Aaron Douglas and Arna Bontemps

Aaron Douglas and Arna Bontemps:
Partners in Activism
The Alexandria Museum of Art
December 4, 2015 - February 20, 2016
Table of Contents
VTS and Louisiana State Standards at the Museum .........................................................................................3
Before Your Visit .................................................................................................................................................4
About the Artists ..............................................................................................................................................5-6
Visual Thinking Strategies Activity ...................................................................................................................7
Visual Art/Writing Activity: Poetic Imagery..................................................................................................8-9
Imagery Worksheet............................................................................................................................................10
Ekphrastic Poetry with the Art of Aaron Douglas ..................................................................................11-12
Visual Poetry Worksheet ................................................................................................................................13
Poetry Terms ...............................................................................................................................................
14
Did You Know? The Great Migration and the Harlem Renaissance............................................................ 15
About the Guide.............................................................................................................................................. 16
Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................................ 17
Louisiana Standards and Louisiana Standards for the Arts ..................................................................... 18
Visual Thinking Strategies
Visual Thinking Strategies, or VTS, is a research-based literacy program that uses art to improve critical thinking and language skills.
Through discussions about the art, participation is encouraged, while students experience a rise in self-esteem and confidence, even among
struggling students. VTS directly correlates to the English Language Arts Standards of the Common Core Curriculum.
VTS operates on a child’s natural ability to make sense of what they see, a skill we all begin using at birth.
The method is a discovery process facilitated by the teacher, using three simple but carefully researched questions that provoke thoughtful
responses and encourage lively, engaging conversation. The process has students focus, reflect and question, which builds their critical
thinking skills.
VTS Tours at
AMoA
Students touring any of our exhibitions will participate in
group discussion where they will be asked to carefully observe
artworks and explain “what is going on” in a particular piece
of art. As we prompt them to support their explanations with
evidence, we engage their reasoning and logic skills. Students
can also participate in writing and sketch response activities, per
the teacher’s request.
Museum docents, trained in VTS, facilitate gallery discussions.
Longitudinal field studies, employing control and experimental
groups in multiple sites around the world, have been conducted
on VTS since 1991. The studies prove that VTS builds critical
thinking skills that transfer to other settings and subjects.
Measurable academic growth is produced by the program in
students of varying socioeconomic and academic backgrounds,
including students who perform poorly on standardized tests or
possess limited English language skills.
To schedule a tour at the Alexandria Museum of Art, contact
Nancy Noles at (318) 443-3458 or email her at nancy@
theMuseum.org
Using VTS in Your Classroom
Studies have shown that students who participate in at least ten sessions of VTS over the course of one school year will show measurable
academic growth. Conducting a VTS session in the classroom is easy and engaging. For more information on learning to use VTS in your
classroom, call Cindy Blair at (318) 473-6413 or email her at [email protected].
The Museum and Louisiana State Standards
At the Museum, you will find support for the standards you use in your classroom. Here students can explore primary and secondary
sources that will be helpful in project-based learning. They can participate in discussions through VTS, in which they will reach
conclusions about art and support their ideas with evidence from the artwork.
3
Before Your Visit
• Discuss the featured artist with your class and the type of work that will be on display.
• Encourage students to look carefully at the artwork they are shown. This will be a good time to
practice their observational skills.
• Explain to students that they will be taking part in a discussion about the artwork and they will
need to raise their hands as they would in the classroom. Let them know there are no wrong
answers and we are very interested in their thoughts and opinions.
• Explain to students that they must not touch the artwork. It may seem harmless to just touch a
piece of art once, but even when they are clean, our hands contain oils that over time can damage
artwork. Even gases from our breath can be harmful.
• At times they may want to come very close to see details, but generally, it is good to stand at
least two feet from the work as it gives one a better overall view of the work.
• Above all, have fun!
4
About the Artist: Aaron Douglas
Aaron Douglas, born in Topeka, Kansas in 1899 is often referred to as
“the father of African American art.” He was one of the leaders of the
Harlem Renaissance, moving to New York City after earning a Bachelor
in Fine Arts from the University of Nebraska and teaching high school art,
in 1924. Once in Harlem, he quickly became an integral part its social and
cultural scene. He began illustrating for Opportunity, the National Urban
League’s magazine and Crisis, the magaziine published by the NAACP.
He immediately began receiving praise and awards for his work for these
publications which led to dust jacket covers and illustrations for authors
such as Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen.
In addition to his graphic design work he is most known for his murals.
His best known murals were created during the 1930s, beginning at Fisk
University in Nashville, where he created a mural for their library. His
most legendary work is a series of murals entitled, Aspects of Negro Life,
consisting of four panels, each depicting an aspect of African American
life.
In the late 1930s Douglas returned to Fisk University as an assistant
professor and founded the university’s art department. He would enroll
in Columbia’s Teachers College in 1941 and earn a Masters in Education.
Douglas strongly believed that education was the key to positive change
in African American life.
He would continue to create work and grow as an artist and educator
until his death in 1979.
Self Portrait, Aaron Douglas, 1945, Oil on canvas, From the permanent
collection fo the David C. Driskell Center. Gift from the Sandra and
Lloyd Baccus Collection.
“We can go to
African life and get
a certain amount
of form and color,
understanding and
using this knowledge
in development of
Though Douglas’ early work was influenced by post-impressionism, his
style quickly changed during the Harlem Renaissance to one that drew
on the dynamic energy of jazz music, African sculpture and geometric
forms. The powerful compositions employed sharp, animated silhouettes
inspired by Egyptian wall paintings combined with circles of light and
often muted colors to tell the story of the lives and struggles of modren
African Americans. He also used these silhoutees in his smaller prints, and
though these were printed in startk black and white they contain the same
power and animation as the murals and illustrations produced in color. The
work also referenced the linear rhythms of Art Nouveau and the colors and
sharp angles present reference Art Deco painting.
These strong geometric shapes present in his work and the Egyptian
influence led cultural critic, Robert Powell to coin the term, “AfroCubism” to describe his work.
an expression that
interprets our life.”
Aaron Douglas
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About the Author: Arna Bontemps
Arna Bontemps was born in Alexandria, Louisiana in 1902 to Paul and Maria
Bontemps. His mother was a school teacher and his father was a stone mason,
both played music and enjoyed the arts, but his father hoped that Arna would
also become a stone mason. However, Bontemps’ love of poetry and literature
developed early. The family moved to California when the author was three
years old and in 1920 he enrolled at Pacific Union College which would later
be called UCLA. He graduated with a degree in English three years later.
A teaching position would take him to Harlem, New York in 1924. Here he
would become part of the Harlem Renaissance, writing alongside luminaries
of literature, W.E.B. DuBois and Langston Hughes with whom he frequently
collaborated. He also married Alberta Johnson while in Harlem and had
six children with her. As Bontemps began to feel the imapct of The Great
Depression, he was forced to take a teaching position in Huntsville, Alabama
to support his family. Conflict over what the Huntsville school considered to
be “radical political material,” written by W.E.B. DuBois and his support of
out of town protesters of the trial of the Scottsboro boys caused the school’s
adminstration to ask Bontemps to burn books in his private library by authors
like Frederick Douglass and James Weldon Johnson. He refused and moved
back to California with his family. He briefly taught in Chicago and worked
with the WPA Illinois Writer’s Project.
In 1943, Bontemps received a master’s degree in Library Sciences from the
University of Chicago and became the librarian at Fisk University. He would
remain in this position until his retirement and proceed to be awarded honorary
degrees and professorships at University of Illinois and Yale. He then returned
to Fisk as writer in residence.
He died in 1973 while woking on his autobiography.
“I began to consider the alternative of trying to reach young
readers not yet hardened or grown insensitive to man’s
inhumanity to man, as it is called.”
Arna Bontemps enriched black cultural heritage through his work as a poet, novelist, historian, anthologist and archivist. He began
writing fiction and poetry by the early 30s and published his first novel God Sends Sunday, the story of a down on his luck black jockey
in 1931. The novel is appreciated mostly for its poetic style and charaterization. He would go on to write two other novels throughout his
life, Black Thunder, the story of Gabriel Prosser’s slave rebellion near Richmond, Virginia and Drums at Dusk, the story of the Haitian
rebellion of Toussaint L’Overture. Black Thunder was well reviewed, but reviews on Drums at Dusk were mixed, but many praised both
novels for their deep characterizations.
He also wrote several childrens books. His first was written in collaboration with Langston Hughes. Popo and Fifina draws from the
author’s Haitian heritage. It tells the story of two Haitian children. He followed up the success of this childrens book with a second,
You Can’t Pet a Possum. He would write several other childrens books throughout his life, including biographies of George Washington
Carver, Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington for teens. His goal was to “reach young readers not yet hardened or grown
insensitive to man’s inhumanity to man.”
He worked in collaboration with author, Jack Conroy on several childrens books and on They Seek a City, a history of African-American
migration in the United States, which was revised and published in 1966 as Anyplace But Here. He would go on to write and co-write
several non-fiction pieecs that chronicled the lives and histories of African Americans.
Though most of his works consists of short stories, historical writing and his novels, his first awards were for his poetry which was
published in literary magazines, Crisis in 1924 and Opportunity in 1927. A book of his poetry entitled Personals was published in 1963.
Though he struggled to support his family with his writing and was often forced to take teaching jobs, his employment as the Head
Librarian at Fisk University afforded him an opportunity to have even more impact, as he oversaw the expansion of Fisk’s African
American cultural materials collection. It would become one of the largest in the country. His writing and life’s work helped to shape and
preserve African American literature in latter half of the 20th Century.
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Critical Thinking Activity
Using Visual Thinking Strategies
For more information on conducting a Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) discussion in your classroom please visit vtsweb.org. In order to
obtain information regarding VTS training and VTS curricula sponsored by the Alexandria Museum of Art, contact Cindy Blair by calling
(318) 443-3458 or emailing [email protected]
Project the image The Toiler by Aaron Douglas, which can be found in the Aaron Douglas and Arna Bontemps: Partners in Activism
Images for Educators, and give students one minute to look silently at the image.
Begin the discussion by asking your class:
1. “What’s going on in this picture?”
The wording of the question suggests there is something going on in the
image that they can decipher beyond listing what they see. It will also
encourage a wide range of ideas. Accept all answers and paraphrase to
model sentence structure and validate the student’s ideas.
In response to a student’s answer to the first question ask, 2. “What do
you see that makes you say that?”
This will encourage the student to look more deeply at the image and find
evidence to support their opinions. It also gives them an opportunity to
defend their ideas by basing their ideas on the concrete visual data they
find in the photograph. Specifically asking, “What do you see that makes
you say that?” keeps the discussion fixed on the image.
3. Next, ask the whole group, “What more can we find?”
This keeps the conversation moving and pushes the students to continue
to dig for more meaning in the image and encourages a rigorous and
thoughtful examination of the image. The conversation will deepen with
both conflicting and scaffolding points of view, pushing students to think
about what they are observing.
The Toiler, Aaron Douglas, c. 1937, oil and tempera on board
17x14 1/8, The Johnson Collection, Spartanburg, South Carolina
Important Tips for Conducting a VTS Discussion:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Listen to students carefully and ask for clarification if necessary.
Point precisely to what they are talking about in the image as they speak.
Paraphrase their comments, modeling sentence structure and vocabulary, but do not correct the student.
This will help crystallize their thoughts into something more succinct and may clarify their ideas for other students.
Respond to each comment neutrally. Avoid saying something is “right.” Instead, you can simply say, “Thank you. What more can we
find?” At the end of the discussion give positive feedback and thank students for their deep thinking and thoughtful discussion.
Link the threads of the conversation. Drawing links between various comments will help the discussion grow and demonstrate the
evolution of thoughts and ideas. It will create a richer and deeper discussion.
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Visual Arts/English Language Arts:
Poetic Imagery
Send in your students’ illustrations of an Arna Bontemps poem and your students’ artwork
could be displayed at the Alexandria Museum of Art during the Spring 2016 exhibition period.
Illustrations are due by February 26.
Please deliver work to The Alexandria Museum of Art,
933 Second Street, Alexandria, LA 71301.
All accepted works will be mounted for display.
The following activities can be conducted with your class before or after touring
the exhibition, Aaron Douglas and Arna Bontemps: Partners in Activism, or
independent of a Museum tour.
Grade Level: 6th grade
Louisiana State Standards and Louisiana Art Standards are listed on the final page
of this guide.
Key Questions/ Issues Addressed:
• What is the Harlem Renaissance?
• What are illustrations and how are they used?
• How can you express the imagery of a poem in a picture?
Illustration from “A Long Way from Home”, Novel by Claude
McKay, 1937, Aaron Dougla, Facsimile of book cover
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African
American History and Culture
Lesson Goals/Objectives:
• Students will understand what an illustration is and how to create one that will
encapsulate imagery from an Arna Bontemps poem.
• Students will learn about Harlem Renaissance figures, artist, Aaron Douglas and writer, Arna Bontemps.
Materials: white paper for drawing, pencils, colored pencils or markers and images from the, Aaron Douglas and Arna Bontemps:
Partners in Activism Images for Educators available at http://themuseum.org/teachers/educators-guide, The Daybreakers and A Black
Man Talks of Reaping by Arna Bontemps
Key Terms:
Illustration- A design or picture in a book, magazine or other print or electronic medium that explains the text or shows what happens in
a story.
Imagery- language that causes people to imagine pictures in their mind
The Harlem Renaissance-a renewal and flourishing of black literary and musical culture during the years after World War I in the Harlem
section of New York City.
Silhouette- a shape or outline of something usually filled in with a solid color.
8
Procedure1. Discuss the Harlem Renaissance with the students and how it came to be. (See information and resources on page 15).
2. Explain that it was a time of great creativity for black writers, artists and thinkers in Harlem, like artist, Aaron Douglas and writer,
Arna Bontemps.
3. Share the work of Aaron Douglas and explain that while he went on to do large comissioned murals, during the Harlem Renaissance
he made a living creating illustrations for books, poems and magazines for writers such as Langston Hughes and James Weldon Johnson.
Questions for Discussion:
• What is an illustration?
• Why do you think book covers are often illustrated? What is the goal of an illustrator?
• What elements do you think a good illustration contains?
• How can we take the imagery from a poem and create an illustration?
3. Ask the students to look carefully and some of Aaron Douglas’ illustrations and using evidence from the art decide what the book being
illustrated might be about. You can have them pair share about this and then share with the class.
4. Have the students read Arna Bontemps, Daybreakers and A Black Man Talks of Reaping.
5. Have them work in pairs and fill out the Imagery Worksheet found on page 10.
6, Have the teams share out with the rest of the class.
7. Each student will pick one of the two poems to illustrate. Have them look back at their worksheet to decide what imagery they can use
in their illustration. Emphasize that they are telling at least part of the story of the poem with a picture. Which image will they choose to
focus on?
8. Ask them to look once again at Aaron Douglas’ illustrations. What do they notice about them? What is a silhouette and how does he use
them? What sort of colors is he using?
9. Have them consider how they can use silhouettes to create their illustrations.
10. The students will now use their Imagery Worksheet to create a sketch for their illustration of the Arna Bontemps poem they chose.
Emphasize that a sketch is for planning. It does not have to be pretty. They are just planning where to put the images ont the page. Make
sure they know they need to fill the whole page with their illustration.
11. They will use their sketch to create their final illustration, making any changes they might need to, on a clean sheet of paper. They can
draw in pencil and finish with colored pencils and markers. Alternatively, they can cut their silhouettes out of colored paper and paste the
to the paper to create a collaged illustration.
9
Name_____________________________Date________________Class_________________________
Imagery Worksheet
Read the poems, and answer the following questions in the space provided. Use the back of the back of the
page if more space is needed.
The Daybreakers
A Black Man Talks of Reaping
What is going on in this poem?
What is going on in this poem?
What did you read that makes you think
What did you read that makes you
so?
think so?
Give some examples of the imagery the
Give some examples of the imagery the
poet uses in this poem.
poet uses in this poem.
Writing: Ekphrastic Poetry
with the Art of Aaron Douglas
Defiance (From Emperor Jones Series), 1972, Aaron
Douglas,(American, 1898-1979), Woodblock print
From the permanent collection of the David C. Driskell Center.
Gift of David C. Driskell
Bravado (From Emperor Jones Series).1972, Aaron
Douglas,(American, 1898-1979), Woodblock print, From
the permanent collection of the David C. Driskell Center.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Granoff
Surrender (From Emperor Jones Series), 1972, Aaron
Douglas (American, 1898-1979), Woodblock print, From the
permanent collection of the David C. Driskell Center.Gift of
Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Granoff
Send in your students’ ekprastic poems about one of the Aaron Douglas pieces featured and
your students’ poetry could be displayed at the Alexandria Museum of Art during the Spring
2016 exhibition period. Poetry is due at the Museum by February 26.
Send Poetry to Cindy Blair at the Alexandria Museum of Art, 933 Second Street, Alexandria,
LA 71301
The following activities can be conducted with your class before or after touring the exhibition, Aaron Douglas and Arna Bontemps:
Partners in Activism , or independent of a Museum tour.
Grade Levels: This lesson seed can be adapted for grades 6 and up.
Lesson Goals/Objectives:
Students will understand what an ekphrastic poem is and write their own ekphrastic poem inspired by the art of Aaron Douglas.
Materials: example of ekphrastic poetry and the artwork that inspired the poems and images of the art of Aaron Douglas from the Aaron
Douglas and Arna Bontemps: Partners in Activism Images for Educators available at http://themuseum.org/teachers/educators-guide and
the Visual Poetry Worksheet and Poetry Terms Sheet
Key Term:
Ekphrastic Poetry- a vivid description of a scene or, more commonly, a work of art. Through the imaginative act of narrating and
reflecting on the “action” of a painting or sculpture, the poet may amplify and expand its meaning.
11
Procedure Suggestions:
Discuss the term ekphrastic poetry with your students and explain that they will be writing and ekphrastic poem about an art work by
Aaron Douglas. Here is a link to an ekphrastic poem, Edward Hopper and the House by the Railroad (1925) by Edward Hirsch about
Edward Hopper’s painting House by the Railroad (1925): http://english.emory.edu/classes/paintings&poems/house.html. Use it as an
example of ekphrastic poetry.
Share information about Aaron Douglas and his role in the Harlem Renaissance. See page 5 for information on Aaron Douglas and page
15 for information on the Harlem Renaissance.
Share works by Aaron Douglas from the Power Point, Aaron Douglas and Arna Bontemps: Partners in Activism Images for Educators
available at http://themuseum.org/teachers/educators-guide. Students can use any one of these as inspiration for their ekphrastic poem.
At the museum, we use a visual poetry prompt during tours. We have provided an adapted a version of this worksheet to help students
interact with the art and use a a springboard for their poem. You can begin with a VTS discussion of The Toiler, on page 6. Then have
the students fill out the visual poetry worksheet on page 13. Alternatively, they can observe the artwork of their choice from the Aaron
Douglas and Arna Bontemps: Partners in Activism Images for Educators and respond individually using the worksheet.
There is also a list of helpful poetry terms to aid students in writing their poetry. Review the terms with your students and encourage them
to use them in their writing of their poem.
Untitled
(abstract), Aaron Douglas, n.d., oil paint on canvas and panel,14x18 (unframed), From the permanent collection of the David C. Driskell Center.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Granoff
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Name_____________________________Date________________Class_________________________
Visual Poetry Worksheet
Title of Artwork:
Artist: Aaron Douglas
Step 1: Silently observe the artwork for at least one minute. Then answer the questions below, writing one sentence in each box. You do
not need to restate the question in your answer. You can use this as a starting point for your ekphrastic poem.
1) What took place prior to this scene?
2) What’s going on in this picture?
3) What happens next?
Step 2: Use this as a starting point for your ekphrastic poem. You can also ask yourself other questions to help you get started on your
poem:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What words does the artwork bring to mind?
If you were to write in the voice of a person or object shown in the work of art what would that sound like?
Write about your experience of looking at the art.
Relate the work of art to something else it brings to mind.
Imagine what was happening while the artist was creating the piece.
How can I write in the voice of the artist and capture what he/she might have felt while creating this artwork.
What would a dialogue among characters in a work of art sound like?
What is the mood of the artwork?
What sounds, smells, feelings, tastes could you associate with it?
How does this artwork connect with you personally?
Poetry Terms
Consider using a few of these tools when writing your poem.
Alliteration: the repetition of a sound at the beginning of two or more neighboring words
Example: “I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet” (from “Acquainted with the Night” by Robert Frost)
Metaphor: a figure of speech in which a word or phrase meaning one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a
similarity between them
Example: “The fog comes on little cat feet. It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on.” (From “The Fog”
by Carl Sandburg)
Personification: the representation of a thing or idea as a person or by the human form
Example: “I like to see it lap the miles, And lick the valleys up, And stop to feed itself at tanks…” (From “The Railway Train” by Emily
Dickinson)
Repetition: the act or an instance of repeating
Example: “Because I do not hope to turn again Because I do not hope Because I do not hope to turn....” (From “Ash Wednesday” by T. S.
Eliot)
Rhyme: close similarity in the final sounds of two or more words or lines of verse
Example: “Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimmed; And every fair from fair sometime
declines, By chance, or nature’s changing course untrimmed.” (From “Shall I Compare Thee…” by William Shakespeare)
Simile: a figure of speech in which things different in kind or quality are compared by the use of the word like or as
Example: “O My Luve’s like a red, red rose, That’s newly sprung in June; O My Luve’s like the melodie That’s sweetly played in tune.”
(From “A Red, Red Rose” by Robert Burns)
Definitions taken from Merriam Webster’s Student Dictionary
Using the definitions above can you tell which of these devices Arna Bontemps uses in the excerpt
from his poem, Nocturne of the Wharves, below?
All night they whine upon their ropes and boom
against the dock with helpless prows:
these little ships that are too worn for sailing
front the wharf but do not rest at all.
Tugging at the dim gray wharf they think
no doubt of China and of bright Bombay,
and they remember islands of the East,
Formosa and the mountains of Japan.
They think of cities ruined by the sea
and they are restless, sleeping at the wharf.
14
Did You Know?
The Great Migration and the Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance occurred simultaneously with the Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties. The impact of the event on the times
could be felt in music, theater, literture and the arts which all benefitted from the dynamic creativity of the works being produced Harlem
Renaissance artists. It was a time when African American artists of all disciplines entered a period of great productivity in Harlem. Art
from this movement was often highly experimental and innovative. The works in music, visual art, literature and theater were different
from other art being produced, because it drew its energy not only from the Western influences of the time, but there also from African
history and black folk traditions. Leaders in the movement such Arna Bontemps and Aaron Douglas were able to create unique works of
art that were wholly unlike anything else being produced by breaking free of white society and allowing their own culture to be expressed
without fear of censorship and with the support of a larger community. African American art was finally able to come of age.
The explosion of talent, intellectual energy and cultural pride might not have occured at all in Harlem, a formerly white neighborhood on
the northern tip of Central Park in Manhattan were it not for The Great Migration. By 1910, large numbers of African Americans began to
move from the southern United States to cities in the Northern, Midwestern and Western states. The largest number settled in New York
City.
Several key factors played a part in this migration. Many African
Americans worked on farms, many of those were cotton farms.
The South had long been reliant on cotton as a major source of
income, but in 1898 boll weevils devastated crops across the South.
Thousands of workers found themselves unemployed and homeless
as many lived on the land they helped to farm. Also, key in the
migration was the beginning of World War I. The factories in the
North had been relying on European immigrant workers, but the war
brought an end to immigration and factory owners began looking for
a new source for cheap labor to meet the increased demand created
by the boom the war was bringing to their businesses.
Employment was hard to find in the South, and the social and
the political climate for African Americans in the South was
deteriorating. Most African Americans in the South lost their right
to vote after strict requirements were placed on voters. There were
property qualifications, poll taxes, literacy tests and a “grandfather
clause” which stated that only those whose grandfather were
registered voters could vote, this disqualified blacks who had only gotten the vote in 1870. Jim Crow laws began to tighten as well. Many
began to search for a place where they might be more in control of their own destinies.
This desire for freedom to prosper and live a life where they would have their own agency drove many out of the South. To support the
incoming migrants service organizations like the National Urban League, The Chicago Urban League and most notably the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) were created by African Americans for African Americans to help them
find jobs and housing.
These organizations would also contribute greatly to the Harlem Renaissance by giving African American writers and artists a voice.
Bontemps and Douglas had work published in the cultural magazines, The Crisis, published by the NAACP and Opportunity, published
by The National Urban League. Arna Bontemps would go on to win three prizes from The Crisis for his literature.
By the mid-1920s when the Harlem Renaissance was in full swing, the rewards of the migration were beginning to show. The number of
African American school teachers had doubled since 1900 and the number of black-owned businesses had tripled. More and more blacks
were gaining and education. The literacy rate jumped from 39% to 85%. The Harlem Renaissance celebrated these strides in the African
American community that the Great Migration made possible.
15
About the Guide
This guide is intended for use in conjunction with a Museum visit and as a tool to integrate art into your classroom
lessons. We would also like to introduce you to Visual Thinking Strategies or VTS, a literacy and art viewing program that utilizes art to help improve both critical thinking and verbal skills. VTS aligns very well with the Louisiana
State Standards ELA Standards by encouraging students to reinforce verbal and written ideas with evidence from
a work of art. It also promotes clarity in speech, enhances reading and writing skills and bolsters self-confidence.
When planning a field trip to the Museum, use the guide to prepare yourself, rather than your students for the visit.
Then share the resources with students after the visit to continue learning from the Museum experience in your
classroom. The lessons and resources can also be used independent of a Museum visit.
The lessons in this guide align with Louisiana State Standards and The Louisiana Standards for the Arts.
This guide is based on works from the exhibition Aaron Douglas and Arna Bontemps: Partners in Activism, which
is on view at the Alexandria Museum of Art, from December 4th to February 20th, 2016.
Aaron Douglas and Arna Bontemps: Partners in Activism
The Alexandria Museum of Art and Arna Bontemps African american Museum have partnered to display this
exhibition highlighting artist Aaron Douglas and author Arna Bontemps. Both men were professors at Fisk University in Nashville and were involved in the Harlem Renaissance. Paintings and Illustrations by Aaron Douglas
will be paired with writings by Arna Bontemps to create a unique exhibition of work by two influential African
American artists and educators.
Exhibit and associated events sponsored by the Greater Alexandria Economic Development Authority (GAEDA).
In addition to Aaron Douglas and Arna Bontemps: Partners in Activism, the following exhibitions will be on view
during the Fall of 2015:
Harmonic Fascination: The Art of Max Papart
Max Papart, born in France in 1911, was a diverse artist with a clear vision. After learning classical artistic practices, he determined that they were not for him, adopting a more abstract, surrealist style. Papart moved to New
Orleans in 1979 after multiple visits to the United States, and his new location continued to influence his work.
His prints and paintings are filled with color and symbolism. This exhibition will look into Papart’s artistic development, from his classical drawing through his paintings, prints, and his exploration of a few other mediums.
On Ancient Wings: The Sandhill Cranes of North America
Using traditional film photography, On Ancient Wings: The Sandhill Cranes of North America presents 38 color
photographs from the award-winning book by internationally known conservation photographer Michael Forsberg.
Whooping cranes, the species found in Louisiana, were added to the endangered species list in 1967. This led to the
development of an experimental population at the White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area in 2011. This exhibition
serves to highlight the cranes as well as the work to preserve this species in Louisiana and other locations throughout
the country.
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Acknowledgements and Resources
Information regarding VTS was adapted from material provided by Visual Thinking Strategies, a nonprofit organization whose mission is
to promote the use of VTS, and increase understanding of aesthetic development. Please visit www.vtshome.org.
Vocabulary: http://www.merriam-webster.com/.
Art vocabulary: artlex.com & visual-arts-cork.com/colour-art-glossary.htm.
More information about Louisiana State Standards listed in these lessons can be found at https://www.https://www.louisianabelieves.com/
resources/library/academic-standards.
More information about The Lousiana Standards for the Arts including those referenced in this guide can be found at https://www.
louisianabelieves.com/docs/academic-standards/standards---k--12-arts.pdf?sfvrsn=2
Information on the topics covered in this guide can be found at the following locations:
• Afropoets.net: Arna Bontemps: http://www.afropoets.net/arnabontemps.html
• Poetry Foundation: Arna Bontemps: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/arna-bontemps
• Academy of American Poets, Arna Bontemps: https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/arna-bontemps
• Biography.com, Arna Bontemps: https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/arna-bontemps
• Biography.com. Aaron Douglas: http://www.biography.com/people/aaron-douglas-39794
• The New York Times, Black in America, Painted Euphoric and Heroic by Ken Johnson: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/arts/
design/12doug.html?_r=0
• Treasures of the New York Public Library, Aaron Douglas’s Magisterial Aspects of Negro Life: http://exhibitions.nypl.org/treasures/
items/show/170
• The University of Kansas Spencer Museum of Art, Aaron Douglas Teacher Resource Guide: http://www.aarondouglas.ku.edu/resources/
teacher_resource.pdf
• Museum of the African Diaspora, The Great Migration: http://www.inmotionaame.org/migrations/landing.cfm?migration=8
• The New York City Public Library Shchomberg Center for Research in Black Culture, The New Negro Renaissance by Maryemma
Graham: http://exhibitions.nypl.org/africanaage/essay-renaissance.html
Securities offered through First Allied Securities, Inc.,
A Registered Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC.
Advisory services offered through First Allied Advisory
Services, Inc. A Registered Investment Advisor.
A cooperative effort funded by the Greater Alexandria
Economic Development Authority
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Louisiana State Standards for Poetic Imagery 6th Grade
Reading Standards for Literature
Key Ideas and Details:
Key Ideas and Details
1. Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the
text.
2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a
summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
Writing
Text Types and Purposes
1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
a. Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly.
b. Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating an
understanding of the topic or text.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s) and reasons.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the argument presented. Speaking and Listening
Comprehension and Collaboration
1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse
partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that
preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under
discussion.
b. Follow rules for collegial discussions, set specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as
needed.
c. Pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute
to the topic, text, or issue under discussion.
d. Review the key ideas expressed and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through
reflection and paraphrasing.
2. Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain
how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.
3. Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and
evidence from claims that are not.
Louisiana Standards for the Arts for Poetic Imagery
Creative Expression
VA-CE-E1 Explore and identify imagery from a variety of sources and create visual representations (2, 3)
VA-CE-E2 Explore and discuss techniques andtechnologies for visual expression and communication (1, 2, 3)
VA-CE-E3 Use art vocabulary and the elements and principles of design to convey the language of art (create and discuss own
artwork) (1, 2, 3)
VA-CE-E4 Experiment to create various art forms, including art forms from other cultures (2, 3, 4)
VA-CE-E5 Draw on imagination, individual experience, and group activities to generate ideas for visual expression
Aesthetic Perception
VA-AP-E1 Use elements and principles of design and basic art vocabulary for expressing responses to the work of others (1, 4, 5)
VA-AP-E2 Recognize and respond to concepts of beauty and taste in the ideas and creations of others through the study of visual arts (1,
4, 5)
VA-AP-E3 Explore the beauty in nature and discern images and sensory qualities found in nature and art (1, 2)
VA-AP-E4 Recognize that there are many possibilities
and choices in the processes for designing and producing visual arts (2, 3, 4)
Critical Analysis
VA-CA-E3 Express and explain aesthetic judgments about the created (built) environment (1, 2, 4)
VA-CA-E4 Express and explain opinions about visual works of others using basic art vocabulary (1, 4)
VA-CA-E5 Express interpretations about works of art and give supporting reasons (1, 4)
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