The extraordinary scope and diversity of African American art will be on view at
the Tacoma Art Museum beginning July 7 with the Walter O. Evans Collection
of African American Art. This is one of the most significant African American
collections in the country, comprising more than 80 works of African American
art ranging from the mid-nineteenth century to the present.
Evans, who grew up in Georgia and South Carolina, became interested in art
when he began visiting museums while he was in the U.S. Navy during the
mid-1960s. He enjoyed the art, but was struck by the absence of African
American artists and subjects. Subsequently, Evans began collecting art in
1977 with the purchase of a portfolio of prints by Jacob Lawrence.
Beginning with works made in the
period just after the Civil War, the exhibition comprises a
chronological view of African American fine art traditions;
in addition, the stories and challenges of individual artists
are also evident. From the pioneering efforts of early
artists such as landscape painters Edward Mitchell
Banister and Scott Duncanson to the early twentieth
century with the Harlem Renaissance when artists began
exploring African images and styles, as seen in the
paintings and sculptures of Aaron Douglas and Richmond
Barthé.
Works from artists such
as Charles White and
Augusta Savage take
you through the years
around the Great
Depression, when many art schools and community centers were
established by the federal government. The collection concludes
with works from the end of the twentieth century, when African
American artists experimented with modern styles and the
expression of their own identity. This is evident in the works of Jacob
Lawrence, Romare Bearden, Alma Lewis and others as they faced
the profound political and social controversies of the Civil Rights
movement and its legacy.
Don’t miss the Walter O. Evans Collection of African American Art, a
vibrant collection of works that draw on the unique experiences of
African American artists during the last 150 years, covering
enormous territory in the history of African American art.
IMAGE:
We Have Been Believers, 1940
charcoal on paper
21 1/2 x 18 1/2 inches
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