Through his iconic posters that represent a pivotal time in DC Home Rule, artist Lou Stovall captured the hues and spirit of an era.
“Arena Stage ’68-’69” (1968, multiple color silk screen on paper), 35 inches by 23 inches. PHOTO COURTESY OF STOVALL WORKSHOP/HEMPHILL ARTWORKS
Posters have often reflected a collective zeitgeist and call to action, and DC artist Lou Stovall—via The Workshop, which he founded in 1968—used this medium to express a transformative era in the nation’s capital. Between 1967 and 1971, our city, much like most of America, was undergoing cultural, social and political change that would last generations. This shift was especially acute in the nation’s capital, where President Lyndon Johnson had appointed DC’s first mayor, Walter Washington. In 1973, the United States Congress instituted Home Rule for the District, granting the city’s citizens limited voting rights on local issues—all planting the seeds for the statehood movement that continues today.
“Roberta Flack–The New Thing” (1967, multiple color silk screen on paper), 17 inches by 11 inches. PHOTO COURTESY OF STOVALL WORKSHOP/HEMPHILL ARTWORKS
Stovall’s work reflects this plight, and his brilliant poster art is showcased in a new exhibit, What’s Going Around, at Hemphill Fine Arts. While the exhibit’s work was created during the initial calls for DC independence, the pieces never feel burdened by the weight of a cause. Instead, they take on exotic forms and exuberant colors. (American color-field painter and DC native Gene Davis’ work also is in the show.) The custom fonts are, in the parlance of the time, groovy. We see work that touts Arena Stage, a concert for DC native Roberta Flack and the long-gone Jefferson Place Gallery, among others. Above all, Stovall used the medium to sound a voice of hope and to create community. It’s a testament to his vision that, 50 years after their creation, these posters still sing to a city. Through July 17, 434 K St. NW, 202.234.5601, hemphillfinearts.com
Photography by: Stovall Workshop/Hemphill Artworks
