Lou Stovall

Lou Stovall, an African American printmaker and artist, was born in 1937. Born in Athens, Georgia, he grew up in Springfield, MA, where he attended Technical High School. Stovall initially studied art at the Rhode Island School of Design and at Howard University where he received a Bachelor
of Fine Arts degree. 

Since 1962, he has lived and worked in Washington, D.C. Over the years, he has won numerous awards, but perhaps his most enduring legacy is his work in the community. It was that spirit of community that Lou Stovall took with him when he began his professional career. In the 1960s, he was given the opportunity to create his own workshop.

With the help of benefactors Philip and Leni Stern, Stovall was able to set up The Workshop in 1968, which anyone who wanted to learn with him could come and do so. The rules of Workshop, Inc., were that Stovall would teach anyone who wanted to learn, as long as they agreed to stay around to
teach someone else.

Through his Workshop, Inc., he has made a unique effort to build a community of artists in Washington and to encourage, by his own example, service in the community. 

Among his special commissions, he designed the Independence Day invitation for the White House in 1982 at the request of Mrs. Reagan. In 1996, he designed and made the print Breathing Hope to honor Howard University’s incoming president H. Patrick Swygert. He also designed and created stunning prints for President Barack Obama’s inauguration.