What can the lived experience of acclaimed painter Beverly McIver teach us about life as an African American woman artist raised in the American South, and what insights can we glean about the wider art world?

Expanding on their original conversation stemming from the artists’ retrospective exhibition, Full Circle, painter Beverly McIver and curator Kim Boganey delve into Beverly’s life journey from her origins in Greensboro, North Carolina, to her struggles in education, her growth as an artist and caretaker, and her development as a professor. Exploring captivating, shared stories, the friends touch on themes of identity, race, caretaking, death, and depression, and how this has impacted Beverly’s artistic practice.

Offering thought-provoking insight into the art world, how it functions, the challenges artists of color in particular can face, and the opportunities there are for the next generation, this book is ideal reading for students of Art and Design, Art Practice, Art History, Black Studies, Gender Studies, and Disability Studies, as well as Art practitioners and curators.

Kim Boganey is an Independent Curator and Art Consultant.

Beverly McIver is a painter and Professor of the Practice of Art, Art History & Visual Arts at Duke University.

"They have managed to interweave their personal and professional stories, advice for future generations, and heart-rending historical information into a poetic triumph of both intimate and epic proportions. It is really, really good and speaks in authentic, personal voices."

—Dr. Joy Sperling, Collection Editor

Images in bold are reproduced in the book. The remaining images are here on the website only:

Chapter One

1. Sharon, Roni, Renee and Beverly McIver, Christmas, 1965
2. Ethel, Beverly, Renee and Roni McIver, Easter Sunday, 1966
3. Cardrew Davis, late 1980’s
   

Chapter Two

1. Beverly McIver, Fruits, 1984, oil on board, Collection of the artist.
2. Beverly McIver and Richard Mayhew, 2004.
3. Beverly McIver and Faith Ringgold, 2017.
   
4. Beverly McIver, Self Portrait – Beverly, 1993, oil on canvas and fabric. Collection of the artist.

Chapter Three

1. Beverly and Kim celebrate their December birthdays, c. 2000.
2. Beverly McIver, York Garrett, 1994, oil on canvas, Collection of the artist.
3. Beverly McIver, My Pretty Red Outfit, 1994, oil on Collection of Jane Shuping Tyndall.
4. Beverly McIver, Sharing Watermelon, 1999, oil on Collection of the artist.
5. Beverly McIver, Mom Died, 2004, oil on Collection of the artist.

Chapter Four

1. Beverly McIver, Depression #6, 2010, oil on Collection of the artist.
2. Beverly McIver, Dear God – Barack Obama, 2008, oil on canvas with writing. Collection of the artist.
3. Beverly McIver, Larry, 2018, oil on canvas. Collection of Lawrence Wheeler.

Chapter Five

1. Beverly McIver, Eiko Collaborative Painting 2, 2019, oil on Collection of the artist.
2. Beverly McIver, Sharon Pushing Up Daisies #1, 2018, oil on Collection of the artist.
3. Beverly McIver, Egon Schiele Hands, 2021, oil on Collection of the artist.
4. Beverly McIver, Defiant, 2020, oil on canvas. Collection of Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson, 21c Museum Hotels.
5. Beverly McIver, Ducks in a Row, 2024, oil on Collection of the artist.
6. Beverly McIver, Renee is 65, oil on Collection of the artist. (image TBP)

Chapter Six

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