Romare Howard Bearden was born on September 2, 1911, to (Richard) Howard and Bessye Bearden in Charlotte, North Carolina, and died in New York City on March 12, 1988, at the age of 76. His life and art are marked by exceptional talent, encompassing a broad range of intellectual and scholarly interests, including music, performing arts, history, literature and world art. Bearden was also a celebrated humanist, as demonstrated by his lifelong support of young, emerging artists.
David Driskell: The Civil Rights Movement & Its Role in Black Art
The Catch by WAK
Kevin A. Williams’ art is widely circulated fine art. Diverse in its themes, the art is painted by Williams in mixed mediums, and then produced in limited edition quantities. Williams also creates a number of commissioned works annually.
As the best-selling artist in the African-American print market, Williams is a popular personality at national art shows, conferences of African-American groups and major international events, including the Essence Music Festival. His art has been featured on television’s Law & Order (NBC) and Soul Food (Showtime).
Kevin A. Williams recent years have included commissioned work for celebrities, such as televisions host and movie producer Oprah Winfrey and comedian Bernie Mac, as well as corporate clients. He formed SoulVisions in May 2003.
Actor, Singer, Composer & Minister Clifton Davis
Davis was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Thelma vanPutten Langhorn, a nurse, and Toussaint L’Ouverture Davis, a Baptist minister.[1] He was raised in Mastic, New York.
Before finding fame in acting, Davis worked as a songwriter, most famously penning The Jackson 5‘s #2 hit “Never Can Say Goodbye“.
Davis starred as barber Clifton Curtis in the mid-1970s television show That’s My Mama with Theresa Merritt, Theodore Wilson and Ted Lange (who subsequently became a mainstay of The Love Boat). Davis’ romantic interest with songstress and Broadway performer Melba Moore led to his co-starring role on her musical variety television show.
Davis made a guest appearance on the third episode of the first season of The Bobby Vinton Show in September 1975, singing “I’ve Got The Music In Me” and “Never Can Say Goodbye”. He successfully sang the Polish lyrics with Vinton to the show’s “My Melody of Love” theme song.
A triple heart bypass survivor, he participated in the “superstars” celebrity TV sports competitions of the seventies. He also appeared in the film Scott Joplin in 1977.
Davis released one acclaimed (and now hard to find) studio recording in 1991 on Benson Records titled Say Amen. He also appeared as a panelist in the second version of The Match Game.
He played the mayor of Miami in the 1999 film Any Given Sunday.
Artist George Nock
Artists and athletes generally inhabit opposite ends of the stereotype spectrum: the jocks just don’t mix with the poets and painters. But a few individuals are helping redefine this notion, and have created worlds where art and athletics reside happily side by side. George Nock is one such example. The Atlanta resident first gained recognition as a football player, helping lead Morgan State University to four CIAA championships before turning pro in 1969. Nock was a running-back for the New York Jets for three years before heading to the Washington Redskins. After a knee injury sidelined him after his first season in DC, Nock returned to a passion that preceded his love for football: art. Today, Nock is an accomplished painter and sculptor: his work has been shown across the country and can be found in the private collections of notables such as Joe Namath, Evander Holyfield, and Vanessa Williams. His work, which covers themes ranging from jazz musicians and dancers to wildlife and athletes, captures the spirit and energy which guide Nock’s life. We caught up with the artist via e-mail to talk about his early experiences with art, the overlap of art and athletics, and how whether we realize it or not, art is all around us.
Woodrow Nash’s Massai Women
Maasai Women
Maasai women, known for their multiple strands of stunning beads, regularly shave their heads to draw attention to their coourful jewelery. The Masasi Woman is a pastoralist by nature and orientation, and is a symbol of culture and tradition. Her neck collar is made of stoneware and ceramic tile, the large ear piece copper or brass) indicates that the Maasai woman is married.
Stoneware Sculpture, Female Torso – 27″ x 18″ x 13″
Kimmy Cantrell Artist
Whenever artist Kimmy Cantrell looks around him, visions flow from his soul. “Landscapes become human forms and lumps of clay transform into vivid abstract figures,” the sculptor explains. With his striking ceramic faces, still lifes and nudes, the College Park, Georgia native conjures up imagery that beckons us to view ourselves and the world through an unorthodox lens.
Largely self-taught, Kimmy discovered his artistic vision in high school. His art teacher, Curtis Patterson, now at the Atlanta College of Art, admired his command of clay. Kimmy’s very first piece, a clay vase, landed on display at the Atlanta Board of Education Building. Still, he never considered making art his livelihood. Instead, he studied business administration at Georgia State University and spent 12 years in distribution management. In 1991, a recently divorced Kimmy left College Park to accept a job in rural South Georgia. There, after almost 20 years, his life came full circle. “I just decided one day that it was time to reconnect with the clay so I picked some up and sculpted a vase.“ Kimmy’s vases evolved into bowls, and bowls, faces. And, well, he hasn’t stopped creating since.
Kimmy Cantrell Visual Artist
Largely self-taught, Kimmy discovered his artistic vision in high school. His art teacher, Curtis Patterson, now at the Atlanta College of Art, admired his command of clay. Kimmy’s very first piece, a clay vase, landed on display at the Atlanta Board of Education Building. Still, he never considered making art his livelihood. Instead, he studied business administration at Georgia State University and spent 12 years in distribution management. In 1991, a recently divorced Kimmy left College Park to accept a job in rural South Georgia. There, after almost 20 years, his life came full circle. “I just decided one day that it was time to reconnect with the clay so I picked some up and sculpted a vase.“ Kimmy’s vases evolved into bowls, and bowls, faces. And, well, he hasn’t stopped creating since.
Artist Buchi Upjohn
Buchi Upjohn Aghaji dips his brush into vastly different hues when creating his works. He expresses his art through a variety of media including oil, watercolor and acrylic on cold-pressed paper, canvas, burlap, wood and pottery. The result is a refreshing change from the contemporary trend in Afro-centric painting. Aghaji says that while he was always interested in painting, his studies in the university steered him into the advertising field where he worked for a year in Nigeria. It wasn’t until he moved to England that he realized that he could pursue his painting full time. The response he received from his work was so encouraging that he and an illustrator friend opened a studio.
Aghaji decided to move to the United States and spent three years in New York. He now resides in Metro Atlanta. Aghaji utilizes the graphic techniques he acquired while majoring in visual communications at the University of Nigeria. He also uses the traditional “uli” motifs found in his tribe, the Igbos of Nigeria. Uli is the art of body decorations, consisting of lines and patterns that convey such admirable qualities as the strength, fertility, humility, and compassion of the individuals they adorn. This combining of the best of the “old” and the new come together make his work a unique and exhilarating experience. Upjohn’s work has received much recognition and acclaim in Nigeria and other parts of the world. His work has been collected by the President of Nigeria and numerous private collectors in England, Germany, America and Africa.
William Tolliver Visual Artist
William Tolliver, a native of Mississippi is internationally recognized for his powerful moving style and has earned himself a place among America’s most renowned artist. Tolliver developed a style that is both versatile and refreshingly exuberant. It is a style where inspiration comes from the fabric of his own upbringing. Jazz, history, and beauty each have a revered place in the palette of William Tolliver. What may seem commonplace on the surface found brilliance and light at the hand of this unequivocal master.
Laurie Cooper Visual Artist
Laurie Cooper is a Philadelphia based fine artist interested in showing the beauty of the black race. Her main goal is to show the inner and the outer beauty. Such as the inherent strength of character, richness of skin color, and the strong unique facial features those lies in the black race. Ms. Cooper hopes to reveal to all races the special qualities of the black race. Ms. Cooper is able to reveal these aspects in an academic style of painting, which is why she is one of the inspiring upcoming artists of today. In 1988, she earned her BFA from the University of Pennsylvania.
Collectors of her work include Dr. Pete Smith, Dr. Samuel F. Quartey, and Dr. Carey Tucker, Colorworks Gallery in Maryland, and Collectible Art Gallery in Philadelphia.
Deborah Shedrick Visual Artist
Deborah Shedrick’s art is her voice, her vacation and advocation, her passion since childhood. After receiving a Master of Science degree in psychology, she returned to her first love – art. She honed her artistic skills through workshops with other prominent artist and painting became a full-time venture in 1986. Acrylic, watercolor, pastel, clay collage and mixed media creations by Shedrick are part of collections throughout the United States and abroad. She has been the recipient of numerous awards in invitational and juried art shows.
Shedrick states, “As I create, I reflect on the master, the author of creativity, God. I share with you the spiritualness of which my art is born. Hear the art speak to you of love, inner-peace, strength and joy.”
Deborah Shedrick Visual Artist
Deborah Shedrick’s art is her voice, her vacation and advocation, her passion since childhood. After receiving a Master of Science degree in psychology, she returned to her first love – art. She honed her artistic skills through workshops with other prominent artist and painting became a full-time venture in 1986. Acrylic, watercolor, pastel, clay collage and mixed media creations by Shedrick are part of collections throughout the United States and abroad. She has been the recipient of numerous awards in invitational and juried art shows.
Shedrick states, “As I create, I reflect on the master, the author of creativity, God. I share with you the spiritualness of which my art is born. Hear the art speak to you of love, inner-peace, strength and joy.”
Artist Charles Bibbs
Contemporary Visual Artist Entrepreneur and Philanthropist
Internationally acclaimed artist Charles Bibbs, whose work is featured in museums, galleries, organizations, and homes of many collectors, displays a deep sense of Spirituality, Majesty, Dignity, Strength and Grace in his images, that is done in a combination of realistic and larger-than-life interpretations of contemporary subjects that are ethnically rooted.
Born in San Pedro, California, and raised in Harbor City, California, Bibbs managed to work an eight-hour job, and use his God-given talent in his spare time. But In 1991, Bibbs decided to leave his management position of 25 years, to form his own publishing and distribution company, B Graphics and Fine Arts, Inc. Today, Bibbs is one of the top-selling artists in the country, and his company has grown to be one of the leaders in the African American art print market.
Charles Bibbs Visual Artist
Contemporary Visual Artist Entrepreneur and Philanthropist
Internationally acclaimed artist Charles Bibbs, whose work is featured in museums, galleries, organizations, and homes of many collectors, displays a deep sense of Spirituality, Majesty, Dignity, Strength and Grace in his images, that is done in a combination of realistic and larger-than-life interpretations of contemporary subjects that are ethnically rooted.
Born in San Pedro, California, and raised in Harbor City, California, Bibbs managed to work an eight-hour job, and use his God-given talent in his spare time. But In 1991, Bibbs decided to leave his management position of 25 years, to form his own publishing and distribution company, B Graphics and Fine Arts, Inc. Today, Bibbs is one of the top-selling artists in the country, and his company has grown to be one of the leaders in the African American art print market.