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BLACK ENTERPRISE
EARL G. GRAVES PUBLISHING CO., INC. 295 MADISON AVENUE NEW YORK, N.Y. 10017 (212) 889-8220

BOARD OF ADVISORS

Hon. Julian Bond
Georgia State Senator

Dr. Andrew F. Brimmer
Pres., Brimmer & Co., Inc.

Hon. Edward Brooke
Former Senator
Massachusetts

Hon. Shirley Chisholm
Rep. New York

Hon. Charles Evers
Mayor, Fayette, Miss.

Earl G. Graves, Publ.
Pres., Earl G. Graves Ltd.

William Hudgins
Former President,
Freedom National Bank
New York City

Thomas A. Johnson
Award-winning staff
writer, N. Y. Times

John Lewis
Former Chairman of SNCC

Henry Parks
Chairman of the Board,
H. G. Parks Inc.
(Parks Sausage)

July 11, 1980

David Driskell
Yaddo
[redacted]

Dear Professor Driskell:

I'm at work on an article on business investment in and
support of the visual arts, for the December issue of
BLACK ENTERPRISE. I am gathering material on the collec
tions of Golden State Life Insurance, Johnson Publications,
Johnson Products and Atlanta Life Insurance, as well as
interviewing various individual collectors, consultants,
dealers and curators -- Richard Clarke, Adolphus Ealey,
Samella Lewis, Lowery Simms, etc.

I'd like to interview you by phone to discuss the following
points:
1. To what extent does the financial potential of
Afro-American art remain unrealized?
2. What can we do to break the cycle of devaluation
of Afro-American art?
3. What are the benefits to Black business and pro
fessional organizations of investment in and
other forms of support of the visual arts?
4. How much progress have Black businesses and
professionals made in terms of support for
our art?

(CONTINUED)