Duke Professor Receives Top State Honor

Beverly McIver, an emerita professor of art, art history and visual studies, was inducted into the Order of the Long Leaf Pine

Beverly McIver with Gov. Josh Stein
Emerita professor Beverly McIver is a new member of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. She received the award from Gov. Josh Stein. (Photo courtesy office of Gov. Josh Stein)

Beverly McIver, an emerita professor of the practice in Duke’s Department of Art, Art History and Visual Studies, has received The Order of the Long Leaf Pine award.

It is the highest award for state service given by the office of the governor. McIver, an acclaimed contemporary artist, was one of a dozen recipients of the award from Gov. Josh Stein Tuesday afternoon.

The award is given “to persons for exemplary service to the State of North Carolina and their communities that is above and beyond the call of duty and which has made a significant impact and strengthened North Carolina.”

A professional painter since the 1990s, McIver made a name for herself in part through her unabashedly personal work.

She has painted herself hundreds of times – sometimes semi-nude or in vulnerable poses. Her work has tackled depression, the ill health of family members, and all manner of challenges facing an African American woman in America.

She came to Duke to teach in 2014. In 2022, her work was the subject of a retrospective – an honor bestowed on relatively few artists – with an exhibition shining a light on her career work.

Read more about McIver’s life, work and time at Duke here.