Leo Twiggs

Leo Twiggs was born in St. Stephen, South Carolina. He received his BA from Claflin University, later studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and received his MA from New York University where he studied with Hale Woodruff, the acclaimed African American painter and muralist. In 1970, Twiggs became the first black student to receive a Doctorate of Arts from the University of Georgia. He taught at South Carolina State University where he chaired the art department until 1998. Twiggs’ work is widely exhibited nationally and internationally with over 75 one-person shows. He was the first visual artist to receive the Verner Award (Governor’s Trophy) for outstanding contributions to the arts in South Carolina. His book, Messages From Home: The Art of Leo Twiggs, was published by Claflin University Press in 2011. Find out more at www.leotwiggs.com.

Ten Things I Can’t Do Without

1. My visits back home where I was born
2. The warm connections to my five brothers and sisters
3. My wife’s good cooking
4. Decaf coffee
5. My online daily New York Times
6. Hughes, Baldwin, Faulkner, Ellison, and Morrison
7. My college classmates, good friends, and my church
8. My art studio
9. Jazz
10. My computer