Talladega College has sold four of its six celebrated Hale Woodruff murals to secure the school's financial future while ensuring the artwork remains accessible to the public.Talladega College
The sale, which art experts estimate brought the college approximately $20 million, represents a creative solution to the severe financial pressures facing many under-resourced HBCUs. With an endowment of just $5 million—compared to the $255 million average for historically Black colleges and universities—and a current enrollment of 745 students, Talladega faced a crisis point in May 2024 when the institution could not meet its payroll.
Three of Woodruff's murals depicting the 1839 mutiny on the Spanish slave ship Amistad were jointly purchased by the Art Bridges Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art, both of which lend artwork to public institutions. A fourth mural, portraying the Underground Railroad, was acquired by the Toledo Museum of Art. Two additional murals depicting Talladega's founding and construction will remain at the college.
"It required deliberate thought and execution," said Rica Lewis-Payton, the college's board chair who oversaw the sale. "I sit here today feeling good that we are leveraging this most prized possession in a way that will improve the ability of the college to provide a foundational education for people like me."
The partnership breaks new ground in how financially struggling institutions can leverage valuable cultural assets without permanently losing them. As part of the sale agreement, all six murals will be reunited at Talladega every six to eight years, ensuring the college maintains its connection to these historically significant works.
"This is going to expand the branding of our institution, and they will witness the beauty of this artwork around the world," said Dr. Willie Todd, the college's president. He noted that the murals previously attracted only about 500 visitors annually while housed at the university.
Initially, the team hoped to sell all six murals together but couldn't find a single institution capable of displaying works of such scope—some stretching 20 feet wide. Pricing also proved challenging, as other Woodruff works had rarely sold for more than six figures.
Created in 1939 to commemorate the centennial of the Amistad mutiny, the three murals depicting that historic event trace the journey of enslaved Africans who revolted against their captors, faced trial in Connecticut, and were eventually acquitted and repatriated. Woodruff, who was directing the art department at Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University) at the time, had not previously heard of the largely forgotten Amistad saga.
Woodruff's contributions to African American art extended far beyond these murals. The art department he founded at Atlanta University was among the first at a historically Black university in the American South. He also launched the Atlanta Annuals, exhibitions of African American art staged from 1942 to 1970 that provided crucial visibility for Black artists during an era of widespread segregation.
The Talladega arrangement may offer a template for other under-resourced institutions grappling with financial challenges while stewarding culturally significant collections. The partnership structure allows the college to address immediate financial needs while maintaining a relationship with the artwork and ensuring broader public access.
