Artist Details
| Artist Name | Aaron Douglas |
|---|---|
| Born | 1899 in Topeka, Kansas |
| Died | 1979 in Nashville, Tennessee |
Artist Biography
By merging European modernism with African American subject matter, Aaron Douglas became one of the most accomplished visual artists of the United States and more specifically, of the Harlem Renaissance. Born and raised in Kansas, Douglas was the first African American student to graduate from the School of Art at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, earning his degree in 1922. He then became a teacher in Kansas City but kept abreast of the cultural shifts within the African American community that began in New York City with the New Negro Movement. The Harlem Renaissance, an extension of the New Negro Movement, urged African Americans to take pride in their heritage within their arts and lives and focus on their experiences as Black Americans. In 1925, Douglas moved to New York City and along with Alain Locke, W.E.B. Dubois and others; became a pivotal figure and influence in the Harlem Renaissance.
