Floyd E. Newsum, Jr., was born on November 3, 1950, in Memphis, Tennessee. Growing up in
that time and place, he was a witness to the Civil Rights movement. His father was an
activist and one of Memphis’ first Black firefighters. In 2020, on the My Brother podcast,
Mr. Newsum spoke of the culture in his city, referencing Blues music and barbecues. He
noted that it wasn’t until he was about 17 years old that he truly came to understand the
bigger issues that were affecting his community. He spoke about attending activist meetings
and marches related to the Memphis Sanitation Strike, with his father and brother, and
how those experiences influenced his early work.
Mr. Newsum has said that he knew from the time he was in third grade that he wanted to be
an artist, but that his mother recognized it when he was just four years old. He spoke of
his family’s support of his artistic career, with his parents funding his schooling and
his aunt purchasing his first painting. In 1973, he received a BFA from Memphis College
of Art, formerly Memphis Academy of Art. Two years later, he received an MFA from the
Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In 1976, a year after his graduation from Temple University, Mr. Newsum was offered a
position at the University of Houston Downtown. He taught courses in drawing, painting,
printmaking, and art appreciation. During his 48-year tenure with the university, Mr.
Newsum also held a variety of administrative roles. In 2003, Mr. Newsum received UHD’s
Scholarship/Creativity Award, recognizing his contributions to the field of visual arts.
In a press release, Loren J. Blanchard, UHD President, remarked, “Professor Newsum was
more than an artist, more than a teacher. 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.”
Mark Cervenka, a UHD art professor and Director of the university’s O’Kane Gallery, told
Glasstire, “Floyd by nature was inquisitive and a good listener. This, in my opinion,
made him a very good teacher; a good attribute especially for a studio professor able to
offer technical expertise, but also make students feel at ease developing and navigating
their artistic vision. As he did greeting staff or administrators in the halls of the
university, in a meeting, or in the classroom he gave everyone his respect and attention.”
Mr. Newsum spoke of himself as an “artist social servant.” His desire to help and support
others manifested in a multitude of ways. One of the most visible realizations of his
social work was as co-founder of Project Row Houses (PRH). In 1993, Mr. Newsum, along
with James Bettison (1958-1997), Bert Long, Jr. (1940-2013), Jesse Lott (1943-2023),
Rick Lowe, Bert Samples, and George Smith, transformed a block of shotgun houses in
Houston’s Third Ward into a resource for the community. Over the last 30 years, the
organization has grown substantially and continues to invest in the area through art
programs, community enrichment projects, and neighborhood development activities.
