Art as History and Epic: Re-Examining Hale Woodruff’s Talladega College Murals
Amina Naseer
College of Fine Arts
In the summer of 1938, Buell Gallagher, President of Talladega College in Alabama, invited well-known artist and educator Hale Aspacio Woodruff to serve as a visiting professor of art history at the southern black college. While at Talladega, Woodruff was asked to paint a mural for the newly constructed William Savery Library. The murals were to commemorate the building of the new library and showcase Talladega’s dynamic history and its importance to African-Americans. According to an interview with Woodruff conducted by Albert Murray in 1968, Gallagher wanted a mural that would represent the historical event that ultimately led to the establishment of black southern colleges like Talladega—the mutiny aboard the Amistad.
Amina Naseer
Mentor: Eric Segal
College of Fine Arts
"I applied to the Scholars Program to learn more about extensive academic research in the field of Art History. Through this initiative I hope to take away an understanding of and appreciation for the scholarly method through first hand research."
Amina Naseer is an Art History major and Classical Studies minor interested in African-American studies, American history, and religion. She is a Bright Futures Scholar and a recipient of the Ford Salute to Education Scholarship. Amina is a member of Islam on Campus, the Pakistani Students Association, the City of Gainesville's Division of Cultural Affairs, Diversity Ambassadors, and Project Downtown. She is also a First Year Florida Peer Leader and a former Student Government Senator.
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