Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott Honored by the Romare Bearden Foundation

New York – On September 24, the Romare Bearden Foundation honored Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott for their contributions and commitment to the literary and artistic canon.

Gates is the author of several books including Colored People: A Memoir (Vintage, 1995), Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Man (Vintage, 1998) and most recently Finding Oprah’s Roots, Finding Your Own (Crown, 2007). Gates is also the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University.

A prolific poet and playwright, Derek Walcott is the winner of the 1992 Nobel Prize for Literature. Born in Castries, St. Lucia, Walcott often uses language, metaphor, allegory, and his upbringing in the Caribbean to create an imaginative new literary aesthetic. His many works include In a Green Night (1962), Omeros (1990), The Odyssey: A Stage Version (1993), and his latest collection Selected Poems, edited with Edward Baugh (2007).

Best-known for his inventive use of collage to depict the poignancy of African American life, Romare Bearden, (1911-1988), has become one of the most respected artists of the 20^th century. In 1987, Bearden received the National Medal of Arts from President Ronald Reagan and his work has been exhibited at many major art institutions including The Whitney Museum of American Art, The National Gallery of Art, The Museum of Metropolitan Art, and The Studio Museum in Harlem.

Both Gates and Walcott received prints of Bearden’s 1978 piece entitled “Early Carolina Morning” during the star-studded event. Gates was presented with his print by Glenn H. Hutchins, A.B. ’77, M.B.A. ’83, J.D. ’84 while poet Stephanos Papadopoulos introduced and feted Walcott.

Proceeds from the celebration to honor Gates and Walcott have been earmarked for youth arts education and the artistic and the professional development of aspiring African American artists. Since its establishment in 1990, the Romare Bearden Foundation has preserved the legacy of Romare Bearden through its support of exhibitions, scholarly publications, and educational programs. To learn more about the Romare Bearden Foundation, please visit www.beardenfoundation.org.