." . . this collection has a narrative and descriptive thrust that is centered on the social and economic history of African Americans in the United States and presents a kaleidoscopic view of Black life and cultural history. The insistent integrity of the works included reflects a deep understanding of African American social values and celebrates with pride both a humble and a noble existence." -- Corrine Jennings African American art is reaching a wider audience today than ever before, as major exhibitions tour museums around the country. Inspired by the exhibit Hidden Heritage: Afro-American Art, 1800-1950, Harmon and Harriet Kelley began collecting African American art in 1987 and have amassed a collection that represents a broad range of genres and artists from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Profusely illustrated with color and black-and-white plates, this catalog accompanies a traveling exhibition of the Kelley collection, comprised of 124 works by 70 artists, including Edward M. Bannister, Elizabeth Catlett, William H. Johnson, Emma Lee Moss, Charles E. Porter, Henry O. Tanner, and Dox Thrash. Essays on "Nineteenth-Century African American Art," "Twentieth-Century Artists," and "American Art and the Black Folk Artist" build an illuminating context for the works, restoring them to their rightful places in the history of American art.

This volume presents selections from the highly-respected Cosby collection of African American art. Their introductions elaborate on their strong belief that African American families should themselves seek to preserve their cultural history and not rely on the mainstream. They also provide interesting background about how they began their collection and what owning the art has meant to them. The essay by Driskell (curator, author, and scholar) places each artist within the context of his or her era from the late 1700s to the present, and explores the historical, biographical, social, and political background of each period. Also contains biographies of the artists. Beautifully illustrated with 91 color plates and several other illustrations. Oversize: 10.25x13.25". Annotation copyrighted by Book News Inc., Portland, OR

"... highly recommended... " --Choice This handsomely illustrated catalog presents the work of four African American artists with shared Indiana roots--John Wesley Hardrick, William Majors, William Edouard Scott, and Hale Aspacio Woodruff. Their art, ranging from impressionism and social realism to cubism and abstract expressionism, spans the major trends in 20th-century American art, while reflecting the artists' experiences as blacks in America.

Discusses African American folk art, decorative art, photography, and fine arts.

"The John and Vivian Hewitt Collection of African-American Art represents works that celebrate the expression and passion of twenty artists, including Romare Bearden, Margaret Burroughs, Jonathan Green, Jacob Lawrence, Elizabeth Catlett, Ann Tanksley, and Henry Ossawa Tanner. This book contains all fifty-eight works from the collection, exquisitely reproduced in full color. Grace C. Stanislaus provides a text on the significance of the collection that is supplemented by interviews with Vivian Hewitt, David Taylor of the Gantt Center, art collectors Harmon and Harriett Kelley, and Nancy Washington"--

Rhapsodies in Black takes a fresh look at the Harlem artistic renaissance, contesting narrow interpretations of the movement and recognising its global significance.