James Van Der Zee 1886 1983 A Photographer

James Van Der Zee 1886 -1983 A Photographer known for his portraits of black New Yorkers. He was a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance.

Edmonia Lewis 1844 -1907 Sculptor Born in New York, she was the first woman of African-American and Native American heritage to achieve international fame and recognition as a sculptor in the fine arts world. One of her more famous works, "Forever Free", depicted a powerful image of an African American man and woman emerging from the bonds of slavery.

Kerry James Marshall – born 1955 is a contemporary painter whose work explores the complex effects of the Civil Rights movement on the everyday life on African Americans. His work is likewise concerned with the tradition of Western painting, and the notion of mastery, authorship, and the erasure of black bodies throughout art history.

Alma Thomas Alma Woodsey Thomas (September 22, 1891 – February 24, 1978) was an African. American Expressionist painter and art educator best known for her colourful abstract paintings. She lived and worked primarily in Washington, D. C. and The Washington Post described her as a force in the Washington Colour School.

Robert Colescott 1925 -2009 A painter known for his satirical genre and crowd subjects, often conveying his exuberant, comical or bitter reflections on being African American.

Augusta Savage 1892 -1962 Sculptor Art Teacher Fought for equality for African Americans in the Arts in 1939, the artist Augusta Savage was the first African American woman to open her own art gallery in America – the Salon of Contemporary Negro Art. Devoted to showcasing the work of black artists, 500 people poured into the opening reception, where Savage announced: “We do not ask any special favours as artists because of our race. We only want to present to you our works and ask you to judge them on their merits. ”

Julie Mehretu is a contemporary Ethiopian-born American artist known for her large-scale abstract paintings. Blending elements of Abstract Expressionism with Pop Art, her work bears the influence of important 20 th-century painters, including Wassily Kandinsky, Kazimir Malevich, and Piet Mondrian

Jean Michel Basquiat 1960 -1988 Basquiat's paintings are largely responsible for elevating graffiti artists into the realm of the New York gallery scene, his spraypainted crowns and scribbled words referenced everything from his Haitian and Puerto Rican heritage, to political issues, pop-culture icons, and Biblical verse.

Faith Ringgold was born in New York City in 1930. While working as an art teacher in public schools, she began a series of paintings called American People, which portrayed the civil rights movement from a female perspective. In the 1970 s, she created African-style masks, painted political posters and actively sought the racial integration of the New York art world. During the 1980 s, she began a series of quilts that are among her bestknown works, and she later embarked on a successful career as a children's book author and illustrator.

Lorna Simpson, born August 13, 1960, is an African-American photographer and multimedia artist. She made her name in the 1980 s and 1990 s with artworks such as Guarded Conditions and Square Deal. Her works have been included in numerous exhibitions both nationally and internationally.

Kara Walker Kara Elizabeth Walker (born November 26, 1969) is an American contemporary painter, silhouettist, print-maker, installation artist, and film-maker who explores race, gender, sexuality, violence, and identity in her work. She is best known for her room-size tableaux of black cut-paper silhouettes.