Whitfield Lovell donates portraits to the American Academy in Rome

Whitfield Lovell has donated two portraits to the American Academy in Rome, honoring the Academy’s first Black Fellows: Ulysses Kay and June Jordan. These stunning works—on Lovell’s favorite Roman papers and studded with coins and jewelry that magnify the story of his subjects—are an important addition to the Academy’s collection. They now hang with the rest of the portraits, helping to tell a fuller story of the institution’s history and underscoring its commitment to change.

As a former member of the AAR staff, I offer my deepest thanks to Whitfield Lovell, as well as to the Academy for this sensitive video, which includes some fabulous historic photography and film footage.

And don’t miss the upcoming AAR exhibition dedicated to the polymath Jordan: June Jordan, The Poetry of Design is curated by Lindsay Harris and opens in Rome on April 20, 2023.

Lovell’s portraits arrived in Rome last summer just before I left the Academy—June Jordan at left, on gorgeous red paper, and UIysses Kay at right, shimmering with old 50 lire pieces that bring out the silver Conté crayon.. About the coins, Lovell told me, “The Academy gives you currency, and you give your talents back.  It’s an exchange.”