EXHIBITION OF I'RODUC ['IONS BY NEURO ARTISTS WOMAN HOLDING A JUG James A. Porter 1'KBSKNTIiD BY TUB H ARMON FOUNDATIO N AT THE ART C E N T I: R 193 3 PEARL Sjrgent Johnson Recipient of the Roben C. Ugden Prize of fiJ0 'Ilie Picture''^^r^Ä;Ä,sÄ^^ by James .1. I ft'^'/!t All the photogtaphic Kork for this catalog ami tl„- i-\i„h ;• , , e ^mesLat^Al!en,213W:tJ^ZTZ7o^^T" Negro photographer THF HARMON FOUNDATION IN COOPERATION WITH THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF ART AND INDUSTRY PRES E S' T S A S' E N H I B I T I O N O F W 0 R K 1! V N F G R O AR TI S TS A T T H E A R T C E N T K R 65 RAST ?6TH STREET NEW YORK, X. Y. February 2(1 to March 4, 1933 l inclusive) Weck Days from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M. Sunday, February 26, from 1 to 6 P.M. Evenings of February 20, 2S, 27 and March 2, until ten o'clock Il A R M O X F O U N 1) AT 1 O X INCORPORATKD 140 NASSAU STREET NEW YORK, N. Y. \V. Burke Harmon, President Helen Griffiths Harmon, Vice President Samuel Medine Lindsay, Economic Advise Mary Beattie Brady, Director Evelyn S. Brown, Assistant Director PROFILE OF NEGRO GIRL Eirl: Wi'.ton Richardson Received the Hon Bernent P trina! Prize of $75. FOREWORD 'l'Ili'". 1933 exhibition of work by Negro artists spoiv -*- sored by the Harmon Foundation is the fifth held by the organization in the City of New York. Begvtn in 1928, no showing- was held in 1932 as it was de­ cided to stress more intensively through that year travelling exhibitions throughout the country. Fur­ thermore, it seemed desirable before conducting ad­ ditional showings to determine to what extent a public demand for such had been developed and how much Negro artists themselves desired this special service in addition to their opportunities for entering work in general exhibitions. The earnest requests both from artists and those interested in the work of this group have been so continuous that it was decided to under­ take the assembling of material for this exhibition. The fact that of the fifty-seven artists whose work is represented this year twenty-nine are presented for the first time under Foundation auspices gives some idea of the extent to which these exhibitions arc filling a distinct need. It also indicates the growing activity in self-expression in art among the Negro group. In the live exhibitions of work held so far, a total of one hundred twenty-five artists have participated, representing a wide geographical distribution. Started primarily as a part of the general program of recog­ nitions of outstanding achievement in various types of creative work through the William lì. Harmon Awards for Outstanding Achievement among Negroes, the art section has grown to a point where it clearly stands on its own merits. It begins to be a distinct contribution to the development of art expression in America. The growing individuality of expression shows a simplicity and directness of presentation that gives evidence of the place the Negro is making lor himself in the field of line art. In previous years work of artists from continental FOREWORD United States only has been shown. Gradually, how­ ever, the Foundation has learned of artists not only in our own island dependencies to the south but among our neighboring countries in the West Indies. A real contribution to the exhibit is found in the eight pieces of sculpture by Teodoro Ramos Blanco, a thirty-two year old artist of Havana, Cuba. His work has not previously been shown in the United States. It is hoped that this beginning may be a fore­ runner of other similar activities. The Foundation has been exceedingly fortunate in having the friendly counsel and suggestion of Arthur A. Schomburg, curator of the Department of Negro Literature, History and Prints of the 135th Street branch of the New York Public Library. For thirty- years in quest of books, prints and data pertaining to the African descendants, Mr. Schomburg has acquired a wide knowledge of the present as well as the past achievements of Negroes all over the world and par­ ticularly in the Western hemisphere. A native of Puerto Rico, and himself a graduate of an art school in San Juan, Mr. Schomburg has devoted himself to the study of the art history of the islands. It was a result of Mr. Schomburg's travels in Cuba in the fall of 1932 and his acquaintance with artists there that resulted in bringing Teodoro Ramos Blanco's work to this country. Inasmuch as the general program of Awards for Distinguished Achievement Among Negroes is not active in 1933 no awards in art are given. The Foun­ dation, however, is fortunate in having six prizes. Through the generosity of Mrs. Alexander Purves of Hampton, Virginia, a prize of $150 for the outstand­ ing piece in the exhibit was given. In memory of the services rendered by her father for the advancement of the Negro this was named the "Robert C. Odgen Prize." For the painting selected by the judges as of most general merit a prize of $100 was given by l'OREWORD Mrs. John 1). Rockefeller, Jr., as evidence of her in­ terest in this phase of art creation. The other four prizes this year have been named in recognition of special services by groups and indivi­ duals wdiose helpful encouragement and work have meant much in the progress of these exhibitions and interest in art achievement of Negroes. A prize of $100 in sculpture has been named the John Hope Prize in recognition of the emphasis Dr. John Hope, Presi­ dent of Atlanta University, has placed on creative work in art for many years and for the moral and practical support he has given to numerous striving artists. A portrait prize of $100 has been named for Arthur A. Schomburg because of the high degree of service he has and is'rendering in continuously bring­ ing to public attention not only work of artists al­ ready known, but in new hitherto unheard of persons The Foundation has been most fortunate in its con­ tact with the National Alliance of Art and Industry The development of its exhibition program has been stimulated and greatly helped b_v the friendly coun­ sel and gentle schooling of Mr. Alon Bernent, the director of the organization. It was largely through his insistence and the generous cooperation of the National Alliance of Art and Industry that this exhi­ bition was made possible, and so, the portrait prize of $75 has been named in honor of Mr. Alon Bernent. Finally, in recognition of the initial inspiration and invaluable help of the Commission on Race Relations and its secretary, Dr. George E. Haynes, in devel­ oping not only the wdiole program of achievement awards, but also in starting the Art Exhibit, two spe­ cial prizes have been given : for work in black and white and for outstanding examples of photography. FETICHE FT FLEURS Palmer Haytlen Received Pointing Prize of $100. THE NEGRO TAKES HIS PLACE IN AMERICAN ART r"FHERE ARK, I take it, three objectives to the move­ ment in Negro art of which this fifth Harmon Exhibition of the Work of Negro Artists is an integral part, and to which, in the years of its activity, it has made and is making a formative and important con­ tribution. One is the encouragement of the Negro artist; another, the development of Negro art; and a third is the promotion of the Negro theme and subject as a vital phase of the artistic expression of American life. Six years ago the share of Negro subject material in the field of American fine art was negligible; little, if anything, was being done for the encouragement of the Negro artist as such, and main- thought that there was some implied restriction and arbitrary limitation of the Negro artist in the program of Negro art as "racial self- expression". Yet in the short intervening space of time, practically each of these situations has been reversed in a spurt of accumulative and perfectly compatible development. As a net result not only is the Negro and his art more definitely upon the artistic map, but the Negro theme and subject is coming increasingly to tin: fore in the general field of art interest, as any analysis of today's art exhibitions will show if compared with similar exhibitions of even five years ago. Some day, it is to be hoped, an exhibition of contemporary American art dealing with the Negro theme and subject, irrespective of the racial affiliation of the artists, will be sponsored and that it will show a remarkable development in increased emphasis, deepened interest, and reveal mature mastery and understanding of the general handling of the Negro theme in painting, sculpture and the graphic arts—a development parallel to the remarkable growth of the Negro artist which these Harmon exhibits have so unmistakably shown. We may well pause for a moment to consider the causes of this advance and to estimate briefly its gains. A few years back there were Negro artists, but little 10 THE NE0RO TAKES HIS PLACE IN ART or no Negro art. Most of our artists subscribed to the creed that racialism in art was an unwarranted restric­ tion, but they either avoided racial subjects or treated them gingerly in what I used to call "Nordic transcrip­ tions".