Accompanying the much-publicized traveling exhibition, African American Masters, this book highlights influential and important African American 20th-century artists, from those of the early part of the century who were actively discouraged from pursuing their talents, to important participants in the Harlem Renaissance to modern and contemporary artists. The text also includes sidebars highlighting individual pictures and creators, completing a wonderful chapter in the history of American art and in African American life and achievement. Published in conjunction with the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the nation's greatest repository of African American art, the book includes works by Romare Bearden, Roy DeCarava, Betye Saar, and Augusta Savage, among many others. From Faith Ringgold's fabric interpretation of the Harlem Renaissance, to Gordon Parks' celebrated 1996 photograph of Muhammad Ali, the paintings, sculptures, and photographs reproduced here reflect the rich and varied experience of African American artists in the 20th century. AUTHOR BIO: Tonya Bolden has written more than 15 books for children and adults, including Tell All the Children Our Story: Memories and Mementos of Being Young and Black in America, which received starred reviews in School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Publishers Weekly. She lives in New York.

Accompanying the much-publicized travelling exhibition African American Masters, this book highlights influential and important African American 20th-century artists, from those of the early part of the century to important participants in the Harlem Renaissance, from self-taught and folk artists to urbane modernists, right up to the vigorous contemporary art scene. The text also includes sidebars highlighting individual pictures and creators, completing a wonderful chapter in the history of American art and in African American life and achievement. Published in conjunction with the Smith-sonian American Art Museum, the nation's greatest repository of African American art, the book includes works by Romare Bearden, Roy DeCarava, Betye Saar, and Augusta Savage, among many others. From Faith Ringgold's fabric interpretation of the Harlem Renaissance, to Gordon parks' celebrated 1996 photograph of Muhammad Ali, the paintings, sculptures, and photographs reproduced here reflect the rich and varied experience of African American artists in the 20th century.

Tonya Bolden has written more than 15 books for children and adults, including Tell All the Children Our Story: Memories and Mementos of Being Young and Black in America, which received starred reviews in School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Publishers Weekly. She lives in New York.