Israel Lewis, III

鈥淧rimitive Tribal Art鈥�

May 11, 2009 - July 30, 2009 (Third Floor Gallery Display Cases)

The University of South Alabama Library presented the works of Israel Lewis, III entitled "Primitive Tribal Art." These hand drawn works of art represent the artist's expression of West African art. Israel is the great, great grandson of Cudjoe Lewis (1840-1935) who was captured and brought to the United States in 1860 during an illegal slave trading venture on the ship "Clotilda." The symbolic nature of West African art was passed verbally to Israel through his grandfather as they were essentially illiterate and not educated in the fine arts.