Joshua Johnson, sometimes referred to as Johnston, is known as the first professional African American painter to rise to prominence in America. He was born a biracial slave c.1763 and raised in Baltimore, MD. His artistic genius as a self-taught portraitist gained him esteem among wealthy and middleclass white families, as well as abolitionists in […]Read Post ›
Pontella Mason is perhaps one of the most unsung visual artists from Baltimore.MD. He has created murals for the Anacostia Community Museum, (former) President Jimmy Carter, Kurt Schmoke and several public and private organizations. He was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina and attended Baltimore City College High School. He graduated from the New York […]Read Post ›
Beginning in the colonial period, slavery in the United States has always been an unfortunate event in the history of African Americans. Prior to the Civil War Blacks created numerous examples of fine art. However, much of this artwork was destroyed. Proper preservation was uncommon during the era. Black art especially suffered, due to a […]Read Post ›
The Baltimore Renaissance 