Artists Featured for Black History Month

In celebration of Black History Month (February), AEF is highlighting 7 African American visual artists and 1 poet who are participants in our Art Changes program. All 8 artists made short videos where they explained (and sometimes demonstrated) their work. Each visual artist video is accompanied by an art activity video made by 2 film students of color. The poetry video is accompanied by an instructional PDF slideshow.

Here’s the list of artists with a description of their video.

Malik Seneferu

Mr. Seneferu is introduced making a mural for Google’s headquarters. His series From the Hill and Beyond grew out of his visit to Africa where he discovered that he was a member of the Akamba people. His paintings feature African masks as a celebration of culture and an expression of Black joy. The art project video shows how to draw African masks, with an emphasis on complementary colors on the color wheel. Learn more about Malik Seneferu.

Virginia Jourdan

Ms. Jourdan’s gorgeous paintings capture major historical moments: Ruby Bridges escorted to school by federal marshals, Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the Olympic podium in Mexico City, nonviolent protests in the American South. The art project video is based on the Ruby Bridges painting, Carnival, where silhouettes are surrounded by color and shape to create powerful images. Learn more about Virginia Jourdan.

Sharon Virtue

Ms. Virtue is an extraordinary painter, who creates luminous abstract art based on geometric patterns and bright colors. Learn more about Sharon Virtue.

Darius Riley

Though only in his 20’s, Mr. Riley has traveled the world as a photographer. He talks about his boyhood in East Palo Alto and gives a lesson in composition and the Rule of Thirds as he snaps photos around Lake Merritt. Because many young students don’t have iPhones, the art project video concerns the Rule of Thirds in drawing. All the historical paintings in the project video are by Black artists. Learn more about Darius Riley.

Derrick Bell

OUSD is very lucky to have Mr. Bell as an art teacher. His paintings celebrate inclusivity. His series Debt de Lion features portraits where faces have been replaced by a bouquet of flowers, thereby robbing viewers of preconceived notions about the person. The art project video shows how to paint different kinds of flowers. Learn more about Derrick Bell.

Julie Atkinson

Ms. Atkinson created Sometimes I Have Vivid Dreams for Art Changes. In this multimedia work, a woman hovers over the African Savanna, her hair rippling just like the hills before her. The art project shows students how to make a landscape collage. Darius Riley purchased Sometimes I Have Vivid Dreams because the woman in the painting reminded him of his mother. Learn more about Julie Atkinson.

Constance Moore

AUSD’s Ms. Moore walks students through the process of illustrating children’s books. The art project has students design their own book cover. The books Brown, The Many Shades of Love; Black, The Many Wonders of My World and Blue, The Colors of My Life are companion pieces to these videos and are excellent books for young children. Learn more about Constance Moore.

Shanti Lair-Croom

Living Poetically as read by AUSD’s Ms. Lair-Croom is alive with family history, emotion, whimsy and the deep knowledge that words have the power to change our trajectory. This video is visually stunning. The project pdf uses Ms. Lair-Croom’s phrases as a starting point for the students’ own poetry. Learn more about Shanti Lair-Croom.