Black artists of the Harlem Renaissance in western survey textbooks: Narratives of omission and representation

Abstract

In this article we examine the inclusion of Black American artists in a selection of western survey art history textbooks using the Harlem Renaissance as an analytical exemplar. We first examine Black intellectual and artistic representations of the Great Migration and the Harlem Renaissance arguing that this work provides a vital contribution to the Western Modernist art tradition. We argue that although there is a great deal of critical contemporary scholarship around the Harlem Renaissance period, three problematic narratives still persist in college-level textbooks: the omission of Black American artists from the larger narrative of Modernist art, the misrepresentation of major themes of Harlem Renaissance art, and a continued focus on Modernist tropes of primitivism. We analyse the content of three mainstream western art history textbooks using Kymberly Pinder’s (1999) theory of the ‘native informant’ as well as other major ideas surrounding Black visual omission and representation. Finally, we examine possible implications of these problematic narratives for art educators, students and historians.

Beyond the Canon: Seeking Black Women Artists in K-12 Art Education Teaching Resources

“…Art educators Alphonso Grant and Jessica Kee Baker (2013) argue that Black artists do not receive equal treatment in art history texts compared to White and Europeanborn male artists. The normalcy of students learning about European Renaissance artists but not the Black women artists of the Harlem Renaissance is daunting (Grant & Kee, 2013;Kirschke, 2014). There is an assumption that the only artists worth learning about are White in elementary and secondary art education; therefore, the discussion of race and gender of the artists in textbooks is nullified.…”

“…This research illustrates the historical legacy of racism and sexism toward Black women artists. I acknowledge that there are few references to White women artists and Black male artists; however, there are even fewer representations of Black women artists featured in curricular tools such as textbooks (Farrington, 2005;Grant & Kee, 2013;Kee, 2017;Mont, 2008;Staikidis, 2018;Wilson, 2017). Regardless of the student's gender and race, this critical gap in art education textbooks and teaching resources can prevent students from learning about the rich legacy of Black women's culture, history, and art.…”