Desc: The Artist in Society: Talking with Hershell West: Directed by Eve A. Ma. With Eve A. Ma, John Wehrle II, Hershell West. A black man brought up in the rural south in the days before the end of segregation, neither Hershell West's family nor his community, nor the larger society expected him to become a professional artist. Defying these expectations, he triumphed over the odds and in this documentary, we examine both his art and the ways in which artists contribute to society - through their artistic creations, and also through their teaching, and advocacy for the arts.