collection
visual arts collection
Academic and Naturalistic Landscape of the Nineteenth Century
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The
California African American Museum has a substantial collection
of nineteenth century academic and naturalistic landscape paintings including
the works of Edward M. Bannister, Robert Scott Duncanson and
Grafton Tyler Brown. Studying works by these artists and their
lives help us to broaden our understanding of the participation
of
African Americans in American life and culture and help us
to understand the prevailing tastes and attitudes of a period
when African Americans were viewed as inhuman and incapable
of educational and aesthetic pursuits in life.
modern and contemporary art
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During the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, many African Americans
attempted to redefine themselves in a modern world by establishing
a national cultural identity in all of the arts. As they became
familiar with African sculpture, they began to incorporate
those elements and iconography into their work. Their artwork
was also informed by twentieth century Cubism, which leads
to the deconstruction and reorganization of forms so that their
compositions are read from multiple vantage points. These compositional
considerations are significant to the development of many African
American artists and are highlighted in the works of Sargent
Claude Johnson, Charles White, Beulah Woodard, Noah Purifoy,
John Outterbridge, Betye Saar, John T. Riddle and David Hammons.
contemporary art from the african diaspora
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Contemporary art from the African Diaspora is a small but
growing collection and includes works from Haiti, Brazil and
Jamaica. These artists are part of an international community
of contemporary artists of African descent who combine techniques
that may have historical precedence in European art, but have
been reinterpreted within their particular cultural milieu.
Artists include François Turenne Des Prés, Justino
Marinho, Hector Hyppolite and Renee Constant.
traditional african art
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African wood sculpture (mainly masks) forms a significant
part of the collection. Most of the masks are from the West
African countries of Nigeria, Ghana and the Côte d’Ivoire.
There are also a number of works from the central African countries
of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon. Along with
the ceremonial masks are decorative household implements from
across Sub-Saharan Africa. These works show the type of art
historical context that African Americans participated in prior
to coming to the United States. It was a context that was based
on communal well being that encompassed ritual, mythology and
cosmology that connected the people with their environment.
history collection
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The History collection of the California African American
Museum reflects the history, heritage and culture of African
Americans in California and the Nation, thereby advancing the
Museum’s commitment to promote the study of African American
history and culture. Noteworthy objects include artifacts and
photographs from the estate of the trailblazing golfer Bill
Spiller; items from the estate of legendary jazz performer
Ella Fitzgerald; theater programs highlighting the highly acclaimed
performances of Katherine Dunham, Dorothy Dandridge, Duke Ellington,
and Janet Collins; and artifacts and photographs from the estate
of Los Angeles’ first and only African American Mayor
Tom Bradley.