Avery Brown Renfro

Some discoveries stop you in your tracks. As I’ve been cataloging my grandfather Professor Leon Renfro’s archives, I came across this postcard from Ethiopia that was mailed to him in 1981 while he was teaching in the Art Department at Texas Southern University. What makes this discovery even more meaningful is that the postcard is signed by Alvia. Today, more than four decades later, I have the incredible privilege of working alongside Dr. Alvia Wardlaw to curate the Brown Renfro Exhibition...

Sometimes the work isn’t hanging on the wall… Sometimes it’s opening boxes that haven’t been touched in decades. For the past several days, I’ve been quietly cataloging my grandfather, Professor Leon Renfro’s, and my uncle Bruce Brown’s archives—sorting through artwork, exhibition programs, handwritten letters, postcards, photographs, and pieces of history that tell a much bigger story. Every folder has led to another discovery. Every letter has connected another dot. Every artifact reminds...

Another incredible discovery from Professor Leon Renfro’s archives. While cataloging my grandfather’s collection, I came across this exhibition announcement from 1989 for Forerunners and Newcomers: An Exhibition of Houston’s Leading African American Artists at the University of Houston Clear Lake Art Gallery. As I read through the list of artists, I couldn’t help but pause. There was my grandfather’s name. Leon Renfro. Surrounded by an extraordinary group of artists, including his mentor, Dr....