About Beauford Delaney 6/18/22 About Beauford Delaney 6/18/22

Beauford Inspires Founding of Interdisciplinary Humanities Club in Dallas, TX

Over the years, the collaboration between Les Amis de Beauford Delaney and the Wells International Foundation has born significant fruit with regard to educational programs for youth.

As a result of visiting the 2016 Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color exhibition in Paris, several Knoxvillians were inspired to implement a program called "Bringing Beauford Delaney Home" in 2017. The Knoxville Museum of Art (KMA), the Knoxville chapter of The Links, Incorporated, and West View Elementary School worked together to create this program for twenty-six (26) elementary school students.

Information card from West View Elementary School Arts Night
Image courtesy of The Links Incorporated, Knoxville Chapter

In 2018-2019, the Classes Duo Paris/Knoxville program brought a total of 42 French and U.S. children together through Beauford's life and art. The high point of the program was the Knoxville students' visit to Paris to meet their Paris counterparts.

Farewell reception collage
© Wells International Foundation

The most recent academic program to develop from the Les Amis/WIF collaboration is the Interdisciplinary Humanities Club (IHUM) at the Episcopal School of Dallas (ESD) in Dallas, TX. Upper School English and French teacher Antonia Moran recruited five additional educators and launched the program at the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year, and twenty sophmore and junior students participated.

Moran shared the following with me regarding the club:

As you may know, this club exists because of YOU and your work on Beauford Delaney and Entree to Black Paris in general! ...

Diving into your work, your illumination of those artists and voices that one does not tend to hear about in connection with Paris, has been a treasure trove of richness that adds to our understanding of what makes Paris great ...

Seeing the students’ engagement has been fulfilling, and I feel like we are learning and enriching our understanding together as we teach each other. It’s been a very collaborative experience and incredible and uplifting to see so many students' eyes opened and interests set aflame.

Zoom conference with IHUM students and faculty advisors
© Wells International Foundation

Read more about IHUM here: Dallas High School Students Love Humanities and Paris.

About Beauford Delaney 6/11/22 About Beauford Delaney 6/11/22

Beauford's Art Inspires Creative Writing

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about a creative writing workshop that I'd been asked to lead for the University of Kent Postgraduate Arts Festival entitled Chaos & Order:

Writing from Art: A Creative Workshop.

The event is now a fait accompli!

Eight people gathered on Friday afternoon for an intimate session at the Citè Falguière in the 15th arrondissement. Upon arriving at this dead-end street, I was able to take a photo of the building at Number 5, where Beauford's friend, Charley Boggs, once lived.

5, Citè Falguière
© Entrée to Black Paris

When I approached 11, Cité Falguière - the only remaining artist atelier on the street - I saw that it looks pretty much the same as it did when I photographed it ten years ago.

11, Citè Falguière in 2012
© Discover Paris!

The front room of the ground floor of the building is serving as the exhibition space for the L'AiR Arts Association Chaos & Order show of works by four artists. A table in the center of the room creates a gathering spot for visitors.

Exhibition room at 11, Citè Falguière
© Entrée to Black Paris

The workshop took place in the basement of the building. Pallas-Amenah Morgan, Writing and Literature Liason for this year's festival, opened the session.

Pallas-Amenah Morgan opens the session
© Entrée to Black Paris

I briefly introduced Beauford, then played the four-minute video trailer of So Splendid a Journey - the full-length documentary about him that is currently in production.

Monique Y. Wells and the opening slide of the presentation
© Entrée to Black Paris

I presented the history of Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, the achievements we've made in collaboration with the Wells International Foundation and Entrée to Black Paris to preserve and promote Beauford's legacy, and a brief overview of the evolution of his art throughout his career.

I then showed images of three paintings that inspired two Wells International Foundation interns to write verse and prose poetry, and ended by showing four images that I hoped would inspire attendees to write creative pieces during the time allotted for the workshop.

Artworks for inspiration
© Entrée to Black Paris

Attendees had so many questions about the presentation that only ten minutes remained to complete the creative writing exercise!

Quatoyiah Murry - inspired to write
© Entrée to Black Paris

Words flowing onto paper
© Entrée to Black Paris

In the time remaining for the final segment of the workshop, six of the eight participants shared their reflections on Beauford's artwork and the prose or poetry they wrote as a result. All were impressive and a couple were particularly moving.

Morgan then closed the session and everyone moved upstairs to discuss what had just transpired. Morgan and I were photographed together.

Monique Y. Wells and Pallas-Amenah Morgan
© Entrée to Black Paris

When I left, just about everyone was still in the exhibition room engrossed in conversation. Morgan wrote me later to thank me for "a truly inspiring afternoon," and said that all the participants were genuinely touched by the experience.

About Beauford Delaney 5/21/22 About Beauford Delaney 5/21/22

Writing from Art: A Creative Workshop

Screenshot from Chaos and Order Website
Partial image of Beauford Delaney's Untitled (1947)
Oil on Masonite
Minneapolis Institute of Art

Each year, postgraduate Arts students from the University of Kent Paris School of Arts and Culture host and curate a Masters of the Arts festival, where Kent students and the wider Paris community come together to create, commune, and explore ideas.

Pallas-Amenah Morgan is serving as the Writing and Literature Liaison for this year's festival, the theme of which is "Chaos and Order." She reached out to me to ask if I'd be interested in hosting a writing workshop or panel discussion during the week of the event. To present the theme, she said the following:

We often fear change, but the disruption of truths, ideals, and the status quo have produced some of the most transformative movements in history. We will curate events and workshops that encourage embracing chaos as an opportunity for personal, artistic, and social growth.

Morgan presented several ideas for a workshop, focused on writers she'd heard me talk about during an Entrée to Black Paris walking tour and my presentation entitled "Black Paris and the Myth of a Colorblind France." She said I could present information about my chosen topic and that participating writers would then create, then perform, a short story or a slam poem about the topic.

When I read the theme - Chaos and Order - I knew immediately that I wanted to host a workshop about Beauford's life and art. I told Morgan that Beauford painted to bring order to the mental chaos that increasingly reigned in his mind and eventually overtook his life, and I also mentioned that several Wells International Foundation interns have written prose and poetry inspired by his work. She agreed that this would be an excellent idea.

I went on to select four Beauford Delaney works – two figurative and two abstract – that workshop participants will be asked to contemplate. They will share the writings inspired by these works at The Creative Workshop: Writing through Art, which will be held on June 10 from 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM.

The festival will be held during the week of June 7-11, 2022. For the full line-up of events, which includes an art exhibition, a keynote presentation, and film screenings in addition to workshops,click HERE.

The Creative Workshop: Writing through Art event will be take place at 11, Cité Falguière in the 15th arrondissement. Cité Falguière is an historic enclave where artists such as Amadeo Modigliani, Constantin Brancusi, and Chaim Soutine once had studios. Beauford's dear friend, Charley Boggs, once lived at Number 5 on this street.

If you're in Paris and would like to attend this workshop, RSVP here.

About Beauford Delaney 3/26/22 About Beauford Delaney 3/26/22

Nashville Public Radio Publishes Story about Beauford

Nashville Public Radio correspondent Ambreihl Crutchfield interviewed several people in Knoxville for a story on Beauford that has recently been released.

It is entitled "Knoxville uplifts the works of hometown artist Beauford Delaney."

Crutchfield acknowledges the Knoxville Museum of Art (KMA) as the holder of the largest [public] collection of Beauford's work.

Knoxville Museum of Art
© Wells International Foundation

She interviews several Knoxville citizens for this piece, including Jesse Wocjik, one of the students who participated in the Classes Duo Paris/Knoxville program in 2018-2020. During a visit to KMA, Jesse describes the Beauford Delaney self-portrait shown below.

Self-portrait in a Paris Bath House
(1971) Oil on canvas
Knoxville Museum of Art
Knoxville, TN
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,

Other Knoxvillians featured in the interview are KMA Trustee Sylvia Peters, University of Tennessee Knoxville professor Mary Campbell, and historian Jack Neely.

Find the story here:

Knoxville uplifts the works of hometown artist Beauford Delaney

About Beauford Delaney 12/13/20 About Beauford Delaney 12/13/20

Blog Posting Categories

Entries are listed in chronological order.

Les Amis de Beauford Delaney
(fundraising, events, press)

Tributes to Beauford

Beauford's Works (for sale / display / commentary)

Beauford's Paris

Beauford's Politics

Beauford's Archives

Other

About Beauford Delaney 3/28/20 About Beauford Delaney 3/28/20

Knoxville Links Are Keeping Beauford's Tombstone Beautiful

On 11 January 2020, I published a blog post called "Keeping Beauford's Tombstone Beautiful," which stated that this year (2020) marks the 10th anniversary of the laying of Beauford's tombstone and that the funds donated by generous individuals for its upkeep have been almost completely depleted.

I indicated that Les Amis de Beauford Delaney seeks to raise enough money to cover the maintenance fees for the next ten years by March 26, 2020 - the 41st anniversary of Beauford's death at Sainte-Anne's Hospital in Paris.

Today I am pleased to announce that the Knoxville (TN) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated has donated the entire amount of the funds required for this purpose!

Knoxville Links
Image courtesy of the Knoxville Links
The Knoxville Links have supported numerous initiatives to preserve and promote Beauford's legacy since the Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color exhibition was held in Paris in 2016. Chapter member Sylvia Peters, who is now the director of Gathering Light: The Delaney Project, attended the exhibition and returned to Knoxville determined to "bring Beauford home" by having the Knoxville Museum of Art (KMA) mount an itinerant version of the show. She told her Links sisters about me, Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, and the exhibition and persuaded them to sponsor my first visit to Knoxville in October 2016.

Monique (seated, third from left) and Knoxville Links
© Wells International Foundation
During that trip, the chapter donated $5000 to the Knoxville Museum of Art (KMA) to support the "Beauford Delaney in America" (BDIA) initiative to bring Resonance of Form to Knoxville.

Knoxville Links, Monique Y. Wells, and
KMA Executive Director David Butler with check
© Wells International Foundation
BDIA was the precursor for Gathering Light - a multifaceted community project that promotes and celebrates Beauford's life and art. The chapter is a charter member and promoter of this project and has consistently participated in efforts to make people in Knoxville and the surrounding region aware of Beauford's story and his work. The international organization of The Links, Incorporated has bestowed an award on the Knoxville chapter for this work.

As part of The Delaney Project, the Links partnered with KMA and West View Elementary School to implement a pilot educational program called "Bringing Beauford Delaney Home." This was designed to teach the children of Knoxville and Knox County about Beauford's life and work and to inspire the children to create their own art based on what they learned about him. The program unfolded between February 2 and March 31, 2017 at the school and the museum.

Student artwork at West View Elementary School
Image courtesy of Link Sylvia Peters
The highlight of the experience was the Arts Night event hosted by West View Elementary School on the evening of March 30, where the school proudly displayed the works created by its students. The artwork was subsequently displayed in the Education Gallery at KMA from June 1-30, 2017.

Student artwork at KMA Education Gallery
Image courtesy of the Knoxville Museum of Art
In late 2017-early 2018, the chapter and KMA teamed up once again to host "A Toast to the Arts," a reception during which KMA unveiled three Beauford Delaney works that it had recently acquired. This event was part of a joint effort to increase awareness of Beauford’s place in the international art world and to raise funds to bring a critical mass of his work home to Knoxville.

Invitation card for 2018 "A Toast to the Arts" event
Image courtesy of the Knoxville Links
The Links hosted a second "A Toast to the Arts" event in Beauford's honor in September 2019.

Invitation card for 2019 "A Toast to the Arts" event
Image courtesy of the Knoxville Links
Most recently, the Knoxville Links supported the staging of the world premiere of ShadowLight, the Marble City Opera production of the opera about Beauford, with a $25,000 donation.

Marble City Opera Director Kathryn Frady and
Knoxville Links Chapter President Dr. Avice Reid
Image courtesy of the Knoxville Links
At present, chapter members have only seen photos of Beauford's tombstone. Discussion has begun for the planning of an excursion to Paris later this year so they can visit the gravesite personally and celebrate the 10th anniversary of the laying of the stone.

Beauford's tombstone at Thiais Cemetery
© Discover Paris!

About Beauford Delaney 1/11/20 About Beauford Delaney 1/11/20

Keeping Beauford's Tombstone Beautiful

Since the laying of Beauford's tombstone during the summer of 2010, I have visited Thiais Cemetery many times.

My most poignant experiences there took place in the company of others:

During the graveside ceremony that celebrated the laying of the stone in October 2010

Graveside ceremony
© Discover Paris!
and when I took playwright Silver Wainhouse to the gravesite in 2017.

Silver Wainhouse at Beauford's Gravesite
© Discover Paris!
I also proudly visited Beauford's grave in 2014, the year that Thiais Cemetery added his gravesite to its celebrity list.

Map of Thiais Cemetery and list of most visited graves
This year (2020) marks the 10th anniversary of the laying of the stone!

Through the generous donations of individuals, Les Amis de Beauford Delaney has paid for the upkeep of Beauford's tombstone. These funds have been almost completely depleted.

So today, I'm asking for your help to keep Beauford's grave pristine - to keep it in a condition that reflects his inestimable contributions to the art world and to humanity.

The annual maintenance fee for the tombstone has increased 15% over the last 10 years. In 2020, the cost is 140,92€.

Les Amis seeks to raise enough money to cover the maintenance fees for the next ten years. To allow for inflation, our target is 1650€.

We'd like to raise this amount by March 26, 2020, the 41st anniversary of Beauford's death.

Please give to support this cause by clicking on the donate button below!

Thanks in advance for your support!

About Beauford Delaney 12/14/19 About Beauford Delaney 12/14/19

10-year Anniversary of Les Amis de Beauford Delaney Blog

On Monday, 14 December 2009, I published the first blog post for Les Amis de Beauford Delaney:

Welcome!

What an amazing 10-year run we've had!

From raising the money for Beauford's tombstone

Tombstone Inscription
© Discover Paris!
to placing two commemorative plaques on façades in Montparnasse

Hôtel Odessa plaque
© Discover Paris!

Les Mille Colonnes plaque
© Discover Paris!
to working with the Wells International Foundation to mount the Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color exhibition,

Catalog cover for Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color
and more, Les Amis has done its utmost to preserve and extend Beauford's legacy. I'm proud to say that we have an excellent track record in this regard and that we have no intention of stopping now!

After supporting the recent and successful reading performance of the play Amazing Grace Is Yellow, we are placing all our efforts behind the completion of the full-length video documentary So Splendid a Journey. The trailer was screened at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and the goal is to screen the completed documentary at Cannes in May 2020.

So Splendid a Journey represents the best opportunity to create global awareness of Beauford's tremendous impact as an artist and a human being. To be a part of this inimitable legacy, click on the link below and give to support this production!

Cannes Screening for Beauford Delaney Documentary

Beauford Delaney
1953 - Photo by Carl Van Vechten

About Beauford Delaney 10/19/19 About Beauford Delaney 10/19/19

Amazing Grace Is Yellow - A Great Success!

Left: Portrait of Beauford Delaney, (1953) Carl Van Vechten
Center: Book cover for Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney
by David Leeming
Right: Portrait of Beauford Delaney, (1973) Errol Sawyer
Well over 100 persons braved the damp drizzle that fell on Paris Wednesday evening to come out to Columbia Global Centers | Paris at Reid Hall on Wednesday evening, October 16. They came to see the reading performance of Amazing Grace Is Yellow, the 3-act play written by Silver Wainhouse about painter Beauford Delaney.

Courtyard at Reid Hall
© Entrée to Black Paris
The cast and playwright / director Silver Wainhouse gathered early for a final rehearsal in the Grande Salle, the room where the reading took place.

Final rehearsal
© Entrée to Black Paris
Anticipation built among the cast as the room began to fill. Even after additional chairs were brought in to accommodate attendees, there were still people standing at the back of the room when the reading began.

Attendees from as far away as London came to see the performance.

Full house
© Entrée to Black Paris
Director Wainhouse read the stage directions for each act and scene from a podium next to the stage and the members of the cast read their parts. The six performers read a total of 14 character parts, with Patrick Rameau reading only the lines for Beauford Delaney.

Patrick Rameau reads Beauford Delaney
© Entrée to Black Paris
The audience was captivated as the biographically-inspired story of Beauford's life unfolded before them. At the end of the performance, they gave the actors and Wainhouse a standing ovation that lasted for several minutes.

Wainhouse then shared some "behind the scenes" anecdotes about the production and she and I expressed our thanks to the donors who adopted characters in the play.

Playwright / Director Silver Wainhouse
© Entrée to Black Paris
After the reading, attendees, cast, and production team mingled during a reception sponsored by Mary Duncan, Paris Writers Group.

Reception for Amazing Grace Is Yellow
Images © Entrée to Black Paris
Long time Paris resident and Beauford aficionado, Joseph Langley, gifted Wainhouse with one of his artistic creations – a pastel called Victory, in celebration of the success of the production.

Silver Wainhouse and Joseph Langley
© Entrée to Black Paris
Based on the overwhelmingly positive response to the reading, work will soon begin on the full stage production of the play.

To view a photo album for Amazing Grace Is Yellow, click HERE.

All donors were publicly acknowledged in slides that were presented on the screen prior to the event and during the reception. To view their names, click HERE.

About Beauford Delaney 9/28/19 About Beauford Delaney 9/28/19

Classes Duo Paris / Knoxville Autumn 2019 Semester Is Underway

For the fourth consecutive semester, the Classes Duo Paris / Knoxville program is uniting elementary school students who are 7-10 years old at Jean Zay Elementary School in Paris and Nature's Way Montessori School in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Classes Duo is a collaboration between the Wells International Foundation (WIF) and the City of Paris' CASPE* administrative service. It is one of the many programs and projects that has emerged from the Beauford Delaney: Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color exhibition, which was held in Paris in 2016.

At its inception in January 2018, sixteen (16) students from Jean Zay and sixteen (16) students from Nature's Way began connecting via video conference to learn about each other's language and culture through Beauford's life and art. The Nature's Way students, along with their parents and Nature's Way educators, visited Paris last October to meet their French counterparts.

Today, half of the students from Nature's Way have left the program because they are now more than 10 years old or because they no longer attend the school. Eight students remain. Several Jean Zay students have left for similar reasons, and their slots have been filled with new students who are excited about joining the program.

The first art project that the students have undertaken is the recreation of Beauford's 1944 self-portrait, which hangs at the Art Institute of Chicago. This served to introduce the new Jean Zay students to Beauford's art as well as his story.

Self-portrait
(1944) Oil on canvas
Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
By permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Educator Juliette Blache reported that the bright colors and powerful brushstrokes in this painting inspired the students, who used watercolors to copy Beauford's self-portrait.

Recreating Beauford's 1944 self-portrait
Image courtesy of Juliette Blache

Student renditions of 1944 Self-portrait
Image courtesy of Juliette Blache
To see images of the Jean Zay students' individual works, click HERE.

To see images of the Nature's Way students' individual works, click HERE.

Among the additional lessons planned for this semester are a clay sculpting session and a sketching / painting session using photos of places in Knoxville and Paris that were important to Beauford coupled with a science lesson on how cameras work.

The impact of this groundbreaking educational program has been documented in a case study published in the September 2019 issue of the journal Theory and Practice in Language Studies. Read the article HERE.

Case Study in Theory and Practice in Language Studies
© Wells International Foundation
Everyone involved in Classes Duo Paris / Knoxville is looking forward to another extraordinary semester of learning and fun!

*CASPE - Circonscription des Affaires Scolaires et de la Petite Enfance

About Beauford Delaney 6/1/19 About Beauford Delaney 6/1/19

Cannes Film Festival Screening a Success

A major milestone in the creation of Beauford Delaney: So Splendid a Journey* was passed on May 21 when the trailer for the documentary was screened at the Cannes Film Festival. It was shown at the Grey d’Albion Hotel, one of the main screening locations for the Cannes Film Market.

Announcement for screening
Image courtesy of 2 Bulls on the Hill Productions
Producer Zachary Miller of 2 Bulls on the Hill Productions gave presentations and hosted Q&A sessions for two back-to-back showings of the trailer. Two different audiences viewed the trailer, with the first audience leaving the screening room to make way for the second group of viewers. Audience members included representatives of several companies interested in distributing the film once it is completed.

The trailer was well received, and numerous questions were posed after both screenings.

During the festival, a major grant / funding organization that could contribute to the completion of the film requested a meeting with Miller. The result of this encounter, which took place during an event held at Miller's villa in Cannes, was the scheduling of a follow-up meeting to be held in NYC in the coming weeks.

Producer Zachary Miller (center) at Cannes villa celebration
Image courtesy of 2 Bulls on the Hill Productions
The next step in the process for completing So Splendid a Journey is conducting research for information that can support narration to be included in the film. This will take place at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York. The Beauford Delaney archive there contains correspondence with colleagues, friends, gallery owners, and family members, as well as printed material documenting Beauford's life in Paris.

Raising funds for completing the full-length documentary remains a priority. An active GoFundMe campaign provides a platform for donations in support of the $20,000 budget for the production. Funds will be used for archival images, music, sound design, editing and other items mentioned in the itemized budget found on the GoFundMe page.

*Beauford Delaney: So Splendid a Journey will be the first full-length documentary about Beauford.

About Beauford Delaney 5/4/19 About Beauford Delaney 5/4/19

Student-Parent Reception for Classes Duo Art Exhibition at KMA

On April 6, I posted an article about the Classes Duo Paris/Knoxville exhibition that is being shown at the Knoxville Museum of Art:

KMA Mounts Classes Duo Paris / Knoxville Exhibition

This week, I'm pleased to share some of the photos taken at the Student-Parent reception, held on Sunday, April 28.

Knoxville Classes Duo Students and art teacher Dawn Kunkel
Image courtesy of Dawn Kunkel

Around the refreshment table
Image courtesy of Dawn Kunkel

Students Chloe and Sarah admire refreshments
Image courtesy of Mary Campbell
The students' works shown were inspired by Beauford's Les Embruns, Greece, Untitled (Trees), and the self-portrait that graces the cover of the 2016 Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color catalog.

Resonance of Form catalog cover

Jean Zay student portraits of Beauford
Image courtesy of Mary Campbell
Additional works represent portraits of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., created during Black History Month 2018.

Nature's Way student portraits of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Image courtesy of Mary Campbell
The exhibition will be available for viewing for several additional weeks (closing date: June 23). KMA's executive director, David Butler, is pleased to report that the show is drawing many visitors.

To see additional photos, visit the gallery on the Wells International Foundation's Web site:

KMA Art Exhibition

Enjoy!

About Beauford Delaney 3/30/19 About Beauford Delaney 3/30/19

Cannes Film Festival - Possible Venue for Beauford Documentary Screening

In a blog post that I published almost eight years ago, I spoke about a film project that centered on the celebration of the laying of Beauford's tombstone at the Parisian cemetery of Thiais.

At the time, Zachary Miller of 2 Bulls on the Hill Productions wanted to create a short film (less than 30 minutes) about the many facets of Beauford's life in Paris and to share images of a few of his works owned by private collectors.

Because of the richness and volume of footage obtained, Miller also thought that a full-length documentary could be produced.

Zachary Miller
Proprietor, 2 Bulls on the Hill Productions
© Entrée to Black Paris
Miller has acquired additional material for the project and now informs me that he believes a full-length documentary is not only possible, but preferable. The project is ~90% complete and Miller would like to finish it in time to show it at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, which will take place from May 14-25. His comments on this possibility are as follows:

"The appetite and the market for films on historic Black individuals and the Black experience in general is very strong right now...

"We have the great original footage of the graveyard and the Embassy ceremony scenes, the interviews in Paris, etc. The only thing that is lacking is a strong voice-over narrative that I can write and perform if needed and some archival footage of the cities that he [Beauford] lived in, the Harlem Renaissance, and music from around the time that Beauford was in the USA and in Paris."

As you might expect, funds are required to complete the documentary and reserve a screening room for its presentation at Cannes. The budget is as follows:

Cannes Market Accreditation: 500 Euros

Cannes Screening Room: 500 Euros

Publicity, Post Card Printing: 250 Euros

Producer Rep / Marketing / Prints & Advertising: 2,500 Euros

Film footage, music, and archival stock and news footage: 2,000 Euros

Total: 5,750 Euros (needed ASAP)

Monies must be submitted to Cannes for marketing accreditation and booking the screening room no later than April 30.

Please give to support this endeavor! All you need to do is click on the Donate button below.

If you would like to become a private investor in the project, contact me as soon as possible at .

About Beauford Delaney 10/20/18 About Beauford Delaney 10/20/18

Classes Duo Paris / Knoxville - Knoxville students' excursion to Paris a HUGE success! - Part 2

In last week's post, I shared information about the first half of the Paris excursion for the Knoxville students who are participating in the Classes Duo cultural exchange program.

Here's what happened next!

On the morning of Wednesday, October 10, I led the majority of the Nature's Way parents and children on a tour of Beauford's Montparnasse.

Gathering for the walking tour
© Wells International Foundation
As we walked in Beauford's footsteps, I talked about his life in the neighborhood, his burial at the cemetery in Thiais, and how I learned about his story and eventually founded Les Amis de Beauford Delaney to raise the money to place a tombstone at his grave.

That afternoon, Jean Zay and Nature's Way students visited the Centre Pompidou, France's national museum of modern and contemporary art.

Nature's Way families arrive at Centre Pompidou
© Wells International Foundation

Jean Zay students arrive at Centre Pompidou
© Wells International Foundation
Each group had a guide who spoke to the children in their native language. The guide for the Nature's Way kids began her presentation with a discussion about how modern and contemporary art are defined.

Nature's Way students with their guide
© Wells International Foundation
I tagged along with the French group and observed how their guide engaged the children with questions about paintings and sculptures by Fernand Leger, Pablo Picasso, and Constantin Brancusi.

Jean Zay students ponder a painting by Fernand Leger
© Wells International Foundation
The Knoxville students' parents enjoyed an unguided visit to the museum at the same time.

From the Pompidou Center, I led everyone over to the Galerie Intemporel, where owner Laurence Choko showed them six Beauford Delaney paintings and works on paper.

Arriving at Galerie Intemporel
© Wells International Foundation

Left to right: Laurence Choko and Monique Y. Wells
© Wells International Foundation

Laurence Choko shows Beauford Delaney works
© Wells International Foundation

Jean Zay students with Beauford Delaney portrait
© Wells International Foundation
Portrait of Vasilli Pikoula
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
That evening, several Nature's Way students slept over at the homes of French families.

On the morning of Thursday, October 11, all the Nature's Way families converged on Jean Zay Elementary School to be welcomed by the school's director, teachers, and entire student body.

Welcome assembly at Jean Zay Elementary School
© Wells International Foundation
The school provided a continental breakfast for the visitors and everyone got a tour of the facilities. Several French parents attended the breakfast to make the acquaintance of the American parents.

Breakfast
© Wells International Foundation

Nature's Way students in Jean Zay library
(the Zoom videoconference room)
© Wells International Foundation
The Nature's Way kids attended class with the French students for the duration of the morning, followed by lunch in the school canteen. They were fortunate to visit the school during La Semaine du Goût (Taste Week), a time when French children learn about the wide variety of French and international culinary traditions and learn how to appreciate cuisine. On the menu that day: Petit Salé aux Lentilles - a meat and lentil dish from the Auvergne region of France.

Once the students set off for class, I led a second walking tour of Beauford's Montparnasse for the parents who did not attend the walk on Wednesday morning. We returned to the school in time for the parents to pick their children up after lunch. Their afternoon was free.

On Friday, October 12, the morning was reserved for sightseeing in Montmartre. During the afternoon, everyone returned to Jean Zay Elementary School for the farewell pot, or reception. Juliette Blache, who has organized the video conferences for Jean Zay since the inception of the program, created an exhibition of the portraits the students created on Tuesday afternoon. She presented a slide show of photos of the week's activities that she accompanied with audio from Beauford's playlist. Everyone enjoyed this trip down what was quickly becoming "memory lane."

Watching the slide show
© Wells International Foundation
The entire group then moved to a large activity room for a French goûter (after-school snack) consisting of a variety of cookies, cakes, and juices.

Enjoying refreshments at the farewell reception
© Wells International Foundation
The students played hand games and collected snail mail addresses. Jean Zay children signed a soccer ball for one of the Nature's Way kids. Children hugged. Parents and teachers marveled at the harmony and energy the kids displayed and provided written testimonials about what this excursion has meant to their children and to them.

Farewell reception collage
© Wells International Foundation
After saying their goodbyes, the Nature's Way families enjoyed an evening consisting of dinner at an Alsatian restaurant, a visit to the Arc de Triomphe, and a stroll down the Champs Elysées. They returned to Knoxville on Saturday, October 13.

Overall, the trip was a RESOUNDING SUCCESS! Discussion about organizing a trip for the Jean Zay children to Knoxville is now underway.

About Beauford Delaney 10/13/18 About Beauford Delaney 10/13/18

Classes Duo Paris / Knoxville - Knoxville students' excursion to Paris a HUGE success! - Part 1

The Classes Duo Paris / Knoxville program that has steadily gained momentum since January 2018 has reached a critical milestone. The students from Nature's Way Montessori School in Knoxville realized a dream when they came to Paris to spend eight days discovering the city and meeting their French counterparts at the Jean Zay Elementary School.

The Knoxville kids and their families arrived on Friday, October 5th and kicked off their trip with an outdoor reception at the Jardin Atlantique in the 14th arrondissement. This man-made garden lies atop the Montparnasse train station. It is only a few blocks from Jean Zay Elementary School.

Nature's Way children at Jardin Atlantique
© Wells International Foundation

Enjoying the garden
© Wells International Foundation

Parents, grandparents, kids, and organizers having a good time
© Wells International Foundation
Saturday and Sunday were reserved for sightseeing and whatever rest the families could muster, given their anticipation of what was planned for the coming week.

On Monday, October 8th, five days of activity with the Jean Zay students began. That evening, the town hall of the 14th arrondissement welcomed the families from Jean Zay and Nature's Way with a reception to open the art exhibition of the students' work. This was held in the Salle de Mariage, the room where civil wedding ceremonies are performed.

Families seated in the Salle de Mariage
© Wells International Foundation
Featured were mixed media works by the Nature's Way children about traveling from Knoxville to Paris,

Nature's Way mixed-media works about travel to Paris
© Wells International Foundation
figurative portraits of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and copies of Beauford's portrait of Charlie Parker by the Nature's Way children,

Nature's Way portraits of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
© Wells International Foundation

Nature's Way works inspired by Charlie Parker (1968)
© Wells International Foundation
abstract works inspired by Beauford's Greece by the Nature's Way children,

Nature's Way works inspired inspired by Greece (1967)
© Wells International Foundation
abstract works inspired by Beauford's Les Embruns and an untitled abstract by Beauford by the Jean Zay children,

Jean Zay works inspired by untitled abstract
© Wells International Foundation
abstract works copied from Beauford's Untitled (Trees) by students at both schools,

Jean Zay (left) and Nature's Way (right) students' copies of Untitled (Trees)
© Wells International Foundation
and red clay busts of Josephine Baker by the Jean Zay children.

Jean Zay students' busts of Josephine Baker and
works inspired by Les Embruns (1963)
© Wells International Foundation
The kids met each other for the first time and got along smashingly well!

Nature's Way and Jean Zay students at town hall
© Wells International Foundation
On Tuesday, October 9th, the children met at Jean Zay for a portrait session. One child from each school sat opposite the other at a desk and sketched, then painted, the other student's portrait. The educators who supervised this activity were stunned by the silence and intense concentration that the students exhibited during this exercise!

About Beauford Delaney 7/28/18 About Beauford Delaney 7/28/18

Beauford and the James Baldwin Writers' Colony in Paris

The James Baldwin Writers' Colony is a Global Pathways study abroad program offered by Emerson College at its Kasteel Well facility in the Netherlands.

Running from July 5 - August 2, the course description invites participating students to "write, workshop and revise short works of creative fiction and nonfiction inspired by the literature of African Americans who lived and work in Europe." It further indicates that "Excursions to Amsterdam and Paris, France will enable you to walk in the footsteps of literary giants such as James Baldwin, Richard Wright and Chester Himes.

The Paris excursion included a luncheon at the Café Select. Program Cultural Architect Charles Reese invited me to share in this meal and talk about the relationship between Beauford and James Baldwin. He also asked me to explain the significance of the café in their lives.

James Baldwin Writer's Colony at the Café Select
© Discover Paris!

Serendipitously, the group was seated in the same space where Les Amis celebrated the first anniversary of the laying of Beauford's tombstone at Thiais Cemetery.

Monique addressing the crowd at 1st anniversary celebration
© Discover Paris!
The luncheon meeting was sandwiched between a black Paris history tour given by Julia Browne of Walking the Spirit tours and an encounter at the U.S. Embassy.

I spoke about the first encounter between Beauford and Baldwin in NYC, how Beauford became a mentor for Baldwin during his formative years, and how the "tables turned" when Beauford moved to Paris and became part of Baldwin's entourage. Baldwin felt increasingly responsible for Beauford as Beauford suffered bouts of physical and mental illness, and was eventually named as part of the tutelle (trusteeship) that managed Beauford's affairs when he was committed to the Hôpital Sainte-Anne in 1975.

I also spoke about the Select as one of Beauford's last favorite hangouts in Montparnasse and how the café figures into Baldwin's novel, Giovanni's Room.

Dr. Anthony Pinder, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs, Internationalization, & Global Engagement, was one of the professors on the excursion. He opened the floor to questions with one of his own about how, as travel professionals who specialize in black Paris history, Browne and I determine the "truth" of what we present to our audiences and how we decide to present information so that it is best received by audiences with different levels of understanding regarding this information. This sparked a lively discussion!

Browne passed a couple of images around - one of Beauford, James Baldwin, and Wilmer Baldwin at the American Cultural Center and one of a painting that Beauford created during his New York years.

Beauford and the Baldwin brothers at the American Cultural Center
Photo: U.S. Information Service
The conversation then turned to how Beauford's work is valued and whether his estate is benefiting from the use of his work for commercial purposes.

My part of the event ended with me taking photos with Reese, Browne, and Dr. Pinder.

Julia Browne and Monique Y. Wells
© Discover Paris!
It is always my privilege and pleasure to share information about Beauford's life and art with study abroad students!

About Beauford Delaney 5/19/18 About Beauford Delaney 5/19/18

French "Classes Duo" Student in Search of Beauford in NYC

Simon, one of the French students in the Classes Duo Paris / Knoxville project, recently visited New York City with his family. One of the family's goals was to view as many Beauford Delaney works as possible.

Juliette Blache, the project coordinator in Paris, received an e-mail from Simon's mother with the following photo attached:

Simon and Composition 16 at MoMA
Image courtesy of Simon's mother
The message revealed that the family had just visited MoMA and that Simon was excited to stand next to an original Beauford Delaney abstract.

The family had visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art and learned that the Met's Beauford Delaney work is not currently on display. They had also planned to visit the Studio Museum of Harlem, but learned that the museum is undergoing renovation.

Blache immediately contacted me to share the photo and said Simon's mother wanted me to recommend other places where they could view Beauford's work. I told them about the five works held by the Whitney Museum of American Art and suggested that they go to the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery (MRG) as well.

Simon and his family did visit the gallery and they had a wonderful experience there. Simon and his mom shared the information below:

Simon and MRG Senior Associate Zachary Ross "swapped stories" about Beauford - with Simon sharing many of the things he has learned about Beauford through Classes Duo. As an example, he told Ross that Beauford modeled with Tennessee red clay when he was a child. Ross told Simon that he / she was aware of this and shared that Beauford lived on rue Vercingétorix (a street that is very near Simon's school) in Paris.

Ross invited Simon and his family to go "behind the scenes" to visit the area where many of Beauford's paintings are stored. Simon reported that they saw a portrait, a "painting of a man and a woman," and two abstract paintings, one of which is an "enormous" yellow painting found in the Liquid Light: Paris Abstractions catalog from the exhibition of the same name organized by MRG in 1999.

Liquid Light catalog cover
Image courtesy of Simon's mother

Image of yellow abstract painting in Liquid Light catalog
Image courtesy of Simon's mother
Simon said that Ross explained that "Beauford looked out his window to paint what he saw, but 'in abstract.'"

Simon's mother has exchanged e-mails with Ross and has given him the link for the Classes Duo timeline so everyone at MRG can follow the project's progress. Ross has shared the link for the timeline with everyone at the gallery and is excited that Beauford has so many young fans!

Last week, Simon proudly returned to school bearing a copy of the Liquid Light catalog, which Ross graciously offered to Simon. The children at Jean Zay Elementary Public School now have the Resonance of Form and Liquid Light catalogs to use for inspiration when they create art during the Classes Duo project.

About Beauford Delaney 4/28/18 About Beauford Delaney 4/28/18

Teaching Creativity and Science through Beauford's Abstract Expressionist Art - Part 2

In Part 1 of this article, I presented images of abstract works created by French and American students who are participating in Classes Duo Paris / Knoxville, the project that has been inspired by Beauford's life and art.

This week, I'm sharing additional images of works created by students at Jean Zay Elementary Public School in Paris. These were inspired by Beauford's abstract entitled Les Embruns:

Les Embruns
(1963) Mixed media on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
While some students strove to model the forms and angles in Beauford's work,

Les Embruns-inspired work - 4
Oil pastel and watercolor on paper
Image courtesy of Jean Zay Elementary Public School

Les Embruns-inspired work - 1
Mixed oil / watercolor on paper
Image courtesy of Jean Zay Elementary Public School

others let their imaginations run free.

Les Embruns-inspired work - 1
Oil pastel and watercolor on paper
Image courtesy of Jean Zay Elementary Public School

Les Embruns-inspired work - 3
Mixed oil / watercolor on paper
Image courtesy of Jean Zay Elementary Public School

Jean Zay project leader, Juliette Blache, organized the painting session with the intent to have the students learn firsthand the different properties of oil-based and water-based paints and pigments and how the two behave when they are combined (solubility).

For certain works, they began by tracing lines and forms onto paper using oil-based crayons. They then painted over their lines with watercolors and saw how the oil repelled the colors, leaving white traces.

For other works, they stirred oil into watercolor and applied the resulting mixture onto paper.

To create the red, orange, and ochre works shown in last week's blog post, they stirred water into oil-based paint and used the resulting mixture.

Blache described the session as follows:

Exciting scientific experience for children … They had a lot of fun … And they love to paint abstracts more and more. They are finally daring to express their emotions through their paintbrushes!

About Beauford Delaney 4/21/18 About Beauford Delaney 4/21/18

Teaching Creativity and Science through Beauford's Abstract Expressionist Art - Part 1

As the Classes Duo Paris / Knoxville project unfolds, the student participants on both sides of the Atlantic are exercising their imaginations and learning about science as they create works inspired by Beauford's Abstract Expressionist works.

The Jean Zay students in Paris began their venture into abstraction with Beauford's Untitled (1961):

Untitled
(1961) Mixed media on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
First, they decided to use red, orange, and ochre tones to create works made from a mixture of water-based and oil-based pigments. Here are a couple of examples of them:

Jean Zay mixed media on paper
Image courtesy of Jean Zay Elementary Public School
The fact that the students chose to use a color scheme different than the one Beauford chose allowed them to create spontaneously and to appreciate their work.

Later, they wanted to "copy" Untitled using blue and green hues similar to those in the original painting.

Jean Zay students creating watercolors on paper
Images courtesy of Jean Zay Elementary Public School
Many were frustrated with their inability to accurately reproduce Beauford's lines and colors. Project leader Juliette Blache encouraged them not to worry about making an exact replica and to "let themselves go" during this exercise, as they had done before. But some of the students remained unsatisfied with their results.

Meanwhile, across the ocean, the Nature's Way children selected Beauford's Greece (1967) as their inspiration:

Grèce
(1967) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
They created watercolors and oils based on their views of this painting.

Nature's Way Watercolor on paper by Meah
Image courtesy of Nature's Way Montessori School

Nature's Way oil on canvasboard by MaKenna
Image courtesy of Nature's Way Montessori School
Back in Paris, the Jean Zay kids selected another abstract to model. This time, it was Beauford's Les Embruns (1963):

Les Embruns
(1963) Mixed media on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Next week, I'll present images of the art the students created based on this mixed media work as well as the science behind this creativity exercise.

About Beauford Delaney 3/17/18 About Beauford Delaney 3/17/18

Beauford Viewed through the Eyes of Children

The Classes Duo Paris / Knoxville project that connects children at the Jean Zay Elementary Public School in Paris' 14th arrondissement with children at the Nature's Way Montessori School in Knoxville, Tennessee through Beauford's life and art continues to exceed expectations! The American kids are learning French, the French kids are learning English, and both groups are anticipating being able to meet face-to-face in the fall.

Between the video conference held on February 2 and the one held on March 9, the students created clay sculptures of Josephine Baker and her cheetah, Chiquita. These were inspired by the story about Beauford and his brother, Joseph, modeling red clay during their youth and the information presented about how Beauford admired Baker and followed her career.

Jean Zay sculptures of Josephine Baker
Image courtesy of Jean Zay Elementary School

Jean Zay sculptures of Josephine Baker
Image courtesy of Jean Zay Elementary School
The Knoxville students even glazed their sculptures.

Nature's Way sculptures of Josephine Baker and Chiquita
Image courtesy of Nature's Way Montessori School

Nature's Way sculptures in kiln
Image courtesy of Nature's Way Montessori School
During the March 9 videoconference, the children asked each other numerous personal questions, such as whether they have pets, whether they prefer painting to sculpting, what kinds of sports they play... Jean Zay kids had their questions written in English with French phonetics to help them pronounce their words properly.

Jean Zay sculptures of Josephine Baker
© Wells International Foundation
On the Knoxville side, the children told coordinator Mary Campbell what they wanted to say and she instructed them how to say it in French.

Nature's Way kids and coordinator Mary Campbell on screen
© Wells International Foundation
There was more talk of food as well, with kids sharing that they enjoy eating spaghetti and meatballs, samoussas, and apples, among other things.

The Jean Zay children sang two songs for the Knoxville kids: "J'ai Deux Amours" by Josephine Baker, and Ten Little Witches!

Children singing "Ten Little Witches"
© Wells International Foundation
Just before wrapping up this session, the Jean Zay kids shared their pastel portraits of Beauford, inspired by the self-portrait that graces the cover of the catalog for the Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color art exhibition.

Posing with Beauford Delaney Portraits
© Wells International Foundation
For more images of these portraits and the clay sculptures of Josephine and Chiquita, click on the links below:

Nature's Way - Working with Clay
Jean Zay - Working with Clay
9 March 2018 Session
Beauford Delaney Portraits

And continue to watch this blog for updates on the project!