Floyd Newsum Visionary Artist and Humanitarian Scholarship
Art and social justice are the focus of this endowed scholarship in Floyd Newsum’s memory. The scholarship will be available to students pursuing Art or Social Work degrees.
Known to many in the UHD community as Professor Newsum, Floyd Newsum was an unparalleled teacher, mentor, and colleague. Throughout his almost 50-year career at the University of Houston-Downtown, he taught and mentored thousands of students and was honored with the UHD Excellence in Scholarly/Creative Activity award in 2003 and 2017. In addition to his legacy as an educator, he left an indelible mark on the university itself in the form of murals rich in the visual language and symbolism that he brought to his art.
Floyd’s legacy extends beyond the university and traditional art world through what he called “collective creative action.” He came of age during the Civil Rights movement and the Black art movements of the 1960s and 1970s, a time rich in cultural tradition and sea-change that influenced both his art and humanitarianism. A socially engaged artist, Floyd’s personal social justice mission and community engagement within the greater Houston community was well known. He was one of the seven founders of Project Row Houses in Third Ward and a longstanding Deacon with Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church. Floyd was recently honored by becoming the namesake for a Summer Studios Program providing emerging community-engaged artists with mentorship and opportunities to create and exhibit their work.