FAMU’s Foster-Tanner Fine Arts Gallery Showcases Four Decades of Marilyn Proctor-Givens’ Work
Tallahassee, Fl. - Florida A&M University’s Foster-Tanner Fine Arts Gallery is showcasing more than four decades of work by artist and educator Marilyn Proctor-Givens, Ph.D., in Marilyn Proctor-Givens: Exploration of a Process, an exhibition highlighting creativity, experimentation and the connections between art and life. The exhibition is free and open to the public.
Featuring ceramics, photography, glass, wood, fabric and graphic design, the exhibition traces Proctor-Givens’ artistic journey through family, culture, religion and travel. Her work explores connections between people, places and experiences while demonstrating how experimentation has shaped her creative process.
Ceramic works by Marilyn Proctor-Givens showcase a range of forms, textures and intricate
design elements featured in her “Exploration of a Process” exhibition at FAMU’s Foster-Tanner
Fine Arts Gallery. (Photo courtesy of Taylor Brooklyn-Cook)
Proctor-Givens earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and a doctorate in art education
from Florida State University and has taught at Lincoln High School for 41 years.
Throughout her career, she has remained committed to experimenting with techniques
and finding new ways to create.
“I like to combine things and explore techniques,” Proctor-Givens said. “It’s symbolic because everything connects, and puzzles do that. You have to put everything in the right place, or it doesn’t work. Throughout life, those connections are important. So that’s the symbol that I use for life.”
Exploring the Creative Process
The exhibition features Proctor-Givens’ signature forms, including haloed masks, jigsaw puzzle pieces, carved spheres, watercolor paintings and family photos. Her work incorporates different colors, textures and patterns through techniques including raku, horsehair firing, cold finishing and sgraffito. Her travels to Ghana also served as inspiration.
A selection of Marilyn Proctor-Givens’ ceramic works highlights her use of sculptural
forms, detailed patterns and varied textures throughout the “Exploration of a Process”
exhibition at FAMU’s Foster-Tanner Fine Arts Gallery. (Photo courtesy of Taylor Brooklyn-Cook)
Raku firing is a specialized ceramic technique in which a piece is removed from a kiln at peak temperature and placed into combustible materials. The unpredictable process reflects a central theme of Proctor-Givens’ work: embracing experimentation.
“The exhibit came from the exploration of clay and the alternative techniques you can use,” Proctor-Givens said. “No two pieces will ever look alike. I can make the same piece, but if I fire it with raku and glaze it, it will look different. When I use newspaper or pine straw, it will burn a different way every time, and I never know what I am going to get.”
A Full-Circle Moment
For Aja Roche, director of the Foster-Tanner Fine Arts Gallery, bringing Proctor-Givens’ work to FAMU carries personal significance.
Before Roche became gallery director, she was Proctor-Givens’ student at Lincoln High School. Roche credits her former teacher with influencing her decision to pursue her passion for art and build a career in the field. Years later, Roche selected Proctor-Givens for her first solo exhibition at Foster-Tanner because of the significance of her work, her contributions to the arts and their personal connection as artists.
A collection of Marilyn Proctor-Givens’ spherical ceramic works is displayed as part
of her “Exploration of a Process” exhibition at Florida A&M University’s Foster-Tanner
Fine Arts Gallery. The exhibition showcases Proctor-Givens’ exploration of form, surface
design and artistic techniques throughout her career. (Photo courtesy of Taylor Brooklyn-Cook)
The relationship also reflects Foster-Tanner’s role as a teaching gallery, exposing FAMU students to different forms of visual art and professional artists through exhibitions throughout the year.
“It is a great opportunity to showcase the variety of a professional artist, and that you do not have to narrow yourself to one direction,” Roche said. “Just like the title, ‘Exploration of a Process,’ it can show you the extent to which you can go with your creativity.”
Inspiring the Next Generation
The exhibition’s message of creative exploration is resonating with FAMU students.
Dejah Charles, a fourth-year political science major from Naples, Florida, said the exhibition expanded her understanding of art and inspired her to explore her own creativity.
“Seeing the depiction of Black people in a different form, that I have personally never seen before,” Charles said. “Especially the piece ‘Generational Legacy,’ that one is incredible, and it’s such a sight to see such rich sculptures and ceramics.”
The exhibition also supports the gallery’s commitment to showcasing Black artists, particularly those in the Tallahassee community. Roche said hosting exhibitions featuring Black art gives students opportunities to engage with the arts while at FAMU.
Amber Ray, a fourth-year architecture scholar from Chicago and president of FAMU’s Art Club, said seeing Black artists represented in galleries can encourage other creatives to pursue their artistic goals.
“It’s inspirational for people to continue creating and showcasing their artwork,” Ray said. “I know for me seeing representation in a museum inspired me to have my own gallery.”
An installation view of Marilyn Proctor-Givens’ “Exploration of a Process” exhibition
showcases a collection of ceramic works displayed throughout FAMU’s Foster-Tanner
Fine Arts Gallery. (Photo courtesy of Taylor Brooklyn-Cook)
Roche hopes the exhibition inspires visitors beyond the visual arts.
“Museums are a great source of inspiration, whether you’re a writer or a musician or a poet,” Roche said. “Wherever you’re coming from, I hope it inspires people to explore their creativity.”
For Proctor-Givens, the exhibition also demonstrates that experimentation, revision and even failure can become part of the creative process.
“Anything is possible, and you can play around with any kind of materials,” Proctor-Givens said. “Your failures can be your success, you have to practice, you have to experiment, you have to revise.”
Proctor-Givens will lead an in-depth gallery art walk and discussion Oct. 3 from 1 to 2 p.m., offering visitors an opportunity to learn more about the meaning and creative processes behind her work. The event is free and open to the public.
Marilyn Proctor-Givens: Exploration of a Process will remain on display at the Foster-Tanner Fine Arts Gallery through Dec. 4. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Media Contact:
Ashley Flete
Senior Communications Specialist
ashley1.flete@famu.edu
