The Bay Area is a place of rich cultural diversity, especially in the arts. There are numerous African American artists from the Bay that have strongly impacted their creative fields, becoming influential figures in the realm of art.
Mildred Howard is a local artist who works with sculptures and mixed media. Growing up in South Berkeley in the 1950s, Howard and her family were very politically active and involved in protests against the segregation of Berkeley schools. Her work consists of creative combinations of various materials to create sculptures. One of her most famous works is “Ten Little Children Standing in a Line (One Got Shot, and Then There Were Nine),” which is a set of bronze arms and hands that appear to be raised as if they were in a classroom. Throughout her life, she has served as a key part of the Berkeley community, including when she was appointed director of the edible schoolyard at King Middle School.
David Huffman is a painter and installation artist from Berkeley. Huffman was born in 1963 to his mother Dolores Davis, who was an activist and supporter of the Black Panthers. His artwork can be classified as “afrofuturism,” which sprinkles African American history into the mix of science fiction. For example, some of his more famous works depict “traumanauts,” which are African American astronauts. He delves further into this concept in his series “Terra Incognita” where, for example, he paints his traumanauts embracing trees (Treehuggers #4). Huffman continues his work today as a professor at the California College of the Arts.
Sadie Barnette is an artist who works with photography, drawing, and installation. Her father, Rodney Ellis Barnette, was an important figure in the Black Panther party, and founded the chapter in Compton, California. Due to his involvement with the party, the FBI surveilled him at all times and kept a close record of his activity. 50 years later, Barnette gained access to her fathers 500 page FBI file, and incorporated it into her artwork. Barnette uses a range of mediums to tell the story of her family, as well as the story of her community.
Sydney Cain, born in San Francisco, is a visual artist who uses graphite and other powdered metals to create her art. Between the contrast of dark and light tones, she expresses the spirituality of African Americans and other marginalized communities, and their journey through life and after. Cain, also known as Sage Stargate, focuses on how colonialism has impacted the African American afterlife, and uses inspiration from DNA and genealogy. One of her projects, “Ark of Bones,” is a collection that depicts groups of shadowy silhouettes, all with masks or face coverings on. The project is meant to represent an unseen reality of Black afterlives and its relation to the physical body.
Morrie Turner was an acclaimed cartoonist from Oakland, California, and alumnus of Berkeley High School. He discovered his passion for drawing comics at 14, and his talent was recognized by classmates and teachers. In 1963, he joined the Association of California Cartoonists and Gag Writers, where he befriended comic legends Charles Shulz and Bil Keane, who encouraged him to create the first comic strip with a diverse cast. After the death of Martin Luther King Jr., his comic strip “Wee Pals” took off, being published in over 100 newspapers. Turner was very successful, continuing to evolve his strip, integrating characters of all races, even including people with disabilities. Despite his passing in 2014, he cemented his legacy as a trailblazer for other African American artists, prominent activist against racism, and influential member of the community.