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity while a student at Morehouse, was one of the seven founders of the alumni chapter of the fraternity in Phoenix, in 1949. In 1966, Grigsby became a professor in the School of Art at Arizona State University. According to Dr. Laura Chapman, an art education consultant, his book "remains today, a landmark in literature of art education." She goes on to say "it was also the first to address issues and stakes for all students in respecting the heritage and diversity in American society." Art and Ethnics was reprinted by the National Art Education Association in 2000. As an educator Grigsby was known for encouraging students to use their cultural heritage to understand their own identities and to inform their art practice. Aside from teaching, Grigsby was an active community leader. He attributes his involvement to his experiences working for three months teaching art at the American Pavilion at the World's Fair in Brussels in 1958. Following his time there, he began to start art programs in unlikely places, such as daycare centers and housing projects. He also worked to provide opportunities for young minority artists to exhibit their work. Additionally he started the "Arts in Job Development" program through the Opportunities Industrialization Center Grigsby was a prolific artist who continued to create art even at the age of 93. According to Grigsby "a visual artist expresses himself/herself about human conditions, within a framework of design". Family is cited as one of his many inspirations, however other themes of social injustice and humanity are often present in his work as well. == Selected exhibitions ==

• 1940: Tanner Art Galleries, Chicago Illinois, "Exhibition of the Art of the American Negro" • 1968: Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte, NC "Encounters" • 2001: Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, AZ " Eye of Shamba; A 65 year retrospective" • 2014: Harvey B. Gantt Center, Charlotte, NC "The Identity of a Master: Dr. J. Eugene Grigsby, Jr" • 2015: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC "Selected Works of J. Eugene Grigsby, Jr.: Returning to Where the Artistic Seed Was Planted" == Selected awards ==

• 1958: One of 6 artists selected by Museum of Modern Art to represent United States at World's Fair in Brussels == References ==