Frank Wimberley

Abstract Expressionist Frank Wimberley draws a connection between the improvisational nature of jazz and the dynamic, gestural brushstrokes of his unplanned compositions. Wimberley studied with James A. Porter, Lois Mailou Jones, and James L. Wells at Howard University, and initially worked in ceramics and collage before transitioning to painting. He has exhibited consistently since 1969 and a retrospective of his work was held at Adelphi University in 1999. His works are in public and private collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and the Yale University Art Gallery. His collages and paintings are characterized by texture; in the 1990s he used steel wire paintbrushes and spatulas in his mark-making. Wimberley was also a jazz player who befriended legendary jazz musicians including Ron Carter and Wayne Shorter; Miles Davis also collected his artworks and encouraged other famous jazz musicians to do the same.