Charles H. Alston
“I don’t believe there’s a such a thing as ‘black art,’ though there’s certainly been a black experience. I’ve lived it. But it’s also an American experience.”
Charles Henry Alston (1907-1977) was a famous painter during the Harlem Renaissance. Among some of his firsts:
- The first African American to teach at both the Museum of Modern Art and the Art Students League and, in 1969, to have been appointed the painter member of the Art Commission of the City of New York
- Founder the 306 group, which convened in his studio space and provided support and apprenticeship for African American artists, including Langston Hughes; sculptor Augusta Savage; and mixed-media visionary Romare Bearden
Here’s some more info on Alston: LINK
The Nexus 