Harlem Renaissance

Art of the Harlem Renaissance

(1918-1930)

Open Ended

Do Now: Read the following quote by author Zora Neale Hurston:

“I have the nerve to walk my own way, however hard, in my search for reality, rather than climb upon the rattling wagon of wishful illusions.”

― Zora Neale Hurston

What does this quote mean to you?

Week in Review!

• The Great Migration was the movement of Black Americans from the rural south to cities in the north and west.

• Black Americans sought educational, economic, and cultural opportunities.

• Neighborhood of Harlem developed as a symbol of Black culture. The Harlem Renaissance is an art movement celebrating Black culture and identity.

Open Ended

What do you see? What in this painting do you think is important?

Art of the Harlem Renaissance

The visual arts of the Harlem Renaissance celebrated Black beauty, culture, and identity.

Popular culture was dominated by caricatures of Black Americans and blackface minstrelsy shows. The movement of the Harlem Renaissance was meant to counteract these images. It combined elements of African Art with the lived experiences of Black Americans in the U.S.

Multiple Choice

Checking for Understanding: What was a main feature of Harlem Renaissance Art?

• It countered caricatures of Black Americans found in mainstream art to celebrate Black culture.

• It rejected influences from traditional African artists.

• It only featured Black artists who were formally trained in American colleges.

Primary Sources - Art of the Harlem Renaissance.

• Think about what you see/what is being shown.

• Think about what stands out as important.

• Think about the colors that are being used/how the colors makes you feel.

• Think about the context the art was created in.

The Janitor Who Paints by Palmer Hayden

Nightlife by Archibald Motley

Nightlife by Archibald Motley

I see . . . .

Because I see these things, it tells me that . . .  

One claim I can make about Harlem based on this painting is that . . . 

Art Class by William Johnson

Art Class by William Johnson

I see . . . .

Because I see these things, it tells me that . . .  

One claim I can make about Harlem based on this painting is that . . . 

Open Ended

Complete the sentence starters based on Art Class by William Johnson

I see . . . .

Because I see these things, it tells me that . . .

One claim I can make about Harlem based on this painting is that . . .

Poll

What was your favorite painting we saw today?

Open Ended

Exit Ticket: In your own words, how would you describe the art of the Harlem Renaissance? Which painting from today was your favorite? Explain why you choose this painting or why you think that it is important.

Harlem

What happens to a dream deferred? 

      Does it dry up 

      like a raisin in the sun? 

      Or fester like a sore— 

      And then run? 

      Does it stink like rotten meat? 

      Or crust and sugar over— 

      like a syrupy sweet? 

      Maybe it just sags 

      like a heavy load. 

      Or does it explode?

I, Too

I, too, sing America. 

I am the darker brother. 

They send me to eat in the kitchen 

When company comes, 

But I laugh, 

And eat well, 

And grow strong. 

I, Too

Tomorrow, 

I'll be at the table 

When company comes. 

Nobody'll dare 


Say to me, 

"Eat in the kitchen," 

Then. 

Besides, 

They'll see how beautiful I am 

And be ashamed -- 

I, too, am America.

Open Ended

How does the narrator describe his present? How is this different than his future? What is Langston Hughes saying about the position of Black Americans in U.S. society in this poem?

"The narrator describes his present situation as . . . however, in the future, . . . Langston Hughes is saying that . . . "

Bessie Smith

• African American Female Blues Singer.

• My nickname is the “Empress of the Blues.”

• Became one of the highest paid African American singers of the Jazz Age

Duke Ellington

• Famous pianist, composer, conductor, and band leader at the height of Jazz and Big Band Music.

Louis Armstrong

• Jazz Musician and trumpet player

• Famous during the Harlem Renaissance

• Nicknamed “Satchmo”

Jacob Lawrence

• African American artist and painter.

• Painted a series about the Great Migration

Match

Match the following

• Blues singer

• Jazz musician - trumpet player

• Jazz musician - composer and conductor

• African American poet - The Ways of White Folks

• African American painter - The Great Migration

Bessie Smith 

Louis Armstrong 

Duke Ellington 

Langston Hughes 

Jacob Lawrence 

• Bessie Smith 

• Louis Armstrong 

• Duke Ellington 

• Langston Hughes 

• Jacob Lawrence 

Multiple Choice

The Harlem Renaissance had an impact on the US through...

• Radio, Talkies, and Advertisements

• television, satellite radio, and movie streaming services

• Women's Suffrage and the passage of the 19th Amendment

• Art, Literature, Music, Politics, and Dance

Multiple Choice

The driving force behind the Harlem Renaissance largely came from...

• newly arrived immigrants from Europe.

• African Americans who moved from the Jim Crow South to the North & Midwest to start new lives.

• captains of industry who had monopolies in various industries.

• Native Americans who were forced to live on reservations