Hale Woodruff (American, 1900–1980) was an artist and art educator who is renowned for works that capture African American experiences. Woodruff’s legacy is particularly important to Spelman College because of his role in positioning the Atlanta University Center as the premier site in the southeast for art instruction for African Americans at a time when segregationist policies limited their access to instruction and other artistic opportunities. Woodruff also had a significant impact on the New York School and the development of abstract expressionism. His works are held in collections at several universities and museums, and his papers are held at the Amistad Research Center (New Orleans) and the Archives of American Art and the Library of Congress (both located in Washington, D.C.). The Spelman Collection includes key holdings by Woodruff, including one of the most celebrated works from his Celestial Gate series and a well-known series of linocuts depicting the buildings of the Atlanta University Center.
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