HOUSTON – A Houston artist and professor will have a piece of his work on permanent display at the new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The museum opens to the public this weekend with a ceremony that will include President Barack Obama.
Floyd Newsum has taught art at the University of Houston Downtown for 40 years.
"It's a great honor to be in the Smithsonian, to be from Houston and represent Houston, that's fantastic," Newsum said.
His work can be seen all over Houston including several sculptures on display at Main Street Square in downtown.
Now visitors from around the world will be able to see his work in Washington, D.C. The painting, titled "After The Storm CNN" is based on Hurricane Katrina.
"It has the elements of the tragedy but it also has hope," Newsum said.
The news is both impressing and inspiring Newsum's art students at UHD.
"I felt privileged to have an artist like him being able to teach us his point of view is surreal, not a lot of people have that opportunity like we do here having him," Diana Sanchez said.
The Houston Museum of African-American Culture has a retrospective of Newsum's work on display now.
You can learn more about him by visiting his website here.