As a woman who grew up with a painter/percussionist for a father, I’ve always appreciated the arts. Recently I tried to think of some acclaimed black female visual artists—and I couldn’t think of one for our times. I know of a few black female artists personally who have been painting since the 50’s and 60’s—but they are mostly unknown in general. Then I tried to think of some women from the early 19^th century and I could only think of black men (Henry Ossawa Tanner and Ellis Wilson).

So what’s going on here? Maybe my memory is failing me, or our schools are more interested in highlighting black political leaders and performers. Or just maybe we live in a country that would rather applaud the creative efforts of the Andy Warhol’s and Jackson Pollock’s (I don’t know about you, but I really question their raw talent) Either way, I think it would be nice to know what women have contributed to the art world in America, and not just through song and dance.
 
One woman in particular who stands out for her achievements is Laura Wheeler Waring, a portrait artist. She was born in Hartford, CT in 1887 to a reverend father and a mother who was an amateur artist and teacher. Her oil paintings reflect the era romanticism, due mostly to her time in Paris where she studied on a scholarship in 1914. She was selected by the Harmon Foundation (an organization that promoted the work of African American artists, writers, educators, and scientists) to paint portraits of exceptional blacks like W.E.B. Du Bois and Marian Anderson.
 
Not only did she contribute her artistic skills to preserving the beautiful image of our great black leaders, she also dedicated her life to teaching art to blacks—a truly commendable accomplishment.