Artist+7

The Harlem Renaissance was an expression of African-American social thought and culture which took a place in newly-formed Black community in neighborhood of Harlem. The Harlem Renaissance flourished from early 1920 to1940 and was expressed through every cultural medium-visual art, dance, music, theater, literature, poetry, history, politics and the consequent "white flight" of Harlem. Instead of using direct political means, African-American artists, writers, and musicians employed culture to work for goals of civil rights and equality. Its lasting legacy is that for the first time (and across racial lines), African-American paintings, writings, and jazz became absorbed into mainstream culture. At the time, it was known as the "New Negro Movement", named after an anthology, entitled The New Negro, of notable African-American works, published by philosopher Alain Locke in 1925.Harlem Renaissance is presented with the art of William H. Johnson, Lois Mailou Jones and Sargent Claude Johnson. Aaron Douglas is considered to be a "father of Afro-American Art".Other prominent artists associated with the Harlem Renaissance are Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, Archibald Motley and later influenced by the movement artists: Charles Sebree, John Biggers, Hale Woodruff, Beauford Delaney and Ernie Barnes.

Aaron Douglas was the Harlem Renaissance artist whose work best exemplified the 'New Negro' philosophy. He painted murals for public buildings and produced illustrations and cover designs for many black publications including The Crisis and Opportunity. In 1940 he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he founded the Art Department at Fisk University and taught for twenty nine years.

A superlative studio photographer, James VanDerZee captured the spirit and energy of life in Harlem for more than 50 years. Like so many pivotal figures of the Harlem Renaissance, VanDerZee originally embarked on a career totally other than the one in which he ultimately excelled. Arriving in Harlem as an aspiring violinist in 1906, he formed—and performed with—the Harlem Orchestra. VanDerZee was equally skilled at piano; he often tickled the ivories with such jazz giants as Fletcher Henderson. Works Cited: 1. [] 2.http://www.iniva.org/harlem/aaron.html 3.http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/exploring/harlem/faces/vanderzee_text.html