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Throughout American history, African American artists have played an important role in expressing personal and cultural experiences. Explore the art created by black artists in America in the 19th and 20th centuries. From utilitarian items in the 1800s to modern sculpture in the 20th century, each artwork is accompanied by artist and artwork background with connections to cultural and artistic influences. Your students will develop an understanding of both American and art history in this digital survey set.

• JPEG images in Projection, Screen, and Thumbnail sizes
• Historical information about each artist and artwork
• Cultural context to support art history and art appreciation programs
• Timelines
• Museum Listings

Racial prejudice prevented many African American artists from finding enough patrons to succeed as artists. Many black artists went to Europe, especially Paris and Rome, where racial prejudice was not as prevalent. There, their styles were often influenced by the prevailing popular European styles.

During the 1920s, a significant number of artists were brought together within large and varied urban African American communities, something that could not have happened in the rural South. One of the most vital African American communities was in the Harlem section of New York. Many of the artists of the so-called Harlem Renaissance in New York had been born in the South. Aspiring black artists in the North were exposed to libraries, museums, and art galleries, although racial prejudice still prevented many of them from attending some art schools.

A revival within the African American artistic community in the 1960s led to the formation of the group Spiral in New York in 1963. At the first meetings, members discussed black artists' commitment to the civil rights movement and common aesthetic problems. Painters who had been active during the Harlem Renaissance as well as younger artists eventually joined Spiral. The styles ranged from Abstract Expressionism to Social Realism. The same ideological concerns dominated Spiral as they did the Harlem Renaissance.