Resources

Known for his tenacious championing of Black art and community in Chicago, Douglas R. Williams (1938-2019) was born in Houston, Texas and moved to Chicago in his teens with his older sister.

Gregory Warmack, more popularly known as “Mr. Imagination” (1948-2012), was born in Chicago, the third of nine children.

John Carlis (1917-2003) was born and raised in Chicago and is known for his paintings, commercial art and design, and sculpture.

Ceramicist and sculptor Howard Mallory (1930-2012) was known for his involvement with AfriCOBRA and celebrated for his African masks made with found objects commemorating important figures in Black history

José Williams (1931-2023) was a multi-disciplinary artist who worked as a painter, serigraph maker, musician, and textile designer.

Juarez Hawkins (b. 1962) is an educator, artist, and curator whose work examines the evolution of identity, spirituality, and the body.

For over thirty years, Marvin Tate (b. 1959) has been active as a self-taught multidisciplinary artist, community activist, and art educator, exploring themes ranging from personal narratives to social justice.

Sculptor, innovator, healer, and collaborator Sonja Henderson explores the organic nature of spirit, joy, and grounded connection through Restorative Justice practices.

Travis (b. 1946) grew up in Itawamba County, Mississippi, where he was born, before moving to Ohio and eventually settling in Chicago.

Ravi Arupa (b. 1951) is an artist whose family settled on the South Side of Chicago after moving from a small farm in Arkansas when he was nine years old