Jeff Donaldson

A central figure in the establishment of the black arts movement of the 1960s and 1970s, Jeff Donaldson helped articulate a philosophy and aesthetic derived from African cultures. Donaldson studied studio art at the University of Arkansas and later earned his Ph.D. in art history at Northwestern University. He helped found the Organization of Black American Culture (OBAC) in Chicago, whose 1967 outdoor mural, Wall of Respect, featured black historical figures and launched a wave of mural painting in urban communities throughout the country.

Donaldson was a cofounder in 1968 of the African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists (AfriCobra), an organization still active today. Avoiding the art establishment and many tenets of contemporary abstraction, AfriCobra emphasized art that its members felt was relevant to the lives and experiences of people of African descent. By focusing on bright color, symmetry, improvisation and images and patterns derived from African and African American art and music, Donaldson sought to celebrate the roots of African American culture.

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