REAL PEOPLE. REAL STORIES.

Aaron Douglas

(1898-1979)

Aaron Douglas was the most prominent artist-illustrator of the Harlem Renaissance, a movement of the 1920s during which African Americans developed, for the first time, a unique artistic style.

It was during this period that Aaron Douglas received "liberal praise" for his eight symbolic drawings that illustrated Weldon Johnson's book God's Trombone. He studied art in Paris and became the first president of the Harlem Artists guild. In addition to his formal studies, Douglas felt he had been educated through his association with people and the variety of jobs he held during his lifetime. From his first job at Skinner's Nursery in Topeka, through jobs at the Union Pacific material yard and several waiter jobs while at the University of Nebraska, Douglas gained an appreciation for life.

This experience is reflected in his art. Douglas' murals were a unique way of celebrating African American achievement and he was hailed as the "Father of Black American Art" and a leader among the creative African American artists.