Larry Francis Lebby, (September 8, 1950 – July 21, 2019) a native South Carolinian, was a nationally known painter, printmaker and artist working in Columbia, South Carolina.
Larry Francis Lebby | |
|---|---|
 Lebby speaks at the Clementa Pinckney portrait unveiling, South Carolina Senate Chambers, 2016 | |
| Born | Larry Francis Lebby September 8, 1950 Dixiana, Lexington County, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | July 21, 2019 (aged 68) Columbia, South Carolina |
| Education | Allen University, University of South Carolina |
| Known for | Painting |
| Movement | Contemporary |
Early life and education
editLebby was one of the Black students to integrate Airport High School. He attended Allen University and transferred to the University of South Carolina, graduating with a Master of Fine Arts in 1976.[1] Lebby spoke about the role of University of South Carolina President Thomas F. Jones in his successful transfer.[2]
Artistic career
editLebby served on the board of the South Carolina Arts Commission (affiliated with the National Endowment for the Arts) and on the Governor's Task Force for the Arts.[3]
Official portraits
editLebby was known for his portraiture: a number of his state and other commissioned portraits of famous legislators, judges, educators and activists hang in the South Carolina State House and other public spaces:
- Benjamin Mayes (1981) [4][5]
- Richard Theodore Greener (1984) [6]
- Modjeska Monteith Simkins (1995) [7]
- Samuel Jones Lee[8] and Robert B. Elliott (1998) [9][10]
- Jonathan Jasper Wright (1998) [11][12]
- Matthew J. Perry, Judge, US District Court (2014) [13]
- Clementa C. Pinckney, South Carolina Senator (2016)
- Ernest A. Finney Jr., South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice (2018) [14]
- Jimmy Carter, US President[15][16]
Lebby was commissioned to create the portrait of Senator Pinckney after the murder of Pinckney and eight others in the Charleston church shooting in 2015. The portrait was unveiled in May 2016, and hangs in the South Carolina Senate chambers.[17] Speakers at the unveiling included State Senators Gerald Malloy, Hugh Leatherman, and John W. Matthews Jr.; State Representative Joseph Neal; the widow, Mrs. Jennifer Pinckney, and the artist Larry Lebby himself.[18]
Death
editLebby died in 2019.[19]
Awards and legacy
editIn 1987, the South Carolina Legislature noted the 'local, national and international' recognition' that Lebby's work had received with a Concurrent Resolution.[20]
In 2024, Lebby was included in the 2024 South Carolina African American History Calendar.[21]
Gallery
edit-
Portrait of S.C. Senator Clementa Pinckney -
Portrait of Judge Matthew J. Perry -
Portrait of Modjeska Monteith Simkins -
Portrait of Richard Theodore Greener
References
edit- ^ Moore, Dorothy (December 2016). "Coloring Outside the Lines: Larry Lebby refines his unique style". Columbia Metropolitan. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
- ^ "Larry Lebby". University of South Carolina Digital Library. June 18, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
- ^ "Larry Francis Lebby". South Carolina African American History Calendar. 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ "Benjamin Elijah Mays 1894-1984". South Carolina State House Gallery Portraits. 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
- ^ Ronnick, Michele Valerie (2023). "Preaching with the Choir: An Easter Sermon with Dr. Benjamin E. Mays at South Carolina State University, Orangeburg, SC". Picturing Black History: Photographs and stories that changed the world. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
- ^ Horn, Chris (February 12, 2018). "Larger than life: New statue of Richard T. Greener celebrates a forgotten chapter in USC's history". The University of South Carolina. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ Welch, Rodney (July 24, 2019). "Deceased Columbia Artist Larry Lebby Made Impact With Precision, Ingenuity and a Mission of Inclusion". Free Times/Post and Courier. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
- ^ "Samuel Jones Lee 1844-1895". South Carolina State House Portrait Gallery. 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
- ^ "Robert Brown Elliott 1842-1884". South Carolina State House Gallery Portraits. 2023.
- ^ "Week In Review" (PDF). March 24, 1998. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
- ^ "ARTIST RESCUES LAWYER FROM PAGES OF HISTORY\ LARRY LEBBY HOPES HIS PORTRAIT CAPTURES THE SPIRIT OF JONATHAN JASPER WRIGHT". Greensboro News and Record. February 27, 1998. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ "Honorable Jonathan Jasper Wright". University of South Carolina Law School. 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ "Courthouse is about more than just a name". The Times and Democrat. April 23, 2004. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
- ^ Goulding, Shelbie (March 22, 2022). "A Reflection of his Position". The Sumter Item. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
- ^ "Larry Francis Lebby". SC African American History Calendar. 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
- ^ Moore, Dorothy (December 2016). "Coloring Outside the Lines: Larry Lebby refines his unique style". Columbia Metropolitan. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ "Portrait of Slain Senator Revealed in Senate Chambers". WLTX-TV. May 25, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
- ^ Press, Associated (September 4, 2015). "Columbia artist to paint Pinckney's Statehouse portrait". The Post and Courier. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ "On the passing of Larry Lebby". South Carolina Arts Hub. July 24, 2019. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
- ^ "A Concurrent Resolution to commend Larry Francis Lebby of Columbia". June 18, 1987. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
- ^ "Larry Francis Lebby". South Carolina African American History Calendar. 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.