Savannah has lost a treasure with the passing of internationally renowned artist Luther E. Vann.
By integrating the physical with the spiritual in his work, Vann created paintings that can be found in collections around the world. Born Dec. 2, 1937, in Savannah, he died of cancer April 6 at age 78.
“I’m heartbroken,” said Karen Wilds, program manager at Savannah State University. “He was by far the most fascinating, not only man, but human I’ve ever met, particularly in the art world.”
Savannah-based author and poet Aberjhani said Vann knew how to connect with his surroundings.
“… He had a gift for connecting with people wherever they happened to be in terms of their spiritual center, their intellectual level, their creative sensibility,” he said. “That’s where he met them and communed with them.
“If you Google Luther’s name, you’ll see names of philosophical and psychological types. He studied the human personality and the human spirit very deeply so he could relate with people. He chose more to relate with people than judge them. He created a bridge he could cross over or meet them halfway and truly commune with them.”
