In the fall of 2020, the Wildenstein Plattner Institute initiated an ongoing partnership with the Romare Bearden Foundation in preparation for the forthcoming Digital Catalogue RaisonnĂ© of the artist’s work. On October 27, the WPI hosted a virtual panel that considered the issues involved in maintaining an artist’s legacy, including the importance of archival preservation and the active documentation of the artist’s practice.
The discussion was moderated by Mary Schmidt Campbell, president of Spelman College and author of An American Odyssey: The Life and Work of Romare Bearden. Panelists included Connie Choi from the Studio Museum in Harlem, as well as esteemed artists Jordan Casteel and Grace Lynne Haynes.