Romare Bearden was a factotum of sorts, juggling between songwriting, artistry, designing, and writing. Unlike previous artists, he was born during the New Negro period, a time when the society was more accepting of the black people’s artwork and contributions. Even so, Romare wasn’t oblivious to African Americans’ struggles, making him a great legend to learn about in black history. Most of his artwork celebrated the black American experience, featuring the rising Harlem community of artists, writers, and publishers, the rural South, traveling migrants, and blues and jazz musicians.
Romare was born in 1911 to Howard Bearden, a pianist, and Bessye Bearden, an active member of the New York City Board of Education. Bearden had Cherokee, Italian, and African ancestry. Bearden’s fair skin allowed him to cross boundaries that many other Black people were restricted from. The family had moved to New York City during the Great Migration, and their home had become a meeting place for the Harlem Renaissance. Even so, Bearden didn’t actively become a civil rights activist; on the contrary, he pursued art. His fascination with arts began while studying at New York University where he took extensive art courses. He became the lead cartoonist and editor of The Medley, a monthly journal of the secretive Eucleian Society while studying at the university until he graduated. Although Romare pursued a degree in science and education, he carried on with art studies at the Art Students League under the tutelage of George Grosz. At the same time, he worked as a political cartoonist for African-American newspapers, publishing weekly cartoons. Bearden also joined the Harlem Artists Guild and embarked on a lifelong journey of studying arts, getting inspiration from renowned Western artists like Picasso, Duccio, and Cezanne, to mention a few. Bits of Japanese prints, African art, and Byzantine mosaics are also featured in his work.
Black art has always been in existence;
Romare Bearden
it just hasn’t been looked for in the right places.”
Bearden later became a social worker at the New York City Department of Social Services, working his art pieces during the weekends and at night. It was this determination that saw him launch his first exhibition in 1940. Romare’s art at the time was a depiction of life in his hometown, North Carolina, and short visits to Mecklenburg County, Harlem, and Pittsburgh. Bearden was so talented that he was recognized as the most creative and visual artist in African American history. He would experiment with different artistic styles and mediums, including richly textured collages, two of which appeared in the 1968 Time and Fortune magazines. In addition, he designed costumes for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Nanette Bearden Contemporary Dance Theater. As a writer, he published many books, including The Drummer Boy: A Civil War Story and a History of African American Artists, among many others.
Being a respected artist, he was involved in establishing many art venues, including the Cinque Gallery and The Studio Museum in Harlem, as well as institutions of learning like the Black Academy of Arts.
Bearden also played a pivotal role in supporting young black artists, funding their endeavors through Cinque. Also, his eloquence on social issues and artistry saw him appointed as an art director of the newly formed Harlem Cultural Council in 1964.
You should always respect what you are and your culture because
Romare Bearden
if your art is going to mean anything, that is where it comes from.
Bearden’s artwork, books, and public collections have shaped black history online and made him a recipient of many awards, even posthumously. The Drummer Boy, a children’s book, for example, was published in 2003, long after Romare Bearden died in 1988.