Scarsdale native to be honored by Massachusetts school

Her selfless support of the arts and education has earned Pamela Allara a distinguished award.

Pamela Allara’s tireless support of the Boston Arts Academy has earned her a prestigious award.

BY GRACE FAIRCHILD

Pamela Allara is an associate professor emerita of contemporary African art at Brandeis University, as well as a Bostonian. And soon, she will be something else as well: a recipient of the Champion Award from the Boston Arts Academy Foundation. The honor is bestowed upon those who have devoted enormous time and energy towards supporting the Boston Arts Academy, an autonomous school within the Boston Public Schools that educates aspiring artists, scholars, and global citizens.

Allara’s distinguished journey has its roots in Scarsdale, and she spoke with the Insider about how it began in the halls of Scarsdale High. She vividly remembers the start of seventh grade; at the time, there was no separate junior high. Admittedly, she was intimidated to be surrounded by so many older and bigger kids, but found her way through classes taught by many nurturing teachers.“My art teacher, Mr. Beckerman, was the kind of teacher who instead of criticizing students for their shortcomings would encourage them to carry on and keep trying to do better,” she said. His support fostered her love of art and, following her graduation in 1961, likely led her to her next chapter: pursuing an art history degree.

Allara majored in art at Pembroke College, graduating two years before the announcement that the women’s college would officially merge with Brown. Later, she continued her graduate studies at Johns Hopkins. She and her husband moved to Boston and she began her teaching career at Massachusetts College of Art and Design and then Tufts University. After 17 years at Tufts University, she taught at Brandeis University for another 17 years before gaining the associate professor emerita title she holds today.

A passion for African art
Allara’s teaching curriculum at Tufts and Brandeis focused on art history and African contemporary art. In the 1980s, she developed connections with South African activist artists and was chosen to teach in Johannesburg as a Fulbright Scholar. She studied the political dissent expressed in South African art during this apartheid era, and brought made them a topic close study in her classroom. Among the art that inspired her were the works of South African artist Paul Stopforth, whose drawings depicted Steve Biko, an anti-apartheid leader who died at the hands of police. After Stopforth’s work was suppressed by the regime, he relocated to the Boston area to teach at Harvard and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts—he and Allara remain friends to this day. For her part, Allara returned to Johannesburg for several teaching stints until 2019.

Believing wholeheartedly in the value of an arts education, Allara became involved with the Boston Academy of Arts Foundation from its founding in 1999. Like LaGuardia High School on the Upper West Side, the Academy is a public high school meant to provide an arts-centered college preparatory education. It is the only public high school in Boston for the visual and performing arts, and its namesake foundation works on fundraising efforts to supplement the school district’s funding. Over the years, Allara has supported events, contributed to fundraising efforts, and tutored students.

For her ongoing support of art education, she will be one of three honorees at the foundation’s annual Champion Reception on March 20th. At The Citizens House of Blues, she will celebrate the award with her children and grandchildren in the Boston area. Allara loves attending the event each year, and often encourages her family and friends to join her. “It is just such a pleasure to see those students and see them perform and realize how incredibly talented they are,” she said.

Her last visit to Scarsdale was with her two sisters to recall their coming-of-age memories. Their favorite pastime was once an everyday joy for anyone growing up in this era: Getting Cokes at Lang’s Delicatessen in Scarsdale Village together.

Author Grace Fairchild

Grace Fairchild is passionate about independent local news as the cornerstone of a strong community. She completed undergrad at Cornell University and spent two years as news director for an independent radio station in Ithaca, WVBR 93.5. When she’s not writing, she loves watching baseball, playing trivia with friends, and listening to every podcast or radio show on air.