Visual and Performing Arts
Add Bates, the 306 Studio, and Interlocking Modernisms in Mid-Twentieth-Century Harlem
Document Type
Article
Abstract
This article traces the career of Addison “Add” Bates, a furniture maker, dancer, and sometime-gallerist who was active in Harlem art circles from the 1930s through the 1960s. It highlights his connections to painters Jacob Lawrence—who may have painted him in his workshop—and Romare Bearden—for whom he staged the artist’s first solo show; as well as commissions for Richard Wright and a working relationship with Ralph Ellison. His artistic philosophy encompassed formal rigor—a belief in the expressive power of simple, bold forms in compelling composition—and social justice—an abiding commitment to the dignity of the human body and equal opportunity for African American artists. His career demonstrates the centrality of artist networks in supporting and nurturing artistic experimentation and growth, in particular the multimedia connections that sustained African American artists in the twentieth century in the face of institutionalized racism.
Publication Title
American Art
Publication Date
3-1-2021
Volume
35
Issue
1
First Page
16
Last Page
23
ISSN
1073-9300
DOI
10.1086/713573
Keywords
Add Bates, Addison Bates, artists, African American artists, Harlem
Repository Citation
Wilson, Kristina, "Add Bates, the 306 Studio, and Interlocking Modernisms in Mid-Twentieth-Century Harlem" (2021). Visual and Performing Arts. 30.
https://commons.clarku.edu/faculty_visual_performing_arts/30
