Professor Jordana Saggese Appointed as Director of the David C. Driskell Center

Dean Shonekan tabs Professor Saggese to replace outgoing Director Curlee E. Holton

Dean Stephanie Shonekan has named Professor Jordana Moore Saggese as the next Director of the David C. Driskell Center for the Visual Arts and Culture of African Americans and the African Diaspora, effective July 1, 2023. Professor Saggese will succeed outgoing director Curlee Holton, who served well the Center over the last 10-plus years. An internationally renowned printmaker and painter, Curlee first served as a
consultant and interim director for the center beginning in 2012, before being named permanent director and senior artist-in-residence in the Department of Art in 2014.

Professor Saggese already had extensive ties to the Center, dating back to her time as a Ph.D. student at the University of Illinois Champagne-Urbana when she visited the Center for research and there met David Driskell, who became a mentor for her in her scholarship and praxis. Indeed, she credits Driskell's importance to her scholarship and the Center's existence to her decision to come to the University of Maryland as an Associate Professor in 2018. More recently, Professor Saggese taught a graduate seminar in the Department with the explicit goal for students of curating an exhibition for the Driskell Center. The resulting exhibition Ringgold | Saar: Meeting on the Matrix, is on display at the David C. Driskell Center gallery all spring semester and has received much favorable critical attention.

The future is bright for the David C. Driskell Center under the direction of Professor Saggese, who doubtless will continue the impressive growth begun by Curlee Holton, whom the Arts Community here at Maryland will miss.

Congratulations Professor Saggese!