Sam Gilliam photo: Angela Seckinger Education COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS HUMAN SPIRITUALS: THE POWER OF ABSTRACTION, A DIALOGUE BETWEEN SAM GILLIAM AND RICHARD HUNT SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1999, 1 PM FREE AUDITORIUM MODERATED BY CLARENCE MORGAN Abstraction has been a defining force in 20th-century art, bringing international attention to American artists in the 1950s. Sam Gilliam and Richard Hunt emerged as Abstract artists at a time when many of their colleagues addressed the black experience though figurative representation. Through a lively dialogue and a presentation of their work, these two prominent artists discuss the power of abstraction to reveal the human spirit. Following the dialogue, works by Gilliam will be on view in the Walker's McKnight Print Study Room. Richard Hunt At the age of 20, Hunt found himself in the New York spotlight: his sculpture Arachne was purchased by The Museum of Modern Art in 1955, and two years later his work was added to the collection of the Whitney Museum of American Art. After the completion of more than 100 public commissions, Hunt is now one of the most successful public artists in the country. Gilliam rose to prominence in the late 1960s with "drape paintings"--large-scale, unstretched canvases suspended from the walls or ceiling, on which the artist soaked, stained, and splattered luminous layers of bright color. Today, he remains deeply engaged in creating works that convey the vitality of painterly spontaneity and formalist rigor. His work is in the collection of numerous museums around the world, including the Walker Art Center. For information about related workshops, call the Celebration of Life Program at 612.476.8789. Organized in collaboration with community partners, Community Conversations address a range of local and global cultural topics. Click here for information on the other Community Conversation happening in September. THIS EVENT IS PRESENTED BY THE CELEBRATION OF LIFE ART PROGRAM, THE WALKER ART CENTER, NORTHWEST AIRLINES, INC., AND THE MINNESOTA HUMANITIES COMMISSION AS PART OF THE CELEBRATION OF LIFE ART PROGRAM'S ANNUAL AFRICAN-AMERICAN VISITING ARTIST-SCHOLAR PROGRAM.