South Carolina Hall Of Fame: Dr. Leo Twiggs

Leo Twiggs was born in St. Stephen, South Carolina. He received his bachelor's from Claflin University where he studied with Arthur Rose and his master's from New York University with acclaimed muralist, Hale Woodruff. In 1970, Twiggs became the first African American to receive the doctorate in art education from the University of Georgia. He chaired the art department and directed the museum at South Carolina State University until he retired in 1998 where he was named professor Emeritus in 2000.

In 2017, Twiggs's nine paintings series, "Requiem for Mother Emanuel" received national recognition when it was featured on CBS, ESPN and reviewed in Art in America. In 2019, he received the $10,000 1858 Society Prize for Contemporary Southern Art, the first South Carolina artist so honored, a second Verner Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts and The Order of the Palmetto, the state's highest civilian award. Twiggs is married to the former Rosa Johnson of Sumter and they have three sons.