How Moses Williams Went From Slave to Silhouette Artist
Born into slavery and trained inside Peale’s Philadelphia Museum, Moses Williams became the era’s leading silhouette cutter, turning precision portraiture into freedom and legacy.
Black Art History
Black Art History
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How They Made Black Art History: Joshua Johnson
Joshua Johnson made a living painting portraits in early Baltimore, leaving a vivid record of family life, aspiration, and the business of being seen.
How They Made Black Art History: Scipio Moorhead
Scipio Moorhead, an enslaved portrait artist in 1770s Boston, sits at the edge of the archive yet reshapes how early Black art history is understood.
Who Was the First Black Artist?
Who counts as the first Black artist depends on what survives. This BAM250 investigation follows portraits, print, and stone to the earliest name the record supports.
How They Made Black Art History: Prince Demah Barnes
Prince Demah Barnes painted one of the earliest surviving oil portraits by a Black artist in America. His 1773 portrait of William Duguid widens the story of colonial art.
Ernie Barnes in Black Art History: The Sugar Shack and Beyond
Barnes painted Black life as rhythm: crowded rooms, working bodies, and joy with weight behind it. His figures stretch past realism, and the reason is simple. He wanted to make memory feel alive.
Edward Bannister: The First Black Artist to Win a National Art Award
Edward Bannister defied 19th-century racism to become the first Black artist to win a national art award. His story as a celebrated landscape painter and a pioneer for Black artists in America is one of talent and perseverance.
Jacob Lawrence: The Storyteller of Black Life in Motion
Jacob Lawrence’s art chronicled Black life, migration, and struggle with bold colors and sharp lines, creating timeless visual narratives.
Edmonia Lewis: The First Black and Native American Sculptor to Gain Fame
Edmonia Lewis overcame racism and erasure to become one of the most important Black sculptors of the 19th century. Her neoclassical works, including "Forever Free" and "The Death of Cleopatra," remain revolutionary.
Leroy Johnson: The Visual Griot of Black Urban Life
Leroy Johnson’s art transformed found materials into layered narratives of Black life, history, and survival, capturing the essence of urban existence.