I liked the sound of Leroy Johnson’s voice before I got to meet him. It was strong, happy, eager to make my acquaintance, as people of his generation might say. I had only learned of…
Tag: African American artist
Reba Dickerson-Hill masters art and life
Posted in Art
I’ve always liked the sound of Reba Dickerson-Hill’s name. It has a melodious rhythm, like the words to a poem, emoting a power in their connectedness that would be lost if there were only two.…
They were three teens from Black neighborhoods in North Philadelphia where graffiti was more prevalent than Picasso. Like most children in insular neighborhoods, they never much ventured outside their area, hindered by little money and…
Benjamin Britt was always a mystery to me. He seemed to be on the periphery of my thoughts, never fully formed, almost an illusion. I would hear his name in snatches, but it was hard…
Roland Ayers was one of those local artists who was a friend and mentor to a few people but was largely unknown to many. For years, he ran the Friends of the Free Library of…
Children’s books illustrated by African American artist John Wilson
Posted in Art, Black history, and Books
I knew exactly what I was looking for as I flipped through the carts of children’s books lined up in a hallway outside the abandoned school library. I wondered if there were any books with…
Reproduction prints are Charles White’s nod to the masses
Posted in Art, and Ephemera/Paper/Documents
I was rummaging through the loads of documents, photos and other papers I’ve picked up at auction over the years and found a portfolio of four reproduction prints by African American artist Charles White. They…
As I drove down the narrow one-way street tight with cars on both sides, I kept an eye out for artist Dindga McCannon’s house. Look for the purple steps, she had told me after I…
As soon as I saw the woman in the painting, I recognized her. Her portrait had come up for auction some years before with another painting of a black soldier with attitude. I wasn’t able…
The painting showed a lone black man in a pastoral scene emboldened with brilliant tones of caramel colors. I ventured closer to it, eager to find out who had created such a powerful image. I…