Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 6 hours ago
**What does it mean to mentor the next generation of artists—and what responsibilities come with being an artist?**
In this National Gallery of Art conversation, renowned artist, scholar, educator, and curator **David C. Driskell** speaks with artist and educator **Ellington Robinson** about mentorship, African American art, artistic development, education, and the role of artists in shaping culture.
Driskell reflects on mentors and colleagues who influenced his life and career, including James A. Porter, Aaron Douglas, Jacob Lawrence, Romare Bearden, and others. Robinson shares how Driskell became an important mentor in his own artistic journey and recalls the advice that helped transform his approach to making art: experiment, develop your voice, expand your ideas, and strive to see what others do not.
Their wide-ranging discussion explores:
• The importance of mentorship in the arts
• Developing an individual artistic voice
• African and African American cultural traditions
• The value of a liberal arts education
• Art, politics, and social responsibility
• The realities of building a professional artistic practice
• Teaching and mentoring future generations
• The relationship between creativity, nature, discipline, and everyday life
Driskell and Robinson ultimately consider the artist as a kind of “seer”—someone who looks beyond the visible world and helps others understand what might otherwise go unnoticed.
Presented by the **National Gallery of Art**.
#DavidDriskell #EllingtonRobinson #AfricanAmericanArt #BlackArt #NationalGalleryOfArt #ArtHistory #Mentorship #ArtEducation #ContemporaryArt #AmericanArt
**What does it mean to mentor the next generation of artists—and what responsibilities come with being an artist?**
In this National Gallery of Art conversation, renowned artist, scholar, educator, and curator **David C. Driskell** speaks with artist and educator **Ellington Robinson** about mentorship, African American art, artistic development, education, and the role of artists in shaping culture.
Driskell reflects on mentors and colleagues who influenced his life and career, including James A. Porter, Aaron Douglas, Jacob Lawrence, Romare Bearden, and others. Robinson shares how Driskell became an important mentor in his own artistic journey and recalls the advice that helped transform his approach to making art: experiment, develop your voice, expand your ideas, and strive to see what others do not.
Their wide-ranging discussion explores:
• The importance of mentorship in the arts
• Developing an individual artistic voice
• African and African American cultural traditions
• The value of a liberal arts education
• Art, politics, and social responsibility
• The realities of building a professional artistic practice
• Teaching and mentoring future generations
• The relationship between creativity, nature, discipline, and everyday life
Driskell and Robinson ultimately consider the artist as a kind of “seer”—someone who looks beyond the visible world and helps others understand what might otherwise go unnoticed.
Presented by the **National Gallery of Art**.
#DavidDriskell #EllingtonRobinson #AfricanAmericanArt #BlackArt #NationalGalleryOfArt #ArtHistory #Mentorship #ArtEducation #ContemporaryArt #AmericanArt
