Timing is often out of our control which can be a good thing. I began work on Beautiful Shades of Brown, the Art of Laura Wheeler Waring in 2016, not knowing how long it would take me to get her story right, how long it would take to find her a publishing home, how long it would take the illustrator to complete her work. Beautiful Shades of Brown released Feb. 4, 2020 from Creston Books/Lerner Books with illustrations by Felicia Marshall.
And it turns out that the timing , which I had absolutely no control over, could not be more perfect. This year, the Kinsey Collection of African American Art, featuring works by African American artists from the 19th through 21st centuries, including Laura Wheeler Waring, is on tour, at the African American Museum in Fair Park in Dallas through Feb. 29. And thanks to a generous gift of art from Dr. Constance E. Clayton, two of Laura Wheeler Waring’s paintings are being displayed Feb. 21-July 21 as part of a new exhibition, “Awakened in You: The Collection of Dr. Constance E. Clayton” at Waring’s alma mater, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, PA.
I talked with Sarah Spencer, assistant to PAFA’s museum director about what Laura Wheeler Waring’s work and this exhibit mean to her. Welcome, Sarah Spencer, to THE KIDS ARE ALL WRITE!
Sarah Spencer
What were your feelings on seeing Dr. Constance E. Clayton’s collection of art and knowing that it was a gift that would be part of your permanent collection?
When I first saw Dr. Clayton’s collection of art, I was amazed at the quantity of artworks included but also at the breadth of artwork that Dr. Clayton had acquired. Most of the work spans from the early 19th century into the early 21st century and there is a wide variety of depth as well. When Dr. Clayton decided to gift the collection to PAFA it was very exciting to know that we would have an opportunity to add such a strong body of work to the permanent collection.
Can you tell us about Dr. Clayton and how the works of art reflect her own vision, mission and dedication to the community?
Dr. Clayton is living history of Philadelphia, she was the first African American and woman to be Superintendent of Philadelphia Public Schools and served her community for a tenure of 11 years. She was and remains dedicated to the children of Philadelphia and emphasized throughout her career the importance of art and education. Her collection is a reflection of that commitment including a variety of artists who were also educators and students of each other at some point in time.
Laura Wheeler Waring
Are there any works of art in particular that you had never seen before, that surprised or moved you in a way you didn’t expect?
Of the works in the collection one that moved me in particular was a work by Laura Wheeler Waring titled, Four Friends. It’s one of the most touching depictions of children that I’ve seen Waring do, it’s sensitive and intimate to the point that it feels nurturing as well. Waring’s portraiture of prominent figures captures the essence of their character, but in this group portrait I think we see more of the artist’s emotions than that of the sitters’.
Can you tell us about the scope of the exhibition you are planning? How many works of art by how many artists? How many artists are represented whose works you did not previously have in your collection or on display?
The exhibition we are planning is a celebration of community, education, and the arts. All of which embody the values of the woman who made this possible, Dr. Clayton. There are 76 artworks in the collection by 42 different artists, and there is a small handful of artist in the collection who will be new to PAFA’s permanent collection.
In my research for my book, Beautiful Shades of Brown, the Art of Laura Wheeler Waring, I was surprised and honored to realize I would be writing the first picture book biography about her for children. Why do you think Ms. Waring and many of the artists represented in the exhibition are not as well-known as they should be?
I think that the concept of “well-known” is complicated. In my opinion, these artist were well-known to the communities that they worked with and represented. Their legacies remain a crucial part of our understanding of African American artists, their networks, and the influence of their talents. Today, I think that most institutions, especially American art museums, are reflecting on the lack of institutional recognition that Black artists rightly deserved but did not receive because of systematic racism. Exhibitions like this place Black artists in a position for their work to be observed and admired and placed on par with their white contemporaries.
Ms. Waring attended the Philadelphia Academy for the Fine Arts at a time when very few African American artists thought of the school as an option. How do you feel about her being an alumna? How do you think her time at the school shaped her as an artist?
It is a huge honor that Ms. Waring is an alumna of PAFA. During her time here she excelled as a student, she was the first African American woman to receive the Cresson Scholarship which is one of PAFA’s most prestigious travel awards. I do think that her time at PAFA shaped her as an artist, specifically because of her focus on portraiture and figural representations.
Do you have any particular favorites among her works that are being displayed in the exhibition? Please tell us what makes them special to you and what details you would like to draw to the attention of those attending the exhibit.
There are two artworks by Laura Wheeler Waring that are displayed in the exhibition, Four Friends and The Study of a Student. It’s hard to pick just one of these paintings because they are both so gorgeous, I do think that it is interesting to compare the two because her style is different in each of them. It’s very easy to tell which one was created earlier than the other as well, so you get to see her progression as an artist. That’s definitely something to look out for when viewing her paintings.
What is your mission for this exhibition?
We want to celebrate Dr. Clayton and her legacy, bringing together the importance of art and education and it impact of the lives of not only children but all of us.
One of the things I talk about in the book is Ms. Waring’s desire to see representation and inclusion on museum walls. At the time she was painting, America was segregated, and it was unusual to see African American faces as subjects in portraits. She felt that if people saw inclusion in art, it would open hearts and minds to the importance of inclusion in all aspects of life. Do you think the choice of what is on museum walls can have that kind of impact?
Absolutely. As a woman of color, I know from my own experiences how impactful it is to see yourself represented in artwork. In many ways I believe that art influences our understanding of self-worth and identity. More importantly, when we display artwork that’s inclusive and diverse it definitely reaches our audiences differently. It creates a space where everyone’s life story and experiences are important, but also validated.
This painting by Laura Wheeler Waring is part of the Kinsey Collection, currently touring at the African American Museum in Fair Park, Dallas through Feb. 29, 2020
How do you think museums are doing today in terms of being inclusive in the art they display? How can they do better? Why is it important that they do so?
I believe that there is an initiative from museums to become more inclusive in their display. I feel as though PAFA is at the forefront of that in our collecting and exhibiting artists of color and woman. There is always room for improvement but that means a step of introspection by each institution regarding whether or not they have done due diligence in creating a collection that is representative of a multifaceted story.
Marian Anderson by Laura Wheeler Waring, courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., reproduced in the book Beautiful Shades of Brown (Creston Books/Lerner Books)
Please tell us how people can get tickets to view the exhibit along with details on where the work will be on display and where to park. For people who cannot get there in person, will there be any way to view some of the work online?
Tickets can be found online (www.pafa.org) and at the museum. The artwork is on display in the Historic Landmark Building on PAFA’s campus at 118-128 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19102. Parking is located on North Broad Street as well as North 15th Street. The collection can be searched on PAFA’s website as well under the “Collection” tab.
Thank you, Sarah Spencer for spending time with us on THE KIDS ARE ALL WRITE! You can also check out the Kinsey Collection of African American Art at the African American Museum website and in person at 3536 Grand Ave, Dallas, TX 75210. You will also find seven reproductions of Waring paintings from the National Portrait Gallery and the Museum of American Art at the Smithsonian Institution in the book, Beautiful Shades of Brown.
Felicia Marshall’s illustration of a young Laura Wheeler Waring painting her brother in ‘Beautiful Shades of Brown’ by Nancy Churnin (Creston Books/Lerner Books)