Art and Design Commons^™

Contemporary Black Women Artists’ Narratives, Shannon Snelgrove, Laura Gardner Ph.D.

The Winthrop McNair Research Bulletin

The purpose of this study is to explore contemporary Black women visual artists’ experiences in the arts. Specific experiences studied include: finding support, balancing family responsibilities, and overcoming gender and race barriers. Though there are numerous articles on Black women’s artwork (e.g., Edwards, 2015; Murray, 2014; Wickham, 2015), there are few about their lived experiences, in their own words. To address this gap, semi-structured interviews were conducted with Black women visual artists from the southeast United States. Despite its focus on a particular group, the study speaks to diverse audiences about surmounting challenges in life and work.

Two interviews have …

Creating Narratives Through Art As Self-Definition For Black Women, Shannon Snelgrove, Laura Gardner Ph.D.

The Winthrop McNair Research Bulletin

The purpose of this study was to examine ways in which Black female artists have created narratives through art as self-definition. These artists have responded to stereotypical stories and images of Black women by creating self-defined stories and images. This study specifically focused on Faith Ringgold because she has combined narrative and visual art in story quilts that present Black women as empowered, multidimensional people. Her story quilt Who’s Afraid of Aunt Jemima reclaims the narrative of the stereotypical Black mammy character, Jemima. Ringgold depicts Jemima as a liberated, dynamic entrepreneur and family woman. In creating positive characterizations of Black …