Philip Adomat

Name_________________________________ Date________________ Period _____

African American Art and Artists

Guided Notes
Why is it important to study African American Art The four eras of African American art
and artists? history are:

Talk to a partner and list three reasons: 1. Pre-______________ War

1._______________________________ 2. ____________ Civil War

2._______________________________ 3. ______________ Renaissance

3._______________________________ 4. Post ________to ___________

What two artistic jobs could Black slaves do

during the 17th and 18th centuries?
_______________________and

__________________.

What are the three main ideas in the video about
Dave the Potter?
1.
________________________________________
How do you think Dave learned to read?
Why did he write messages of
inspiration on his jars?

2.
________________________________________

3._______________________________________
__
Take the handout that contains the image of the jar
and think about what message you would send.
Write a message that you would like to send out to
the world on the jar. Remember to consider the
style and size of your handwriting and the
placement of your message.

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Philip Adomat

What progress did African American artists make Henry Ossawa Tanner became a
after the Civil War? (List at least 2 examples.)
_____________ at the age of ______.

He moved to ____________________

to escape __________________.

His mother escaped ____________

on the ___________________

__________________.

TALK with a partner about Tanner’s portrait of his

mother and answer the following questions:.
1. Describe this woman’s pose and facial
expression. What might she be feeling?

2. What might her clothing and the setting tell us

about her?

3. Where are the brightest parts of the picture? The

darkest?

4. How would you describe the mood of the

painting?

5. If you could read this woman’s thoughts, what

do you think they would be?

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Philip Adomat
Watch the video and list three important ideas that
came out of the Harlem Renaissance:
1._______________________________________
2. ______________________________________
3. ______________________________________
What are two important things that happened for
African American Artists in the era from the 1950s
to the present?
Aaron Douglas was a _________ in
the ___________ ______________.
He was inspired by ______________
and modern ______ and ___________.
Answer the following questions about
Douglas Aaron’s painting:
What do the shapes in this painting
remind you of?
The title of this painting is “Bird in
Flight.” What do you think now?
What do you see that reminds you of
birds flying?
What kind of landscape does this take
place in? What shapes make you think
that?
Martin Puryear was an _____________
from an ____________ age. He studied
in_____________. His sculpture,
_____ ________, is made of
________________ and __________
together.
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Philip Adomat

Brainstorm with a partner a list of words to

describe the color, texture, size, and shape of Old
Mole. Next, brainstorm all the things the sculpture
reminds you of. Where have you seen something
similar? Using this word bank, create poems,
either individually or collaboratively, describing
the sculpture.

Elizabeth Catlett focused on_________ of ______ Respond to Catlett’s Quote below:

in the roles as _______________, Do you agree with what she believed
________________, and _________________ about the role of art in our society?
_____________________________. Why do artists make art?
How can art help society?
Quote My Response
“I have always wanted my art to service my
people—to reflect us, to relate to us, to stimulate
us, to make us aware of our potential. We have to
create an art for liberation and for life.”

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Philip Adomat

Culminating Activity #1
Use the Venn Diagram in your handouts to
compare and contrast the forms and shapes in
Martin Puryear’s “Old Mole” with those in “The
Jar” by Dave the Potter and the geometric shapes
in Aaron Douglas’s “Birds in Flight.” How are
they similar and different?

Culminating Activity #2

Discuss what you have learned in this lesson and

write a summary of the main points based on the
Guided Notes. Discussion and summary should be
around 200 words. (Use the back of this paper, if
needed.)