Loïs Mailou Jones

SMFA alumni. Diploma, 1927

Lois Mailou Jones (1905-1998)

Jones, born in Boston, graduated from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. She taught at Howard University for 47 years. Jones designed textiles, illustrated books, and exhibited her paintings regularly. After travels to Haiti and Africa, her interest in African culture and art deepened; her once-impressionistic style became more colorful and abstract, incorporating Afrocentric figures, masks, and patterns. Critically acclaimed throughout her career, Jones was one of ten African American artists honored by President Carter in 1980.

Important Source Material:

Benjamin, Tritobia Hayes. The Life and Art of Loïs Mailou Jones. Rohnert Park, California: Pomegranate Artbooks, 1994.

Hanzal, Carla M., ed. Loïs Mailou Jones: A Life in Vibrant Color. Charlotte, North Carolina: The Mint Museum, 2009.

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