Boston Globe Reviews Cantor Art Gallery Exhibit Featuring Works by Elizabeth Catlett

"There Is A Woman In Every Color," 1975, Elizabeth Catlett

Catlett's work is "as pertinent today as it was when she started," the newspaper says

The Boston Globe has nothing but praise for the latest exhibit in the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery at the College of the Holy Cross, "The Art of Elizabeth Catlett from the Collection of Samella Lewis."

The exhibit, which is on display through Dec. 15, 2021, explores the nature of acclaimed African American artist and civil rights activist Elizabeth Catlett's art and its ability to affect both individual lives and political movements.

According to Boston Globe Art Critic Cate McQuaid, Catlett's work shows "exquisite technique and a deep heart" as it depicts Black lives.

"In many ways, the story of Black women is the story of America," said McQuaid. "As this show demonstrates, Catlett was their chronicler, and her work is as pertinent today as it was when she started."

Meredith Fluke, director of the Cantor Art Gallery, agrees with McQuaid and adds that Catlett's legacy as an artist, teacher, mentor, activist, wife, mother, grandmother and friend are apparent through these works.

"Catlett's work serves as a stunning reminder of the ability of art to function as an instrument of both protest and aesthetic pleasure and calls attention to some of the most important injustices of our time," says Fluke. "I'm anticipating that the exhibition will forge deep connections across disciplines—students with varying academic and personal interests will connect with these seminal works."