The Art of John Scott
More about John Scott
Artist John Scott was born in New Orleans and raised in the city’s Lower Ninth Ward. He taught at Xavier University for more than 40 years and was named a MacArthur Fellow in 1992 by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, a highly prestigious honor that came at the height of his career.
Scott was known for creating vibrant kinetic sculptures that explored themes such as the diddly-bow string instrument from West African culture, or the rhythms and movements inspired by early 19th-century slave dances in New Orleans’s famed Congo Square. His large woodcuts drew heavily upon life in the city, especially its rich African-Caribbean culture and musical heritage.











