While social concerns have been central to the work of many African-American visual artists--painters, sculptors, illustrators, installation artists, performance artists, film and video artists, mixed media artists, and others--few of them would choose to be identified as African Americans first and artists second. African-American visual artists had to struggle not only to create their art but also to get it noticed in a society that has often suppressed or ignored them. One of the purposes of this book is to bring these creative African Americans to the attention of a wider audience. African Americans in the Visual Arts balances the rich tradition of African-American artists of the past, many of them little known today, with the best of contemporary artists, many of them equally unsung. A valuable resource for both serious students and general readers alike, each entry provides a brief biographical sketch of the artist and goes on to address the major achievements, events, and contributions of the artist's career. A general bibliography, two subject indexes (one by medium/area of activity, one by year of birth), a general index, and approximately 50 black-and-white photographs complement the text. Profiles include: Charles H. Alston: painter, muralist, sculptor, illustrator, educator Xenobia Bailey: decorative artist, installation artist, mixed media artist, doll maker Romare Bearden: painter, collagist, art historian Vivian E. Browne: painter, educator Carole Byard: illustrator, mixed media artist, sculptor Eldzier Cortor: painter, printmaker Aaron Douglas: painter, muralist, illustrator, educator William Greaves: documentary filmmaker, producer, screenwriter, actor Jacob Lawrence: painter, illustrator, educator Dindga McCannon: illustrator, writer, painter, printmaker, quilter, jewelry designer, clothes designer, educator Sister Gertrude Morgan: folk painter Adrian Piper: performance and video artist, installation artist, writer, educator Augusta Savage: sculptor, educator James Van Der Zee: photographer Hale Woodruff: muralist, painter, printmaker, educator and many others. Excerpted from African Americans in the Visual Arts by Steven Otfinoski All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.