Houston E. Chandler was a sculptor, printmaker, painter, and teacher from Saint Louis, MO. "Boogie Woogie" depicts two abstracted figures dancing the Boogie Woogie, a popular dance in the early 20th century.
Etienne created her painting, “Dancing Still Life,” as part of a class assignment based on objects within her home. Etienne selected these figures, which her mother collected from the National Museum of African American History & Culture, white orchids in a blue pot, and a glass dish from her grandmother's home. A graduate from Texas Southern University, Etienne emphasizes femininity, movement, and flowers in her art.
Calvin Burnett was a graphic artist, illustrator, painter, designer, and art teacher from Cambridge, MA. "Four Girls Dancing Together" depicts four young girls dancing in pairs in a shadowed room. While both pairs have sorrowful expressions and demeanors, the two girls in the foreground wear distinctly apprehensive expressions. Their seminude, shadowy bodies stand together in pairs as they sway, caressing each other.
Noah is a Cameroonian artist who had a residency at TSU in Spring 2023. The work was inspired by Bamiléké masquerades and the Demeure 5 costume by Étienne-Martin, and is made of materials from second-hand shops in Houston. Noah wore the costume during an interactive procession down the Tiger Walk, TSU’s central campus walkway. The costume became part of the exhibition, Memory Palaces: Creations of Franck Kemkeng Noah.
Vital’s drawing may be a mural pre-study. The scene depicts a spirit of revelry, with musicians entertaining a large crowd gathered to enjoy the music and dance. The instruments vary from those of a typical blues and jazz ensemble, like the drum set, trumpet, and guitar, to the tambourine, often associated with southern gospel. The figures' fluidity suggests movement and freedom.
John Payne was an artist from New Orleans, LA. Mr. Mardi Gras is an abstract depiction of a male figure in the midst of the euphony of colors that represent the vibrance of Mardi Gras.
Moe's work displays a joyous religious gathering, featuring a preacher, dancers, musicians, and others. The group appears to be performing a ring shout, or praise break, a characteristic tradition of some Black churches in the Southern US involving dancing, stomping, and singing.
Walter Augustus Simon was an art historian, professor, and artist best known for his abstract oil paintings from Petersburg, VA. String Dance shows two women dancing with a thin white string. Their arms are stretched above their heads to pull the string as they dance together barefooted.
Maurice Strider was an artist and art educator from Lexington, KY. The Carnival shows a carnival landscape with crowds of abstracted human figures walking around and riding a Ferris wheel. The hue composition of blue, pink, and gray is similar to Cubism.
William H. Johnson was a painter from Florence, SC. Untitled Folk Scene depicts a couple doing a wide variety of dances within the Southern Jazz tradition. In this iteration of the series, a dapper man dips an equally stylish woman as instruments play around them.
