The Ponder Gallery at Benedict College is totally committed to the preservation of African and African American Culture. Our collection, which is now approaching 200 pieces, focuses mainly on contemporary art on paper. Several of the pieces were obtained through the generous gifts of the many artists that have graced the walls of The Ponder Gallery.

​

​

​

Founded in 1870, Benedict College is a private, co-educational liberal arts institution and currently has over 2,100 students enrolled in its 33 baccalaureate degree programs. Benedict College was ranked for the eight-consecutive year (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017) as one of the top baccalaureate colleges in the nation by Washington Monthly for creating social mobility among low-income students, producing cutting edge scholarship and research. Benedict has been recognized by the National Civic Engagement Award from The Washington Center for encouraging students to give back to the community which is the heart of the College’s vision and mission. Benedict College has earned four President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll Awards from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), a federal agency charged with improving lives, strengthening communities, and fostering civic engagement through service and volunteering. CNCS is responsible for leading President Barack Obama’s national call to service initiative. President Obama personally thanked Benedict College for its commitment to volunteerism during a nationally televised White House Town Hall Meeting held on Benedict’s campus on March 6, 2015.

​

On June 30, 2017, Dr. Artis was unanimously appointed by the Board of Trustees as the President of Benedict College. She is the first female President in the 148-year history of the College that was founded by a woman, Mrs. Bathsheba Benedict. Benedict has one of the largest undergraduate population of the 20 private institutions in South Carolina and has become the third largest college in The College Fund/UNCF network. Benedict has over 17,000 alumni throughout South Carolina and the United States. The College has been “a power for good” in the community and is a major economic contributor to the region and South Carolina, with a local annual economic impact of over $106.7 million.

​

​