OBITUARIES
SeIden Rodman(1909-2002) elden Rodman,cultural critic, author of more than 40 books, poet, and advocate for Haitian art for 60 years, died in Ridgewood, N.J., of a cerebral hemorrhage on Nov. 2. In the 1940s, as co-director of Le Centre d'Art in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, along with DeWitt Peters, Rodman helped established a place where Haitian artists could exhibit and sell their work. Among his significant accomplishments, Rodman directed eight Haitian artists in mural painting at the Cathedral Ste. Trinite in Port-au-Prince and encouraged subsequent generasmaller number of works have tions of Haitian artists. been donated to the Yale UniverRodman was committed to sity Art Gallery, in New Haven, bringing Haitian and other folk Conn. Each institution has pubart to the broadest possible audilished an extensive catalog. ence. He wrote the first monoOver the years, Rodman maingraph on self-taught African tained joint residences in Jacmel, American artist Horace Pippin— Haiti, and Oakland, N.J. In 1989 Horace Pippin, Negro Painter Rodman lectured on Haitian art (1947), and the first book on Haitian art—Renaissance in Haiti for the American Folk Art Museum's Folk Art Institute. (1948). Other books by Rodman Marking his death, Randall Morinclude Haiti, the Black Republic ris, who wrote an essay for the (1954), The Miracle ofHaitian Art(1974),Artists In Tune with catalog at Ramapo College, commented,"Rodman essentially was Their World: Popular Artists of a pathfinder for other Americans the Americas and Their Relation to see the importance of Amerito the Folk Tradition (1982), and can self-taught artists. He was Where Art Is Joy: Haitian Art: one of the first to understand the The First Forty Years(1988). In continuities in the broader spec1983 and 1985 Rodman and his trum linking art of all the wife, Carole Cleaver, began to Americas." donate a substantial number of Rodman is survived by his Haitian, Brazilian, Mexican, and wife of40 years, Carole Cleaver, American folk paintings to Ramapo College, in Mahwah, two daughters, Oriana Rodman and Carla Oschwald, of Santa Fe, N.J., with continuing additions N.M., a son, Van Nostrand Rodover the years. On Oct. 13, 2001, man,of Oakland, N.J., and three Ramapo College opened the grandchildren. Selden Rodman Gallery of Popu—Lee Kogan lar Art, with more than 200 works in the permanent collection. A
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Materials for the Arts he American Folk Art Museum would like to acknowledge and thank Materials for the Arts, NYC
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Department of Cultural Affairs/ NYC Department of Sanitation/ NYC Board ofEducation for their generous contributions.
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