Dana C. Chandler, Jr. papers

Dana C. Chandler, Jr., noted African American artist, activist, and educator, was born in Lynn, Mass. in 1941. He was educated in Boston Public Schools, and earned a B.S. in Teacher Education from the Massachusetts College of Art. Chandler participated in the black integrationist movement since his high school years. Chandler joined the black nationalist movement in the 1960s, after witnessing police brutality against a group of peaceful welfare protestors. Chandler has used his art to educate his audience about the history and social conditions of black Americans. His large-scale, boldly-colored paintings and collages depict racial injustice and criticize the commodification of civil rights icons. In recent years, Chandler has lectured about art and activism. In 1970, Chandler was named Boston National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's Man of the Year. His art was featured in several national magazines including Encore, Time, Newsweek, and Jet. Chandler was a professor at Simmons College from 1971-2004, where he taught drawing and painting. Frustrated by the lack of quality resources for teaching about black art, Chandler created his own Afrocentric curriculum. In 1973, Chandler's South End studio was ransacked and vandalized. He set up a new studio space in a vacant warehouse building owned by Northeastern University. With the support of future university president Kenneth Ryder, Chandler founded the African American Master Artists-in-Residence Program (AAMARP) in 1974. The program's debut exhibition was held at City Hall, and featured work by Chandler and 12 other artists. Chandler directed AAMARP until 1993, when he resigned after a series of budget cuts. While directing the program, Chandler taught classes at both Simmons College and Northeastern University, lectured at other institutions around the country, and exhibited his work internationally. Chandler has also exhibited under the name Akin Duro. Chandler served as President of the Board of the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity (METCO) from 1977 to 1986. He was involved with METCO from 1974 to1986 as President, Executive Committee member, and METCO parent. In 2009, Chandler is lecturing and blogging about art, race, and culture under the name Akin Duro.