Woodruff, Hale
1900-1980 · Contribution: 1930s-1980
Painting and muralism; social-realist and later abstract work, best known for the 'Amistad Mutiny' murals (1939) at Talladega College and the 'Art of the Negro' murals at Atlanta University
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Impact on the world
A leading muralist and influential educator; founded the art department at Atlanta University and established the 'Atlanta University Annuals' (1942-1970), a pioneering national exhibition for African American artists. Studied mural technique with Diego Rivera in Mexico.
Life & background
African-American artist born Aug 26, 1900 in Cairo, IL; raised in Nashville, TN. Studied in Indianapolis, Chicago, and Paris. Taught at Atlanta University (1931-1946) and New York University (1946-1968). Died Sept 6, 1980 in New York City.
Sources
- Smithsonian American Art Museum; High Museum of Art
More in Visual Arts
Alston, Charles Henry
1907-1977
First African American supervisor for the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project; created the first image of an African American displayed at the White House
Basquiat, Jean-Michel
1960-1988
Neo-expressionist painting and drawing; raw, gestural works mixing graffiti-style imagery, scrawled text, and symbols, referencing African American historical figures, anatomy, jazz, and street culture
Bearden, Romare Howard
1911-1988
Pioneering collage artist whose layered, photomontage-based works became some of the most acclaimed depictions of African American life in 20th-century American art
Catlett, Elizabeth
1915-2012
Sculpture and printmaking (linocuts, lithographs, woodcuts) centered on the Black-American and Mexican working-class experience, especially the strength of Black women; works include 'Sharecropper,' the 'Negro Woman' series, and 'Homage to My Young Black Sisters'