Floyd Newsum, 76, was more than an artist. He was a visionary, an educator, and one of the seven founders of Project Row Houses, a community-based art facility and home for single mothers, that transformed the Third Ward when it opened in 1993. Newsum passed away August 15 from undisclosed causes.

“Our hearts have cracked wide open learning that our dear founder Floyd Newsum has gone to be with the ancestors,” PRH said in an Instagram post. “Floyd was vibrant, insightful, and ready with a challenging question or unexpected suggestion followed by a smile and a laugh to let you know he was pushing you because he felt you were worth pushing.”

PRH executive director Danielle Burns Wilson, said in a statement on Instagram, “Floyd’s profound impact on Project Row Houses and our community is beyond measure. His contributions were not just artistic, but also deeply personal, touching the lives of so many with his generosity, wisdom, and unwavering commitment to uplifting others. Floyd loved to talk about art and was always curious of what other artists were thinking. His loss leaves an irreplaceable void in our hearts, and his legacy will continue to inspire and guide us in the years to come.”

Ladder of Hope

Newsum, originally from Memphis, Tenn., also taught for 48 years at the University of Houston Downtown. “Professor Newsum was more than an artist, more than a teacher,” said UHD President Loren J. Blanchard. “He was a connector, a motivating force who worked to touch lives every day and who brought people together in remarkable ways. His art was intricately linked with his desire to nurture young artists and invest in the next generation of change agents, not only here at UHD but also in the historic Third Ward of Houston and even in communities he visited when his art was on view.”

The university has established an endowed scholarship, the Floyd Newsum Visionary Artist and Humanitarian Scholarship, with a focus on art and social justice in his honor.

You can also share your memories of Newsum, and the other six founders — James Bettison, Bert Long Jr., Jesse Lott, Rick Lowe, Bert Samples, and George Smith — of PRH online or in person. PRH suggests a note, photo, or small artwork that can be shared with the living founders and the family of Newsum. There is also a summer studio program named for him.

Known for his vibrant paintings and public sculpture, Newsum’s career spanned half a century, and his works can be seen in the Smithsonian National Museum of African History and Culture, Washington DC, the Studio Museum of Harlem, Philadelphia Museum of Arts, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, the David C. Driskell Center, University of Maryland College Park.

He often included ladders in his art as a tribute to his father who was the first African American firefighter in Memphis, Tenn. He described the ladders as showing transition. A sculpture, “Ladder or Hope,” is on display in the lobby of the Acres Homes Multi-Service Center in Houston.

by Marene Gustin
credit photos to: University of Houston, floydnewsum.com (Ladder of Hope photo)