ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

As I approach the legacy aspect of my career as an artist, I would be remiss in not giving honor to my family.

To my mother and father posthumously, Diretha V. Hall and Larry O’Neill Brown, Sr., Thank you for passing your legacy to me. I am forever grateful for you both allowing me to spread my wings and fly. Your undying support was truly the wind beneath my wings. How awesome to have both parents become your biggest cheerleaders! I felt your pride with my every stride, and I still feel your presence today. Congratulations on what has now become three generations of artists in our family. To both of my sisters, Jacqueline Brown, and the late Hilda Neal thank you for tolerating me. I know I was a pain, a nuisance, and a little silly at times, but at least I got a smile or two out of both of you.

Much time and sacrifice were necessary for my journey. All of my many hours of studio isolation, travel, time away from home, and other notoriety demands surely presented many challenges. Fatherhood truly impacted my drive, motivation, determination, and commitment. The universe provided another artist as my partner. Thank you, Isabelle Massey, for always providing an open creative environment for our children. I have an amazingly talented daughter, Fontaine Patterson, and a creatively gifted son, Mandela Brown. Both of you assisted me in expanding and evolving as a better person, as a father, and as a friend. It amazes me to see the genetic creativity passed down to and through us. May all of your creative endeavors manifest in abundance. I am blessed to be completely surrounded by a constant circle of creative expression. God truly has blessed me.

Much respect to my village of great Black men who always had my best interest at heart. The late David Humphries, the late Chenal Alford, my second father; Joseph Ford, my third father, and Lawrence Kirk, my Godfather. You were the true pillars to my success. The lessons you imparted and the wisdom shared with me were invaluable, but the love you shared was immeasurable. Together you made me fearless and focused.

Much respect to my writing contributors Dr. Leslie King Hammond, and Dennis L. Forbes. Each of you were selected because of the impact you have made in different stages of my life and career, and the historic contributions each of you have made on the art world, specifically in the support and advocacy of African American art. I also thank my editing team of Isabelle Massey, Dr. Tuere Anne Marshall, and Elma La Touche for clarifying the array of story lines in my head and made them all make sense.

Larry, Mandela, Poncho Photo by Helen Baskerville

A note of recognition to Jeff Salva of Archival Arts who unknowingly prepared me for undertaking this project by providing professional images scanning services of my art for the past two decades. Giving honor to my design team of Joseph Ford, Donna Gardner, Perry Sweeper and William Maxwell. May we continue on the path of visualizing creative journeys. Many thanks to Eric Diggs and Lamerol Gatewood for all your printing consultations.

To the many gifted artists with whom I have shared creative comradery, fellowship, kinship, and friendship: the late Carl Owens, the late Annie Lee, the late Harry Davis, Charles Bibbs, Synthia SAINT James, Paul Goodnight, Karen Buster, Deborah Shedrick, Sylvia Walker, LaShun Beal, Phyllis Stephens, Grace Kisa, Charly Palmer, Kevin “WAK” Williams, and Leroy Campbell. Thank you for being my extended family. To all my sisters and brothers from another mother. You inspire me, make me feel like family, and challenge me to stay focused. You all make me want to work harder.

A special thank you to each of you that entrusted loaning work to me for redocumentation of lost images that made it

possible to fill gaps in my creative timeline from destroyed images due to my studio fire of 1995.

A special thank you to all of our 256+ Kickstarter Backers. Your crowdfunding support allowed us to expand the vision of this project and acted as a testimony for all of my friends, family, followers, collectors, and artist family. Essentially you all have become the publishers of this book. We deeply appreciate the commitment of Joseph Ford, Enyd & Lafeal Scott, Jacqueline Philyaw Hoskins, Fran B. Ngong, Elaine & Charles Bibbs, Kibibi Ajanku, Keith Robertson, Cecil Flamer, Blackman D. Aziz, Lisa & Ron Redd, Beverly & Dan Tutman, Coltrane, Moses, Karlene & Kamau McRae, Cassandra & Damien Carter, Dr. Tuere Anne Marshall, Umoja Fine Arts, Barrie Johnson, Iris Jenkins, Dr. Monica Y. McCall, Lynda V. Browne-Kidd & Family, Karen & Kerwin Mercurius, Joe Hines, Gwendolyn B. Jones, Virgie & Arnold Williams, Cynthia Ham, Deborah A. Shedrick, Christine Lynn Miller, Valerie Cooper, Ernestine Jones Jolivet & Russell Jolivet, William C. Gibson & Linda B. Gibson, Diane Walker, Eric G. Tombs, Sr., Alika Muhammad, Khadija Edith Brandt, Dr. Marcella A. Copes, Mona Wilson Lopez, In Memory of Wilson “PAPA” Williams, Patricia A. Thomas, Antoinette Russell Hamilton, Debra Allen, Paula E. George, Gary A. Dittman, Janice King/Janice King Art, Black Art Today!, LLC, Eather Reynolds, Abe Lavalais, Jacqueline Thompson, Teri L. Bankhead, Phyllis Stephens, Lauren Ishmael, William R. Jones, Patricia Levine, Norma Tate-Perry, Jennifer E. Johnson, Tammy Britton, Yahna Gibson, Spencer Boyer & Prudence Bushnell, Katherine Rogers Mozee’, Kirth Bobb, Michele Galloway, Richard D. Wilson, Jr., Sandra & Timothy Hamp, Roshanda D. Prior, Karole Gray, Angela Lee, Bomani Tyehimba, Elaine & Benjamin Antonetty, Kennie Johnson, Beverly Richards, The Sennaar Family, Donna Gardner, Randa Tukan, Kammeran T. Giggers, Lawrence Kirk, Isabelle Massey, Alma Willis, Corinthia Peoples, Frank Frazier, Keith Golden, Barry Blackman, Jeff Salava, William Brandford, Deborah Peaks Coleman, Cynthia Johnson, Ayanna King, Shades of Color African American Gifts, Jaye Richardson, Greg Scott, Julia Ficklin, Regina E. Lewis, Ellinore King, LaKeisha, Joshua & Jermaine Page, Wendell Supreme Shannon, Kay Minnis Bloodworth, Tia Latrell, Ira Barry, Angela C. Johnson, K. Joy Peters, Viveca Mays, Inge Pelzer, Theo McNair, Jr., Akosua Josephine Robinson-Reed, Sharman Knight, Marlon D. Briscoe, Donna E. Montague, Florence & Bernard Flashman, Geneva Marie Frazier, Dr. Joanne E. Nottingham, Dorothy Chaney, Jennifer Ayana Harrison, Dr. Perry Sweeper, Jessica Bolt, Dondra L. Davenport, Madelyn E. Godfrey, Rozalind Sinnamon-Johnson, Dolores & Patrick McGuire, Dr. Yemonja Smalls, Kinya Kiongozi, Glenna Iona Cush, Tyneir B., Lenda Powell Hill, Linda McShann, Jesse P. Johnson, Carolyn Cheaton, Jolyn GC, Nick Savage, Rona E. Evans, Eugene Lyle Henderson, Linda ClarkeTucker, Linda R. Rosborough, Sharon Duffy, Matt Williams, Kelvin Henderson, Christina McCleary, Annmarie Pancham, Evo Systems, Eugenia A. Turner, Kimberly McDowell, Keith Washington, Tracey & Karen Buster, Andrea M. Davis, Dee Bolton, Ed Towles, Paula Pierce, Lawrence A. Randall, Darcenia McDowell, In Memory of Helen Baskerville, Elaine Thomas-Williams, Jerome T. White, Regina & Rodney Wren, Malaika-Tamu Cooper, Terra Vinson, Dr. Jamila Ajanku-Willie, Preston Frazier, George Johnson, Fay Ashby, Teresa E. Mack, Lisa M. Burch-Harney, LaShun Beal, Victor T. Green, Yvette & Larry Fuller, The Carter Effinger Crichlow Lee Whyte Gantt Clan, Betty J. Bussey, Tanya Montegut, Dana Esposito, Curtis Grayson, III, Vivian Smallwood, April R. Smith, Tanya Snow, James E. Murphy, Jr., Jamaal Barber, Svaace Global, Shawn Livers, Jolyn E. Gardner, Jason Smith, Victor Green, Beverly L. Anthony, Robert Ginyard, Damaris Hill, Chuck Bibbs, Stephanie Bartee, Diana Shannon Young, Irving E. Washington, Jr., Louise Cutler, Sonya Reese, Francine D. Brownley, Sauda A. Zahra, Dr. Gabrielle Lynn McLemore, Cheryl A. McLeod, Esq., Ife Robinson & Mansa Makamu, Cheryl Ingrid Foster, Alesia & Kerwin Hall, Charles Chuck Fowler, Kevin Antonio Johnson, Michele Bartholomew, Deidra Bell, William Maxwell, Aundra Lafayette, Gracye Johnson, Sharon Scott Brooking, Patricia Carey, Natalie Carter-Prince, Oneida Holman, Kevin Robertson, Clyde Johnson, Clarence Abu Green, Linda Brown-Burton, Cheryl Brown-Butler, Ambika Sample, Sharon E. Bunch, Linda Brown-Burton, George Ciklauri, B/ue Robin, Creola Swift Macklin, Tamara Jones, Dr. Lisa Cooper-Lucas & Raymond Lucas, Wanda Rhinehart Felder, Linda Gray, Wanda R. Leggins, Dion J. Pollard, Carolyn Goodridge, Sylvia Gbaby Cohen, Patricia Coleman-Cobb, Oronde Kairi, Sharon Attaway, N. Edwyna Ware, Lawrence A. Randall, MOXIE Solutions Development, Patrena Booze, Eniola Olowofoyeku, Artlisia Bibbs, Imani Arthur Williams El, Sr., Yeshiyah Israel, Carren Clarke, Glenda Simmons, Eubie Blake Cultural Center, Black Art Depot, Dana Easter, Francena Bean-Waters, Sandra Johnson, Cheryl Frazier, Eric Walker, II, Carmen D. Montgomery, Sareena M. Jones, Partlow Art, Jermaine Davenport, David L. McAdoo, Glenda Simmons Jenkins, Thomas Elias Lockhart, III, Sandy Hinton, Leon Johnson, Tsoi Kin Wa, and The Creative Fund by BackerKit for believing in this project. I truly appreciate you all.