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5 Stories of Black History In The Fine and Industrial Arts
By Cathy Niland | 2.3.2021This Black History Month, we collected five stories of inspiring black artists and artisans of the fine and industrial arts. We hope these stories will be a jumping off point for you to dive into further research and inspiration during this month, and after.
Despite the wide and varied contributions by Black Americans in these fields, US history and popular culture can be negligent in celebrating their impact or value. Please join us in elevating these stories and those of all Black artists, makers, and creators in America. The Crucible is an industrial arts school dedicated to maintaining art access for all and cultivating a safe, welcoming, respectful environment where we honor people, varied life experiences, and craftsmanship. We hope these few examples encourage you to start a creative journey all your own!
Have a story we have to share? Email us at communications@bariatricdiet.net.
Works by 19th Century furniture maker Thomas Day on display at the North Carolina Museum of History.
Looking for more ways to learn about the Black history of art, craft, and industry?
Explore the archives and exhibitions from The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts, the Smithsonian, and the California African American Museum.5 Examples of Black History In The Fine and Industrial Arts
1. The Jackson Blacksmith Shop forged a path in Virginia
Following the Civil War, Henry Jackson, a formerly enslaved individual, began a 10-year-long apprenticeship working under a blacksmith, building trade skills and saving to purchase his own land. By 1880, Jackson had purchased 35 acres of land and built the first blacksmith shop in Goochland County, Virginia. Three generations of the Jackson family practiced blacksmithing on the property up until the 1970s. Of the three shops built on or near the property, only one is still standing today. Before his death in 1998, third-generation blacksmith George W. Jackson Jr., saw the smithy registered as a National Historic Landmark and today, visitors to the shop can see demonstrations in blacksmithing and historic exhibitions on the craft and the Jackson family.Where can you learn more?
2. The legacy of ceramic face jugs in the American South
American face jugs or face vessels originated in the Edgefield District of South Carolina in the mid-1800s. They were created by enslaved African and African American potters who had been illegally smuggled to the United States after the practice was abolished. Though the definitive purpose of the jugs is unknown, scholars speculate that they were used in religious and spiritual ceremonies, including in funeral practices. Scholars connect these face jugs to Nkisi, ritual objects that originated in the Congo Basin in Central Africa that were believed to be inhabited by spirits and defend the grave site. “I think it’s important to learn about face jugs because it’s a story of people who were brought here against their will,” says artist Jim McDowell. Jim McDowell is a working ceramist who pays tribute to the history of face jugs in his own work. He and fellow North Carolina artist Ben Watford have both been making face jugs for years, with Watford speculating he has made nearly 5,000 face jugs throughout his career. Sharing their own art and the history of the vessels with students and community members is an important practice for both.“My jugs represent the scarification, the rite of passage and the struggle of my ancestors,” McDowell told the North Carolina Museum of History. “I tell those stories through my jugs.”Where can you learn more?
3. Debora Moore, a barrier-breaking glass blower
Historically, professional glass blowing has been a largely white, male-dominated art form. But glass artist Debora Moore has been breaking barriers for women of color in the field for decades. Her work explores the delicacy and intricacies of nature, which she exhibits using an impressive set of diverse glass textures and techniques.
In 2005, Moore made history becoming the first-ever black female artist in residence at Abate Zanetti, an internationally renowned glass blowing center in Murano, Italy. Her work is displayed in a number of collections, including those at the esteemed Corning Museum of Glass and the Crocker Art Museum. She has also been teaching glass blowing since 1992.
While speaking about her 2015 Northwest African American Museum exhibition “Glass Orchidarium,” she said, “I wanted to share with the African-American community, and I wanted women and young men to know that anything is possible. [Glass] is a very hard medium to deal with, and it’s a very expensive medium, but if you keep working and keep working very hard your dreams can come true.”