UpDate - Vol. 12, No. 25, Page 12
March 25, 1993
African-American focus; Biennial symposium is major forum for new research

     African-American art is e represents a large segment of our culture.
However, there has been little research in the field, and African-American
art is under-represented in the study and books of American art."
     Wayne Craven, H. F. du Pont Winterthur Professor of Art History, is
describing why the decision was made to feature African-American art as the
focus of the University's upcoming biennial art history symposium. Craven
headed a committee of art history graduate students who were responsible
for the symposium as part of their training.
     "Image and Identity: The African-American Experience in 20th-Century
American Art," a day-long event begins at 8:30 a.m., Friday, April 2, at
Clayton Hall. The symposium will conclude with a reception, followed by a
viewing of the exhibition, African-American Art: The Paul R. Jones
Collection, at the University Gallery, which is on display through April 4.
     The biennial symposium, sponsored by the Department of Art History,
was first held in 1972 and is the oldest permanent forum for new research
in American art history in the nation. The symposium attracts hundreds of
faculty members, students, scholars, museum professionals, collectors,
dealers and others involved in the art world.
     The concept of this year's symposium originated when Craven attended
an exhibition of the works of African-American artist Archibald Motley Jr.,
held by the Chicago Historical Society a few winters ago. A painter during
the 1920s and 1930s, Motley chronicled African tribal myths and painted
Southern landscapes but is best known for his portrayals of night life
during the jazz era in Chicago's Bronzeville, the equivalent of New York's
Harlem.
     After viewing the exhibition, Craven recalled, it occurred to him that
there existed a wealth of art by gifted African Americans that was largely
ignored by the mainstream of the art world, and the concept of the
symposium was born.
     The realization brought about changes in his own work as well, Craven
said. Working on a book, American Art: History and Culture-a compendium of
architecture, the decorative arts, painting, sculpture and photography from
1564 to the present- Craven rewrote sections to include African-American
art.
     With the exception of crafts, tools and quilts, most African-American
art did not begin until after the Civil War, he said. African-American
slaves came to this country with no possessions, so had no visual reminders
of their culture. What they did bring were their memories of ceremonies and
music, but as slaves, they had few opportunities to express themselves in
the visual arts, Craven pointed out.
     African Americans began to rediscover their artistic heritage when
missionaries returned from Africa with artifacts and art objects. Patrons
of the arts, such as Albert Barnes, who assembled the famed Barnes
Collection in Merion, Pa., began collecting these. Modern masters, such as
Picasso, also were influenced by the art of Africa.
     The early African-American artists emulated Western art, but during
the 20th century, artists' works reflected their unique, combined
African-American heritage, Craven said. These artists are represented in
all fields of the discipline, including painting, sculpture, printmaking
and photography. Their works range from folk art to realistic art to
abstract expressionism.
     The April symposium will feature a series of speakers on different
aspects of African-American art. These include Floyd Coleman, chairperson
of the art department at Howard University, who will speak on "Black
Colleges and the Development of an African-American Visual Arts Tradition";
Lynda Roscoe Hartigan, associate curator of the National Museum of American
Art, who will discuss "African-American Folk Art in the 20th Century"; and
Mary Schmidt Campbell, dean of the Tisch School of the Arts at New York
University, who will offer concluding remarks.
     Cost of the symposium is $15 for students and $35 for others. To
enable students (accompanied by faculty) from other colleges and
universities to attend the symposium, the Barra Foundation has made
scholarships available for Delaware State College, Lincoln University,
Howard University, Hampton University, Bucknell University, Yale
University, the University of Pennsylvania and Virginia Commonwealth
University.
     In addition, the symposium has received support from the dean of the
College of Arts and Sciences; Clayton Hall Conference Center; Minority
Scholars Fund; the Center for Black Culture; Bank of Delaware; and Gerry
Wunderlich Galleries of New York.
                                        --Sue Swyers Moncure