This itemset features student murals from Texas Southern University's Hannah Hall that are painted in a triptych style. Triptych style refers to a work of art across three panels. In some cases, the murals are spread across distinct panels of wall, but in other cases they are on one panel but divided into three sections. The Hannah Hall murals are a collection of more than 80 student murals painted on the walls of Texas Southern University's second-oldest building. Ranging in time from 1951 to 2013, the murals cover a wide variety of subjects, including the Civil Rights Movement, Black power, religion, rural life in Texas, fantasy, and more. The mural program was created by Dr. John T. Biggers, founder of Texas Southern's art department.
Curated By
Ben Schachter
Contributing Institution
Texas Southern University
Identifier
HCAC.TSU.IS.022
Rights
All rights held by the University Museum at Texas Southern. For permission to publish, distribute, or use this image for any other purpose, please contact University Museum, Texas Southern University umuseum@gmail.com Attn: Museum Director. Materials not created by Texas Southern University may still be under copyright. Additional materials may be presented for educational and research purposes in accordance with fair use under United States copyright law.
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Michaux, a war veteran, was given the opportunity by Dr. Biggers to paint this mural during his first year as an art major. Reflecting on the devastation of the then-recent World War II, the mural depicts terror, hunger, and human compassion.
Washington’s mural is a timeline of Black education. On the left, he depicts slavery and lynching above enslaved people secretly reading. In the center, students write “Emancipation Proclamation” and Booker T. Washington delivers his "Atlanta Compromise" speech. The right depicts emerging Black professionals.
Goffney's intricate mural suggests themes of scientific discovery, fluid energy, and mid-century lifestyles. Scenes of nightlife and a rural church are featured on the right. Goffney signed his last name as Goeenet, perhaps his artist name.
Williams’ painting is a pre-study for his mural. Across three scenes, the artist portrays birth, family home life, and farm work. This triptych style of composition appears frequently in the murals painted by students of Dr. John T. Biggers. The checkerboard motif that Williams uses in each panel is also drawn from Biggers’ teaching. Although Texas Southern is an urban university, many students hail from rural areas in Texas and these themes of country life appear repeatedly in student murals.
Biggers created this sketch while working on his mural, “The Contributions of the Negro Woman to American Life and Education,” for the Blue Triangle Branch of the YWCA. This mural was the culmination of his research for his doctoral dissertation at Penn State University. It features Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth leading enslaved people to freedom and educating African Americans, respectively.
Curnell’s painting is a pre-study of her mural “Awakening” in Hannah Hall. The mural shows a reflection of Curnell’s past, present, and future life. She is seen pictured here as an infant, at her current age, and her future self as an elder. The quilt that stretches across the composition features various religious symbols, including the cross, the star of David, and the ankh.
In a triptych style, Williams’ mural shows three central themes: a family gathered around a newborn (religion), seated near a hearth (home), and working together in the fields (labor). Black rural life is a major subject in the Hannah Hall murals.
Cleinmann’s mural displays multiple generations of Black women, a manifestation of Biggers’ teachings about their importance. The mural is one of the few unfinished murals in Hannah Hall. Typically, unfinished murals were painted over. The mural was recently restored by conservators.
Mass depicts scenes of family life, including a gathering at the dinner table and church services. The laborer at the far right suggests the role of physical work in sustaining the Black family. As in other murals, architectural elements from Hannah Hall are incorporated in this mural.
Burley’s vibrant mural explores cycles of life and focuses on women. The left conveys night and includes a female constellation. The right shows daytime, with plants and animals. A rainbow runs across, signifying unity. The large, detailed hand is a frequent motif in the art of Biggers’ students.
