Commencement 2021: Fulton Leroy Washington is Addressing UCLA Art Students
Fulton Leroy Washington (AKA Mr. Wash) is delivering the keynote address at the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture's 2021 commencement ceremony on June 12. Howardena Pindell, Lonnie Bunch, Amy Sherald, Sonya Clark, and Theaster Gates are also speaking at graduations.
"WHATEVER WISDOM Fulton Leroy Washington (aka Mr. Wash) imparts on graduating art students at UCLA, he will likely emphasize the importance of time. Don’t waste it. Make the most of it. You can’t get it back.
Fulton Leroy Washington (aka Mr. Wash) will address 2021 graduates at the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture during a virtual ceremony. Washington is delivering the keynote address at the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture graduating class of 2021 on June 12. The artist has an inspiring story to share about the arc of his life and the great strides he’s made, particularly over the past five years. Washington spent two decades in prison and was released in 2016. Today, he is among 30 artists featured in Made in L.A. 2020.
He is also one of several African American artists speaking at college commencements this year, including Howardena Pindell, Amy Sherald, Sonya Clark, Theaster Gates, and Dread Scott. Artists and arts leaders are addressing graduates and/or receiving honorary degrees. Due to health concerns about the lingering pandemic, many ceremonies are virtual. Others are hybrid events with graduates attending in person with their friends and families tuning in online. The artists are opening up about their personal journeys and artistic paths, offering encouragement and lessons learned.
Compton, Calif.-based Washington’s unusual path began in 1997, when he was convicted of three nonviolent drug offenses he says he did not commit. Based on his prior convictions and mandatory minimum sentencing requirements, Washington received life in prison. While incarcerated, he started sketching and eventually painting, giving him an outlet for expressing himself. He committed to his art, a photorealistic style of portraiture, and said he stopped counting when he surpassed 900 paintings.
After President Barack Obama commuted his sentence, granting him clemency, Washington walked out of prison on May 5, 2016. Since gaining his freedom, he has been making the most of the time he has now with his family and his work.
Washington’s painting have been featured prominently in Made in L.A., illustrating billboard, posters, and the exhibition website. The highly regarded biennial presented by the Hammer Museum at UCLA and The Huntington is currently on view through Aug. 1, 2021. (Washington’s paintings are on display at both locations.) His work is also included in “Shattered Glass,” a group exhibition curated by Melahn Frierson and AJ Girard at Jeffrey Deitch Los Angeles, through May 22.
In addition to his artistic practice, he is a criminal justice reform advocate and continues to work on his case to prove his innocence.
In a recent interview with UCLA Arts, conducted by Avishay Artsy, Washington said, “You can’t make up time. There’s no making up time. I went in there and I worked everyday and used the time in a positive way. It’s nothing to make up… I am only constantly getting the best out of every 24 hours.”"— Victoria L. Valentine, May 21, 2021
This post is an excerpt. Read the full article on the Culture Type website.
Read more about Mr. Wash.
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