“I, TOO SING AMERICA: THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE AT 100” WITH A MISSION TO CREATE A CATALYST TO UNITE, COLLABORATE, AND CELEBRATE THE COLUMBUS BLACK ARTS COMMUNITY THROUGH EDUCATION, EXPOSURE, AND EXPRESSION.
IN THE 1940s, ‘50s AND ‘60s, THE SOUNDS OF JAZZ spilled out onto Mount Vernon Avenue and Long Street. Up-and-comers jammed with the masters they revered at the Yacht Club, the Pythian Theater and the 502 Club. Audiences clamored for performances at the Lincoln Theater, the Cameo, the Dunbar and the Empress.
Will Haygood grew up on the Near East Side toward the end of this decades-long period of exuberance and art. What he saw in a landscape of slowly fading speakeasies and jazz clubs were the remnants and simmering legacy of the Harlem Renaissance, a specifically African American cultural and artistic explosion born in New York in 1918 that spread to other American cities, including Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati.
The Harlem Renaissance gave us artists and a body of work that remains unparalleled. Out of this groundswell of African American art, writing, theater, music, political thought and journalism emerged Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Eubie Banks, Jacob Lawrence. Chester B. Himes, the seminal crime novelist, got his start writing under inauspicious circumstances — tapping out short stories while doing time in the Ohio Penitentiary just a mile from where we sit today. “It really is the story of America, not only black America,” Haygood says. “It is the story of a nation through the prism of artistic soldiers. And all they wanted was peace. There’s not been another epochal period like this when we saw giants — and I mean giants.”
In 2018, Columbus hosts a thrilling and accessible opportunity to appreciate the past and understand what the Harlem Renaissance can teach us about our nation today. “It’s hard enough to create art that will endure, but it endures,” says Haygood, who curated an exhibition of Harlem Renaissance art and ephemera that opens in October. “Zora Neale Hurston’s short stories endure. Langston Hughes’ poetry has been quoted by Black Lives Matter activists. It endures.”
Haygood found himself at a profound personal and professional crossroads while researching the Harlem Renaissance during the last year. The movement has been a ribbon woven between the lines of his biographies — including those about Sammy Davis Jr., Sugar Ray Robinson and Thurgood Marshall. “To research that period now, when this nation is undergoing another racial crisis and there are constant assaults against blackness and ethnicity, it really dawned on me: When freedom erupted in this country, art and poetry and writing were an underpinning of freedom.”
Several Columbus arts organizations have committed to this opportunity to unite, collaborate and make a statement that will be heard far and wide. Just as the Harlem Renaissance was ignited in a crucible stirred by outsiders, cabaret performers, self-taught students of jazz, as well as academics, scholars and classically trained artists, I, Too, Sing America will draw from and re ect our city’s diverse community of creators, makers, artists, educators and organizations.
“At the beginning of ‘The Butler,’ there’s a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. that says only light can drive out darkness,” Haygood says. “Throughout that history of dark tyranny against minorities in this country, artists’ light has served to change minds.”
We will create. We will inspire. We will raise our voices to form a resounding chorus.
CMOA Art Celebration – Honoring Donna and Larry James (October 18, 2018)
This year’s Art Celebration at the Columbus Museum of Art honored Donna and Larry James, longtime supporters of the arts in Columbus and two of the visionaries who helped bring the Harlem Renaissance campaign to life. As a part of the event, we commissioned an original portrait of Donna and Larry by Don “DonCee” Coulter. The portrait also features an augmented reality component by Ariel Peguero.
The Community Arts Partnership Awards (October 18, 2018)
The Harlem Renaissance campaign took the Community Arts Partnership Awards luncheon on a journey through time and space with a series of performances that celebrated the history of the Harlem Renaissance.
Creative Control Fest (September 28 & 29, 2018)
This was a multi-day creative conference and festival aimed at supporting creatives of color through an exchange of resources, ideas and connections. The panel of speakers included: Alexia Winfield, Hanif Abdurraqib, Joan Morgan, Jonna Twigg, Kevin “Mr. Soul” Harp, Kimberly Blackwell, Tiffany Ima and Travis Holoway.
Harlem Renaissance Trip (July, 2018)
A group of Columbus artists traveled to Harlem, New York to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Harlem Renaissance. Experience New York through the eyes of Samara Tillman, Lori Lindsey, Percy King, Tripp Fontane and Jay Swifa. Photography by: Yohannan Yogi Terrell and Marshall L. Shorts Jr.
The Evening with Wil Haygood (September 19, 2018)
An Evening with Wil Haygood was an event hosted by The Lincoln Theatre to celebrate the release of Haygood’s latest publication, Tigerland: 1968-1969: A City Divided, a Nation Torn Apart, and a Magical Season of Healing. Haygood, the renowned journalist and author, is also the guest curator the “I, Too, Sing America: The Harlem Renaissance at 100” exhibit at the Columbus Museum of Art (opens Oct. 19, 2018).
Harlem Renaissance Everyday People Block Party (August 25, 2018)
This is a community experience that will include food trucks, games, chalk artists, murals and art from Columbus-based, black artists. It’s a full-blown arts festival that culminates in the Everyday People Block Party. Experience live music, poetry, art and more.
Harlem Renaissance Children’s Mural Event (August 25, 2018)
The community joined local artist, Marshall Shorts, in creating a mural that honors the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. The mural will remain on display in the library. Children can enjoy story time while drawing in specially-made coloring books.
The Journey: Columbus to Harlem Gallery Exhibition (August 23, 2018)
This exhibition featured the takeaways from our landmark journey to Harlem, New York. Experience New York through the eyes of Samara Tillman, Lori Lindsey, Percy King, Tripp Fontane and Jay Swifa.
Photography by: Yohannan Yogi Terrell and Marshall L. Shorts Jr.
Harlem Renaissance Experience at Gallery Hop (August 4, 2018)
Why celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Harlem Renaissance in the middle of Ohio? It’s a good question with an even better answer. The Harlem Renaissance was and is a national affair. It represents an explosion of cultural pride that transcends space and time. The August 4th Gallery Hop celebrated local African American artists and showcased our close ties to the Harlem Renaissance. The event featured 10 galleries with curated exhibitions featuring local African American artists, 12 original murals, and live street performances.
Walk of Fame (July 28, 2018)
The Lincoln Theatre inducted Larry James, Michael B. Coleman and Bill Conner into their Walk of Fame. These are three of the people credited with the rescue and renovation of the historic theatre.
“The Renegades of Renaissance X” was a powerful exhibition hosted by the Vanderelli Room that featured local, African American artists spanning all degrees of age, experience and exposure.
In Columbus’ historic King-Lincoln District artists came together to showcase the rich history of African-American culture. The event included local talent while honoring history and community through live music, spoken word and dance performances.
