Author: rayela

Brazil 18years + Chicago 20yrs + Paducah since 2005 These have shaped my path and interests. I spent many years as an active artist (ceramics and textiles) but have focused on promoting the creative community online since 2010. My current projects are Artizan Made and this site, Creative PlaceMakers.

Today we celebrate the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr., one of our beloved Civil Rights leaders here in the United States.  I saw a post earlier today that Trump wanted to get rid of the holiday and replace it by honoring his own birthday.  It made my eyes roll in my head and my blood boil.  I am so tired of that man’s focus on himself, of his racism and of all of the violence that is happening here because of him. I decided to calm myself by actively thinking about Martin Luther King and googled around for images of him in art.  I especially like folk art and outsider art, the imperfect depiction of people and their activities…. I’ll share some of them here so that you can enjoy them, too.  Visit all of the links to see more of the articles.  Interesting art and history!

faith ringgold

Faith has captured so much of the American story in her quilts and paintings.  She is an icon for so many of us!

from Cultured Magazine:

Faith Ringgold defied the odds of race, gender, and class to become the preeminent feminist artist, storyteller, and quiltmaker she is today. An activist as much as she is an artist, her iconic civil-rights era “American People” paintings depict Black and white Americans amidst chaos—bleeding, falling, and reaching, yearning for something outside the canvas’ anxiety-filled frame. But Ringgold’s talents extend beyond the visual realm, of course. Her 1998 children’s book, My Dream of Martin Luther King, pairs her artistic prowess with prose, inspiring children and their families to imagine a brighter future.

her book:

“Faith Ringgold brings her own voice and artistic vision to the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and the history of the civil rights movement. Illustrated with the dramatic folk-modern paintings for which Faith Ringgold is renowned, this inspiring story begins with her dream of Dr. Martin Luther King and ends with the promise of peace and hope.”  book link

makeba “keebs” rainey

from rawfemme

I love her use of wax fabrics!  There are a few more artists in this article, all focused on Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Building community through art; that’s Harlem based artist Makeba’s key focus. Her bright and inspired work explores social justice elements of Black Liberation movements, merging the old with the new by re-envisioning ancestors through new media. In a unique process of cutting, layering and building new forms from original photographs, Makeba asks us to look at contemporary and historical icons from a different angle; to recognize their inherent potential and contribution to Black culture. As she re-imagines President Obama and Malcolm X in African wax prints, she reconnects them to the continent.

Harlem is not only home for Makeba, but the foundation of her creative process. She works to honor the rich history of her home, where she regularly exhibits her art in its authentic context.”

 

Makeba has a Go Fund Me Campaign going to help fund a project she is working on in Gambia:

“My name is Makeba (affectionately known as KEEBS). I’m a visual artist born and raised in NYC. After 10 years of living and working in Philly, I’m permanently relocating to The Gambia. While on a spirit-led trip to West Africa to visit my great-aunt’s burial site, I met my future husband. Together, we are building an experimental greenhouse farm. As with all African and Indigenous people, Gambians have a long history of using traditional medicinal plants, agricultural practices, and art forms to sustain their communities. Our farm (Hilol Gardens) will contribute to the preservation and promotion of traditional medicine, agriculture, and art.”   More info on her campaign.

cornell mckennon

from the nation

This article is all about murals, which I love!  It was hard to pick which one to show, so make sure to go visit and see the others!  Unfortunately, this mural has not stood the test of time.  The top part with the words is still there, but the portrait is gone, painted over in grey.  What a shame!

I couldn’t find a website or much info on Cornell, but did get this from the Google Search:

“Cornell McKennon is an artist known for creating murals, particularly those honoring Martin Luther King Jr. in Los Angeles and Detroit, often documented by photographer Camilo J. Vergara for the Library of Congress, highlighting street art and cultural commemoration. He’s recognized for his significant contributions to public art, preserving MLK’s legacy through vibrant murals in various locations.

Key Details:

• Art Focus: Public murals, especially commemorating Martin Luther King Jr..
• Notable Works: MLK Jr. murals in Los Angeles (South Avalon Blvd) and Detroit.
• Recognition: Featured in the Vergara Photograph Collection at the Library of Congress.
• Style: Often described as street art or graphics, blending community celebration with political tribute.” 

ulysses davis

from the folk art museum

This guy’s work is truly special!  Make sure to visit the link because it was a special exhibit and the other pieces are great!  There is one of Teddy Roosevelt with glasses that has a great expression! Here is some of his bio:

“Ulysses Davis (1914–1990) was a Savannah, Georgia, barber who created a diverse but unified body of highly refined sculpture that reflects his deep faith, humor, and dignity. His carvings were featured in the seminal 1982 exhibition “Black Folk Art in America, 1930–1980” at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where they were applauded as important examples of African American vernacular art. Because he wanted his work to stay together after he died, Davis rarely sold his sculptures. He said, “They’re my treasure. If I sold these, I’d be really poor.” As a result, the carvings have had little exposure outside Savannah, particularly since his death, and Davis is little known outside folk art circles. In 1988, Davis received a Georgia Governor’s Award in the Arts.”

kerry james marshall

from artnet

This piece really touched me….   On the one hand, a mundane task is happening with wings…  Changing flowers?  An angel? And, then the Kennedys and Martin on the wall, mourning….  At the top, there are other figures floating around.  Other lost lives?  There is a lot going on here…

“Kerry James Marshall is a contemporary painter whose work explores the complex effects of the Civil Rights movement on the everyday life on African Americans. Through narrative scenes that draw both from history and the artist’s own life, Marshall delves into obscure moments and objects important to contemporary and past black culture. His work is likewise concerned with the tradition of Western painting, and the notion of mastery, authorship, and the erasure of black bodies throughout art history. Like Kara Walker, Marshall often exaggerates the color of the people in his work making them as black as the pigment will allow, drawing more attention to the surrounding color and content of his paintings. Born on October 17, 1955 in Birmingham, AL, he grew up in the Watts neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles, going on to study at the Otis College of Art and Design. “You can’t be born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1955 and grow up in South Central near the Black Panthers headquarters, and not feel like you’ve got some kind of social responsibility,” the artist has said of his upbringing.”  part of the artnet bio

There is an excellent in depth article about Marshall on the New Yorker.  Visit.

How to Draw Martin Luther King Jr.

Easy Directed Drawing Lesson for Kids

Finally, we have a fun project for kids or for anyone learning how to draw. I just happened to find Kathy Barbro’s website and thought it was an excellent resource for anyone working with creative children or adults.  In this tutorial, she breaks the following portrait down into easy steps.  Go here to see them!

Here’s a lovely introduction on what Kathy is doing with her projects:

This about does it for me.  I feel a lot better than when I started!  We are living through a terrible time here in the United States and in other countries.  Our fundamental problem is still racism in this country.  I really don’t understand it!  I love multiculturalism and all of the fun we can have when we share our cultures, our humor, our food, music, dancing, sports….   It all really comes down to a generosity of heart, the ability to both give and receive.

As a white Nordic woman in the United States, I want our History to be inclusive and to show the good, the bad and the ugly of the past so that we can hopefully learn from it.  Those stories, the heroes, the women who gave us strength….  they are all a part of my history, too, and I own it!  We are all in this together and maybe this time is something we needed to remember both where we have been, but most importantly, how we want to live.