Barbara Blackmun

Barbara Winston Blackmun (June 29, 1928 – July 6, 2018) was an art historian, professor, and museum director from the United States. She specialized in Nigerian antiquities, including Nok terracottas, the bronzes of Ife, and the bronzes and ivories of the Kingdom of Benin in Nigeria. She was also known for her early use of computer analysis for motif identification (see image analysis) and interpretation in African art. Born in Merced, California, Blackmun pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a teaching certificate at UCLA. She earned her Master of Arts from Arizona State University, focusing on Maravi masks from Malawi, and later completed her PhD at UCLA with a dissertation on the iconography of carved altar tusks from Benin, Nigeria.

Blackmun's legacy is marked by her extensive research and publications, which have provided deeper insights into the historical and cultural significance of Nigerian artifacts. Her work was recognized with a Fulbright and National Endowment for the Humanities grant. She was a faculty of San Diego Mesa College, where she taught art history courses for nearly 4 decades. Beyond her research, Blackmun's dedication to education and her role in the Arts Council for the African Studies Association demonstrate her commitment to the advancement of African art studies.