Rogelio Maxwell interview, 2017-10-28
Scope and Contents
Rogelio Maxwell was born in Panama City, Panama. When he turned nine his mother brought him to Brooklyn, NY, where he was raised, went to school, and eventually attended the college at the School of Visual Arts (SVA). Convinced that he needed to experience life in order to be an artist, he dropped out of art school and made his way to Washington, DC where he would eventually set up a studio. With a background in both visual arts and music, he would eventually combine the two to become a pioneer in the multimedia art that fuses different mediums.
Dates
- Creation: 2017-10-28
Creator
- Maxwell, Rogelio (Person)
- Barras, Jonetta Rose (Person)
Biographical / Historical
Rogelio Maxwell reflects on the different influences that he brings to his art, as well as his role in the development of Washington, DC’s art scene in the 1970s and 80s and how he decided to turn his exhibits into multimedia art experiences. He speaks about learning the congas at a very young age and being quickly recognized for his artistic talents while growing up in Brooklyn. His life is changed when one of his professors at the School for Visual Arts in Brooklyn encourages to drop out of school and let life influence his art. He then moved to Washington DC where he would eventually open Hardart studio and became a recipient of ARTS DC: CETA funding. Rogelio Maxwell continues to make innovative mixed medium art to this day.
Extent
From the Collection: 1.13 Terabytes
Language of Materials
English
Repository Details
Part of the The People's Archive, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library Repository