“I made this…”: The Work of Black American Artists and Artisans
On view in the Miodrag and Elizabeth Ridgely Blagojevich Gallery
This exhibition is made possible through a generous grant from The Americana Foundation
“I Made This…” celebrates the lives of eighteenth through twentieth-century Black American artisans and artists through the material culture they created. The title comes from a quote by 19th-century enslaved potter David Drake who inscribed these words on one of his pots despite laws prohibiting literacy for enslaved people. Drake is just one of the many artists represented in this exhibition. Objects from both Decorative Arts and Folk Art collections will be displayed in the same gallery, contrasting the aesthetics and designs of men and women from different times, places, and backgrounds. These pieces represent the inspirations, resilience, and legacies of these talented makers.
Jug, by David Drake, America, South Carolina, Edgefield, 1842, alkaline-glazed stoneware, 19 ¾ x 13 ⅞in, 2021.900.24
Quilt, Pieced Housetop African American, by Rita Mae Pettway, American, Alabama, Gee’s Bend, ca. 1990, cotton, polyester, 73 x 78in, Museum Purchase, Dr. and Mrs. T. Marshall Hahn, Jr. Fund, 2008.609.10
Baptism, by Clementine Hunter, America, Louisiana, Natchitoches, 1950-1956, possibly oil paint on laminated cardboard, Framed 15 ¼ x 21 ¼in, 1992.101.2
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