Yet Still We Rise: African American Art in Cleveland and Columbus 1920-1970 is the region’s first comprehensive presentation of the African American visual art heritage of Cleveland and Columbus. The exhibition is a showcase of art and artists during a period of significant change in the lives of African American people and helps fill a gap in the history of art in Ohio. The work of more than 30 African American artists will be on view at the Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery from July 31 through October 18, 1997.

The opening reception will be held July 31, 5-7 p.m. with music by Listen for the Jazz All Stars, artistic director Gene Walker, and performances by the Short Stop Drum Ensemble. The event is free and open to the public.

The exhibition will feature more than 60 works including photographs, paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture and stained glass. The works were selected from collections at Cleveland State University, Karamu House, Cleveland Artists Foundation and other public and private collections. Originally organized by Cleveland Artists Foundation with the support of Cleveland State University, the exhibition’s Columbus component is curated by David Barker, former gallery owner and director of administration at the Greater Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau. A complete list of artists in the exhibition is attached.

While the focus is on African Americans in Cleveland and Columbus, the exhibition is representative of black artists throughout the United States during that era. The original exhibition has been supplemented with work from Columbus to demonstrate how parallel ideas, talents and methodologies existed in both cities during the period.

From slavery to freedom, to the Great Depression of the 1930s and beyond, African American art provides a commentary on the human condition that speaks to all of us through an endless range of emotion, spirituality, intensity and energy. Black artists in Columbus were no less energized than their counterparts in Northeast Ohio, and their works are similar in content and treatment of subject matter.

There also are parallels in technique, including exploration of the differences between flat and three-dimensional surfaces, illusion, shifting perspectives, simplification of forms, and examination and dissection of distance — all relevant to the evolution of abstraction.

Through this exhibition viewers will gain a sense of history, of spirit and, above all, a sense of faith in the future. The work in the exhibition presents a two-fold sense of reality. First, because of their keen sense of self and their capacity for observation, the artists brought to their work a practical knowledge of the world around them and a unique perspective gained from the struggles and victories of everyday life. On another level, many of the works contain deep emotion and refer to feelings ranging from cultural repression to pride, reward, love, hope and, most importantly, faith. The artists in this exhibition can be viewed as pioneers whose work, sacrifices and strong faith in the future laid a firm foundation on which today’s artists have built. Indeed, although many doorways remain closed, African American artists have reached a plateau of respect and acceptance that is a direct result of the vision of these early artists.

The catalog for the Cleveland component of the exhibition, African American Art in Cleveland 1920-1970, will be available at the Riffe Gallery for $10.

Media support for the exhibition provided by the Call and Post and WCKX-FM. Additional support provided by the Ohio Building Authority, Small Business News and Time Warner Communication. The Riffe Gallery, operated by the Ohio Arts Council, showcases the work of Ohio’s artists and curators and the collections of the state’s museums and galleries. The gallery is in the Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts, State and High Streets, Columbus, OH. Hours are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Thursday and Friday 11a.m.-7:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 12-4 p.m. Admission is free. For information or to schedule a tour call the Riffe Gallery at 614/644-9624.

The Ohio Arts Council, a state agency established in 1965, is committed to the economic, educational and cultural development of the state. The Council believes the arts should be shared by the people of Ohio. The arts arise from public, individual and organizational efforts. The OAC supports and encourages those efforts.

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