Diana Tyson

From somewhat curious student to art collector

Like so many, when I went to the university, art was one of the electives that all freshman had to take.  Not excited but determined to keep my scholarships, I approached it as another area which might be an easy A with some focus and hopefully only a few assignments.  I learned a lot and had to take more than one course especially since I went on to participate in the semester abroad in France.    The program was rigorous with multiple trips to the Louvre and now a serious focus in order to maintain the GPA.  This foundation proved the beginning of appreciating art in a much deeper and personal way.  Figured out what I liked and it was social commentary with the focus on poor to average people’s struggle.

 

I did not begin to collect in earnest until the kids went off to college and I began to attend art exhibits, galleries etc.  I discovered Paul Goodnight during this process, met him and talked about his motivation, palate and topics.  His work reflected the struggles of average African Americans, their history, joys, pains and aspirations.   I began collecting in earnest during this time period and developed my strategy for buying works that reflected my family background, struggles and overall social concerns as an African American in this century.  My works are my history from someone else perspective.