Every year, February 7th through 15th sees the celebration of International Week of Black Women in the Arts, a time to celebrate the creative contributions of Black women to the world of art in all their mediums. In this spirit, we’ve gathered seven incredible picture book biographies of African-American female visual artists throughout history so that readers young and old can learn more about their lives, their minds, and their works.
Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas by Jeanne Walker Harvey, Illustrated by Loveis Wise
Alma Thomas was an American painter and art teacher who was known for her brilliantly colorful abstract paintings. Growing up in Georgia in the early 1900s, Alma drew inspiration from the many hues of nature and followed her love for making things. She channeled both into the vibrant works that became her signature. This book does an incredible job of translating Thomas’s passion to the page, making this an engaging read for all ages.
Faith Ringgold: Narrating the World in Pattern and Color by Sharna Jackson, Illustrated by Andrea Pippins
American artist and activist Faith Ringgold has made her mark in many artistic mediums, including performance art, mixed-media sculpture, and children’s illustration. Published in collaboration with the world-famous Metropolitan Museum of Art, this wonderful biography tells the story of the Harlem-born artist and how her experiences and travels influenced her unique style, particularly her intricate and powerful narrative quilts.
Art From Her Heart: Folk Artist Clementine Hunter by Kathy Whitehead, Illustrated by Shane W. Evans
The remarkable story of Clementine Hunter’s entrance into the art world is proof that it is never too late to find a new talent. Working as a farm laborer in Louisiana from her early childhood into her middle age, Hunter only began painting at age 50, using scraps, gourds, and leftover paint. Chronicling the daily life of farm workers and Black Southern communities through her folk art, Clementine — pronounced Clementeen — became a beloved and respected figure in American art, and this title does a lovely job of telling her story.
In Her Hands: The Story of Sculptor Augusta Savage by Alan Schroeder, Illustrated by JaeMe Bereal
As a young woman in Florida in 1921, young Augusta Savage found herself at a crossroads. She had a dream of sculpting that her family did not support but that she could no longer deny. She decided to move to New York City in the hopes of making her dreams a reality, which she unquestionably did. Savage was a prominent figure of the Harlem Renaissance, and though less is known of her later years in obscurity, Schroeder and Bereal elegantly bring her drive and artistry to life in this beautiful biography.
Fancy Party Gowns: The Story of Fashion Designer Ann Cole Lowe by Deborah Blumenthal, Illustrated by Laura Freeman
Fashion is often left out of conversations on high art, despite the fact that it involves just as much skill and talent as painting, sculpting, or other visual art forms. To look at the incredible couture gowns designed by Anne Cole Lowe between the 1920s and early 1960s is to understand why: couture design involves making works of art that were meant to be worn, such as the silk taffeta wedding dress of Jaqueline Bouvier when she married John F. Kennedy. Lowe received very little recognition for her incredible pieces in her time, making this biography a treat for young fashionistas.
Beautiful Shades of Brown: The Art of Laura Wheeler Waring by Nancy Churnin, Illustrated by Felicia Marshall
Historically, art has not always portrayed brown skin in an authentic way, or in a way that captures its natural beauty, color, or tone. Laura Wheeler Waring recognized this gap as a young painter in Connecticut at the start of the 20th century and would spend hours mixing paints to perfectly capture the hues of her friends and loved ones’ brown skin tones. Waring viewed brown as a rainbow and studied in both the United States and Paris to perfect her craft, which left art lovers with unprecedentedly beautiful portraiture of Black subjects
Sewing Stories: Harriet Powers’ Journey from Slave to Artist by Barbara Herkert, Illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Harriet Powers is a lesser-known name in the world of art, as she only has two surviving works. She learned the textile arts of carding, dyeing, weaving, and quilting as a matter of life, being born into slavery near Athens, Georgia. Yet Harriet found an outlet in the artistic expression of quilting, and after emancipation, she created beautiful story quilts that she was sadly forced to sell to support her family financially. An informative read with plenty of historical context, this book deftly celebrates an oft-overlooked American artist.
American culture and the art world owe much to a legacy of Black female artists, and it is important that readers of all ages take time to recognize and appreciate their contributions. We hope that you and your young reader enjoy and learn from the books on this list. Happy reading!
To see more of our children’s books that celebrate Black artists, check out this article on sensational picture books by Black authors and illustrators.
To see all of our recommendations for mini bookworms, check out our Bookshop bookshelf.
