Some folks may not be aware that the actor, Robert De Niro, is the son of two significant artists of the 50s and later. His mother was Virginia Admiral. The two artists met at Hans Hofmann's summer school (as noted recently every good artist of the mid 1900s seems to have studied, at least briefly, with Hofmann). De Niro Sr. was exhibited in New York in the 50s and after a move to Paris he caught the eye of Joseph Hirshhorn (his work is included in the collection of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden). He was also the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship. He also taught at Cooper Union, School of Visual Arts and New School for Social Research. And this is all just a brief sketch of his extensive career and influence.
Driskell, although his son is not an Academy Award winner, is another significant artist--and art historian. His work goes beyond simply his own work; he is the author of numerous books on art--specifically African-American art. The University of Maryland, College Park is also home to The David C. Driskell Center for the Study of the Visual Arts and Culture of African Americans and the African Diaspora.
One of his pieces below is an homage to the great Romare Bearden .