DELE JEGEDE, PH.D.; M.A.(ART HISTORY); B.A. (FINE ART)

 Dr. dele jegede earned his Ph.D. degree in Art History at Indiana University, Bloomington, where he studied with Roy Sieber (1923-2001). He obtained his first degree in Fine Art from the Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria. Since the seventies, he has taught in diverse environments and served in academic, professional, and leadership capacities locally and internationally.
He was Fulbright Scholar at Spelman College (1987); Director of the Center for Cultural Studies, University of Lagos (1989-1992); President, Society of Nigerian Artists (1989-1992); Senior Post-Doctoral Fellow at the National Museum of African Art, the Smithsonian Institution (1995); President, Arts Council of the African Studies Association (ACASA), (1996-1998); and professor and Chair, Department of Art, Indiana State University, (2002-2005; Interim Chair, 2001-2002). From 2005 to 2010, he was Chair of the Department of Art, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. Dr. jegede is active on visitation assignments for the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, NASAD.

 His research interests straddle the two worlds of studio practice and art history. As art historian, his research is concerned with the contemporary and popular arts of Africa, with particular focus on the seamlessness of creative boundaries in the city of Lagos, Nigeria, possibly Africa's craziest city. As a painter, his creative research draws on iconic elements in African and Western cultures. He has had numerous solo and group exhibitions and participated in several conferences at national and international levels. As a teacher, he has developed and taught courses in African and African American art, and his teaching approach promotes experiential and hands-on learning.

In 2000, he curated two major exhibitions. "Contemporary African Art: Five Artists, Diverse Trends," opened at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and featured Magdalene Odundo, Ezrom Legae, Mariam Aleem, Twins Seven Seven, and Kane Kwei while "Women to Women: Weaving Cultures, Shaping History" was held at the University Gallery, Indiana State University. It featured Sokari Douglas Camp, Ndidi Dike, Marcia Kure, and Iyabo Abiola. Both exhibits were accompanied by exhibition catalogs. The innovative DC-ROM, Five Windows into Africa, which contains dele jegede's window on "This is Lagos," was published by Indiana University Press. (The remaining four windows feature contributions by Patrick McNaughton, Ruth Stone, Brian Winchester, and John Hanson). Dr. jegede has published extensively on diverse aspects of African art. His most recent book, Encyclopedia of African American Artists: Artists of the American Mosaic, My new book was published by Greenwood Press in 2009.

Below are some of his works