Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color: A Critical Review of Beauford’s Portraiture
Marc Albert-Levin is a French art critic, translator, and writer. Author of numerous monographs on contemporary artists, he has collaborated with a number of published reviews over the years. These include Cimaise, Les Lettres françaises, Jazz Hot, Passage d’Encre, and Art Press.
The text below represents Albert-Levin’s English translation of excerpts from his most recent essay, “L’anachronique du flâneur N° 12,” ("Anachronic Chronicle, N° 12"), which is published in French at www.saisonsdeculture.com.
**********
When, at the beginning of a recent visit, Michel Ragon asked me his recurrent question: “What have you done this week?”, it was not easy to answer. Because for me that week had been mainly marked by the exhibition, at the Columbia Global Centers in Montparnasse, of an African-American painter I knew well and greatly admired. His name was Beauford Delaney and I could not think about him without emotion or affection.
Catalog cover: Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color
Self-portrait
Undated, Oil on canvas
76 x 57 cm; 29.9" x 22.4"
Private collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The exhibition held at the Columbia Global Centers in Paris at 4, rue de Chevreuse, 75006 from February 4th to February 26th 2016 (editor’s note: the exhibition was extended through March 15th) presented some forty works of Beauford Delaney: oils on canvas, watercolors, colored inks or mixed technique on paper, all coming from private collections in Paris.
Beauford lived in Paris from 1953 to 1979, the year of his death. For twenty years, his work played on two registers. First what was called in France "lyrical abstraction" and in the US "abstract expressionism". On the other hand, he did portraits in a very personal fashion. It is as if he had abandoned all conventions, with a desire, for each canvas, to paint as he had never done it before. I see no other equivalent, with the possible exception of “Le Douanier” Rousseau’s portraits that can be seen right now (April 2016) in a beautiful exhibition at the Musée d'Orsay.
In Beauford’s portraits there is something that might have more to do with the empathy felt by the painter for his model than with pictorial technique. An effort, when he faces the man or the woman he is looking at, to find another resemblance, deeper than the photographic one. A clean sweep of all conventions, including perspective, in order to find, when looking at a person, which colors define him or her best.
Portrait of Robert Tricoire
1969, Oil on canvas
65 x 54 cm; 25.6" x 21.2"
Private collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
In the portrait of Robert Tricoire, the diaphanous quality of the skin and the transparency of the eyes contrast with the bottle-green background and the navy blue sweater. In the portrait of Mrs. Du Closel, Beauford’s benefactress who, in his final years, put at his disposal a studio before he was hospitalized, what strikes most is a lightness that leads almost to evanescence.
Portrait of Vassili Pikoula
1970, Oil on canvas
130 x 99 cm; 51.2" x 38.9"
Private collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
One of the most impressive paintings in this exhibition was a relatively large, 130 x 99 cm oil on canvas portrait of Mrs Vassili Pikoula, dated 1970. Propped in a chair, Pikoula seems to fix the viewer with the dignity of an empress. She stands out as much as she vanishes in an abstract background of great finesse and subtlety. The pattern of her dress … the drapery of a curtain behind it … everything is suggested, nothing too heavily stated.
Man in African Dress
1972, Watercolor
40.6 x 31.7 cm; 15.9" x 12.5"
Private collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Also reproduced in the catalog is a watercolor from 1972 depicting a young “Man in African Dress” to whom Beauford conferred the same regal quality. Seated cross-legged on his stool in a large yellow robe, his face irradiates the same pink as the light passing through the doorway. Yes, you read well, this is a young Black man - recognizable by the color of his arms and an ankle not covered by the dress - but whose face is illuminated by a pink light. And the floor is also invaded by the same flood of light. The color pink reflects the softness and tenderness with which Beauford intended to surround his model.
************
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Columbia Global Centers | Paris, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) brought you this exhibition of Beauford Delaney works at Reid Hall in Paris.
We're creating a documentary of the exhibition that will encourage U.S. and European museums to host it!
To contribute to the funding for this effort, click HERE.
The text below represents Albert-Levin’s English translation of excerpts from his most recent essay, “L’anachronique du flâneur N° 12,” ("Anachronic Chronicle, N° 12"), which is published in French at www.saisonsdeculture.com.
When, at the beginning of a recent visit, Michel Ragon asked me his recurrent question: “What have you done this week?”, it was not easy to answer. Because for me that week had been mainly marked by the exhibition, at the Columbia Global Centers in Montparnasse, of an African-American painter I knew well and greatly admired. His name was Beauford Delaney and I could not think about him without emotion or affection.
Self-portrait
Undated, Oil on canvas
76 x 57 cm; 29.9" x 22.4"
Private collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The exhibition held at the Columbia Global Centers in Paris at 4, rue de Chevreuse, 75006 from February 4th to February 26th 2016 (editor’s note: the exhibition was extended through March 15th) presented some forty works of Beauford Delaney: oils on canvas, watercolors, colored inks or mixed technique on paper, all coming from private collections in Paris.
Beauford lived in Paris from 1953 to 1979, the year of his death. For twenty years, his work played on two registers. First what was called in France "lyrical abstraction" and in the US "abstract expressionism". On the other hand, he did portraits in a very personal fashion. It is as if he had abandoned all conventions, with a desire, for each canvas, to paint as he had never done it before. I see no other equivalent, with the possible exception of “Le Douanier” Rousseau’s portraits that can be seen right now (April 2016) in a beautiful exhibition at the Musée d'Orsay.
In Beauford’s portraits there is something that might have more to do with the empathy felt by the painter for his model than with pictorial technique. An effort, when he faces the man or the woman he is looking at, to find another resemblance, deeper than the photographic one. A clean sweep of all conventions, including perspective, in order to find, when looking at a person, which colors define him or her best.
1969, Oil on canvas
65 x 54 cm; 25.6" x 21.2"
Private collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
In the portrait of Robert Tricoire, the diaphanous quality of the skin and the transparency of the eyes contrast with the bottle-green background and the navy blue sweater. In the portrait of Mrs. Du Closel, Beauford’s benefactress who, in his final years, put at his disposal a studio before he was hospitalized, what strikes most is a lightness that leads almost to evanescence.
1970, Oil on canvas
130 x 99 cm; 51.2" x 38.9"
Private collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
One of the most impressive paintings in this exhibition was a relatively large, 130 x 99 cm oil on canvas portrait of Mrs Vassili Pikoula, dated 1970. Propped in a chair, Pikoula seems to fix the viewer with the dignity of an empress. She stands out as much as she vanishes in an abstract background of great finesse and subtlety. The pattern of her dress … the drapery of a curtain behind it … everything is suggested, nothing too heavily stated.
1972, Watercolor
40.6 x 31.7 cm; 15.9" x 12.5"
Private collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Also reproduced in the catalog is a watercolor from 1972 depicting a young “Man in African Dress” to whom Beauford conferred the same regal quality. Seated cross-legged on his stool in a large yellow robe, his face irradiates the same pink as the light passing through the doorway. Yes, you read well, this is a young Black man - recognizable by the color of his arms and an ankle not covered by the dress - but whose face is illuminated by a pink light. And the floor is also invaded by the same flood of light. The color pink reflects the softness and tenderness with which Beauford intended to surround his model.
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Columbia Global Centers | Paris, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) brought you this exhibition of Beauford Delaney works at Reid Hall in Paris.
We're creating a documentary of the exhibition that will encourage U.S. and European museums to host it!
To contribute to the funding for this effort, click HERE.
Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color: A Successful Exhibition!
After a hugely successful run (February 4-29) and a two-week extension (March 1-15) at Columbia Global Centers | Paris at Reid Hall, the Beauford Delaney: Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color exhibition has come to an end.
In previous blog posts about the exhibition, I've brought you information about the prelude (including the University of Arizona Augmented Reality project) and the catalog, as well as the opening, the round table discussion, and the Global Educator Program that comprised much of the event schedule.
Today, I'm sharing photos of the celebration of Beauford's life in Paris, the screening of the documentary Paris Noir, and some of the guided visits conducted by my co-curator, Laurence Choko, and me.
Celebration of Beauford's Life in Paris
(Sunday, 21 February 2016)
Attendees discussing the life of Beauford Delaney
© Discover Paris!
Monique Y. Wells giving presentation
© Discover Paris!
Geneviève Brouard points out friends in a photo
of an event that took place at the
American Cultural Center in 1969
© Discover Paris!
Making comments about and sharing memories of Beauford
Top (left to right):
Bob Tomlinson, Zuka Mitelberg, Arnaud du Closel
Bottom (left to right):
Jean-Loup Msika, Velma Bury, Marc Albert-Levin
© Discover Paris!
Screening of Paris Noir: African Americans in the City of Light
(Thursday, 25 February 2016)
Monique welcomes the crowd to the screening
© Discover Paris!
Julia Browne talks about the documentary
© Discover Paris!
Samuel Légitimus (left) and members of the
James Baldwin Collective
at the screening
© Discover Paris!
Guided Visits to Exhibition
(multiple dates throughout the exhibition)
Participants for February 27 visit
© Discover Paris!
Presentation of the "inks on paper" abstract
© J Rêve International
Laurence Choko talks about Beauford's contribution
to French art history
© Discover Paris!
Students admire a Delaney painting
© Discover Paris!
Viewing the works in the Salle de Conferences
© Discover Paris!
Talking about The Eye
© Discover Paris!
Several museums have expressed interest in hosting the exhibition. This is an exciting development! Les Amis will be studying these inquiries over the next few weeks.
Now that the exhibition has ended, I will take a break from blogging. Look for a new post in April 2016.
************
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Columbia Global Centers | Paris, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) have brought you this exhibition of Beauford Delaney works at Reid Hall in Paris.
WE STILL REQUIRE FUNDING FOR THE SHOW!
To contribute, click HERE.
In previous blog posts about the exhibition, I've brought you information about the prelude (including the University of Arizona Augmented Reality project) and the catalog, as well as the opening, the round table discussion, and the Global Educator Program that comprised much of the event schedule.
Today, I'm sharing photos of the celebration of Beauford's life in Paris, the screening of the documentary Paris Noir, and some of the guided visits conducted by my co-curator, Laurence Choko, and me.
Celebration of Beauford's Life in Paris
(Sunday, 21 February 2016)
© Discover Paris!
© Discover Paris!
of an event that took place at the
American Cultural Center in 1969
© Discover Paris!
Top (left to right):
Bob Tomlinson, Zuka Mitelberg, Arnaud du Closel
Bottom (left to right):
Jean-Loup Msika, Velma Bury, Marc Albert-Levin
© Discover Paris!
Screening of Paris Noir: African Americans in the City of Light
(Thursday, 25 February 2016)
© Discover Paris!
© Discover Paris!
James Baldwin Collective
at the screening
© Discover Paris!
Guided Visits to Exhibition
(multiple dates throughout the exhibition)
© Discover Paris!
© J Rêve International
to French art history
© Discover Paris!
© Discover Paris!
© Discover Paris!
© Discover Paris!
Several museums have expressed interest in hosting the exhibition. This is an exciting development! Les Amis will be studying these inquiries over the next few weeks.
Now that the exhibition has ended, I will take a break from blogging. Look for a new post in April 2016.
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Columbia Global Centers | Paris, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) have brought you this exhibition of Beauford Delaney works at Reid Hall in Paris.
WE STILL REQUIRE FUNDING FOR THE SHOW!
To contribute, click HERE.
Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color: The Global Educator Program
The Global Educator Program (GEP), created by J Rêve International in partnership with the Wells International Foundation and Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, was an integral part of the Beauford Delaney: Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color exhibition.
J Rêve founder Jacqueline Cofield's vision for the Paris program spurred a number of extraordinary encounters between K-12 teachers from the U.S. and organizations in France.
Jacqueline Cofield at Hôtel Le M
© J Rêve International
The group kicked off an intensive week of activities with an orientation at Hôtel Le M followed by Discover Paris' commemorative walking tour entitled Beauford Delaney's Montparnasse:
Orientation room at Hôtel Le M
© J Rêve International
One of the stops on the Beauford Delaney walking tour - Reid Hall
© J Rêve International
Program participants enjoyed extensive interaction with the Fulbright Commission:
J Rêve International Global Educator Program participants at the Fulbright Commission with
Director Arnaud Roujou de Boubée (4th from right) and
Danielle Fortier Berger, Executive Director of the
Mona Bismarck Center in Paris and former Fulbright fellow
(far right)
© J Rêve International
UNESCO:
J Rêve International Global Educator Program participants at UNESCO with
U.S Science Officer Dillon Green (4th person from right)
© J Rêve International
and
a suburban community of artists at the Villa Mais d'Ici, organized by U.S. artist/educator Cheryl Ann Bolden:
Cheryl Ann Bolden's studio at Villa Mais d'Ici
© J Rêve International
In addition, two GEP events were held at Columbia Global Centers at Reid Hall, taking full advantage of the ambiance exuded by Beauford's art:
A meet-and-greet between the GEP participants and educators from Paris and London institutions
Monique presents the strategic focus areas for the Wells International Foundation
to Global Educator Program participants
© J Rêve International
Global Educator Program participant
Margaret Sergent, Second Vice President of the
Rochester Teachers Association in Rochester, NY
and Monique
© J Rêve International
and a panel discussion on STEAM education and Multiple Intelligences.
STEAM and Multiple Intelligences Panel
From left to right: Jacqueline Cofield (moderator), artist Ealy Mays,
GEP Fellow Margaret Sergent, GEP Fellow Malikka Karteron;
craniofacial surgeon Roman Hossein Khonsari
© J Rêve International
During the GEP meet-and-greet, participants were able to talk with Chantal Pinkham, Education Community Projects Lead at Blippar, about the Augmented Reality platform that Blippar provides for teachers and students.
Later, they experienced the technology firsthand as they "blipped" paintings from the exhibition and accessed videos produced by students from the University of Arizona only a couple of weeks prior to their arrival in Paris.
GEP Fellow Louis King "blipping" The Eye
© J Rêve International
J Rêve International's first Global Educator Program was held in Senegal in 2015 in partnership with the Sengalese-American bilingual Blaise Diagne high school and Give1Project. The next program will take place in Ghana in partnership with NYU Africa House in April 2016.
For a full recap of the Global Educator Program's activities, click here.
The Wells International Foundation and Les Amis de Beauford Delaney look forward to future collaborations with J Rêve International and its innovative founder!
************
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Columbia Global Centers | Paris, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are bringing you this exhibition of Beauford Delaney works at Reid Hall in Paris.
WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT!
To contribute to the show, click HERE.
To sign-up to receive the latest behind-the-scenes news about the show, click HERE.
J Rêve founder Jacqueline Cofield's vision for the Paris program spurred a number of extraordinary encounters between K-12 teachers from the U.S. and organizations in France.
© J Rêve International
The group kicked off an intensive week of activities with an orientation at Hôtel Le M followed by Discover Paris' commemorative walking tour entitled Beauford Delaney's Montparnasse:
© J Rêve International
© J Rêve International
Program participants enjoyed extensive interaction with the Fulbright Commission:
Director Arnaud Roujou de Boubée (4th from right) and
Danielle Fortier Berger, Executive Director of the
Mona Bismarck Center in Paris and former Fulbright fellow
(far right)
© J Rêve International
UNESCO:
U.S Science Officer Dillon Green (4th person from right)
© J Rêve International
and
a suburban community of artists at the Villa Mais d'Ici, organized by U.S. artist/educator Cheryl Ann Bolden:
© J Rêve International
In addition, two GEP events were held at Columbia Global Centers at Reid Hall, taking full advantage of the ambiance exuded by Beauford's art:
A meet-and-greet between the GEP participants and educators from Paris and London institutions
to Global Educator Program participants
© J Rêve International
Margaret Sergent, Second Vice President of the
Rochester Teachers Association in Rochester, NY
and Monique
© J Rêve International
and a panel discussion on STEAM education and Multiple Intelligences.
From left to right: Jacqueline Cofield (moderator), artist Ealy Mays,
GEP Fellow Margaret Sergent, GEP Fellow Malikka Karteron;
craniofacial surgeon Roman Hossein Khonsari
© J Rêve International
During the GEP meet-and-greet, participants were able to talk with Chantal Pinkham, Education Community Projects Lead at Blippar, about the Augmented Reality platform that Blippar provides for teachers and students.
Later, they experienced the technology firsthand as they "blipped" paintings from the exhibition and accessed videos produced by students from the University of Arizona only a couple of weeks prior to their arrival in Paris.
© J Rêve International
J Rêve International's first Global Educator Program was held in Senegal in 2015 in partnership with the Sengalese-American bilingual Blaise Diagne high school and Give1Project. The next program will take place in Ghana in partnership with NYU Africa House in April 2016.
For a full recap of the Global Educator Program's activities, click here.
The Wells International Foundation and Les Amis de Beauford Delaney look forward to future collaborations with J Rêve International and its innovative founder!
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Columbia Global Centers | Paris, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are bringing you this exhibition of Beauford Delaney works at Reid Hall in Paris.
WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT!
To contribute to the show, click HERE.
To sign-up to receive the latest behind-the-scenes news about the show, click HERE.
Beauford on Both Sides of the Atlantic
Perhaps for the first time, two major exhibitions of Beauford's work are taking place simultaneously on both sides of the Atlantic!
The first opened on February 3rd at Columbia Global Centers, Reid Hall, in Paris.
Beauford Delaney:
Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color
Due to the success of the opening reception, the exhibition, and associated events at Columbia Global Centers | Paris, Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color has been extended through March 15 2016!
Here are some of the works on view:
Untitled
1959, Oil on canvas
144.5 x 95.5 cm; 56.9" x 37.6"
Private collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Portrait of Robert Tricoire
1969, Oil on canvas
65 x 54 cm; 25.6" x 21.2"
Private collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Untitled
1956, Inks on paper
45 x 33.5 cm; 17.7" x 13.2"
Private collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The works presented above and seventeen additional works in the exhibition have been incorporated into the University of Arizona's Augmented Reality project. Video augments of these paintings and works on paper are accessible through the exhibition catalog by using the Blippar app.
Free visits to see the exhibition are scheduled for the following dates:
Registration is required. To register, send e-mail to .
For more information about the show, click on the links below:
Opening reception
Round Table
Beauford Delaney commemorative walking tour
The second exhibition is taking place at The Art Show – ADAA in New York.
In Focus: Beauford Delaney
The Michael Rosenfeld Gallery is featuring fifteen of Beauford's works at The Art Show - ADAA from March 2-6, 2016. Among them are:
Untitled, 1951
Oil on canvas
40 1/2" x 60 1/4"; 102.9 x 153 cm
signed and dated
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY
Reve, c.1959
Oil on canvas
39 3/8" x 32"; 100 x 81.3 cm
signed
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY
Beauford's works are featured in an Artsy editorial that was published about this show on March 2, 2016.
The Art Show is being held at the Park Avenue Armory at 67th Street in New York City. Hours are as follows:
Saturday, March 5 - 12-7 PM
Sunday, March 6 - 12-5 PM
************
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Columbia Global Centers | Paris, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are bringing you this exhibition of Beauford Delaney works at Reid Hall in Paris.
WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT!
To contribute to the show, click HERE.
To sign-up to receive the latest behind-the-scenes news about the show, click HERE.
The first opened on February 3rd at Columbia Global Centers, Reid Hall, in Paris.
Beauford Delaney:
Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color
Due to the success of the opening reception, the exhibition, and associated events at Columbia Global Centers | Paris, Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color has been extended through March 15 2016!
Here are some of the works on view:
1959, Oil on canvas
144.5 x 95.5 cm; 56.9" x 37.6"
Private collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
1969, Oil on canvas
65 x 54 cm; 25.6" x 21.2"
Private collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
1956, Inks on paper
45 x 33.5 cm; 17.7" x 13.2"
Private collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The works presented above and seventeen additional works in the exhibition have been incorporated into the University of Arizona's Augmented Reality project. Video augments of these paintings and works on paper are accessible through the exhibition catalog by using the Blippar app.
Free visits to see the exhibition are scheduled for the following dates:
- Tuesday, March 8 at 10:30 AM
- Thursday, March 10 at 11 AM
- Monday, March 14 at 3:30 PM
Registration is required. To register, send e-mail to .
For more information about the show, click on the links below:
Opening reception
Round Table
Beauford Delaney commemorative walking tour
The second exhibition is taking place at The Art Show – ADAA in New York.
In Focus: Beauford Delaney
The Michael Rosenfeld Gallery is featuring fifteen of Beauford's works at The Art Show - ADAA from March 2-6, 2016. Among them are:
Oil on canvas
40 1/2" x 60 1/4"; 102.9 x 153 cm
signed and dated
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY
Oil on canvas
39 3/8" x 32"; 100 x 81.3 cm
signed
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY
Beauford's works are featured in an Artsy editorial that was published about this show on March 2, 2016.
The Art Show is being held at the Park Avenue Armory at 67th Street in New York City. Hours are as follows:
Saturday, March 5 - 12-7 PM
Sunday, March 6 - 12-5 PM
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Columbia Global Centers | Paris, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are bringing you this exhibition of Beauford Delaney works at Reid Hall in Paris.
WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT!
To contribute to the show, click HERE.
To sign-up to receive the latest behind-the-scenes news about the show, click HERE.
Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color: The Round Table
On February 18th, the Wells International Foundation and Les Amis welcomed Nigel Freeman, Director of the African American Fine Art department at Swann Auction Galleries; André Delpuech, Chief Curator of the Americas collection at the Musée du quai Branly; and Laurence Choko, owner of Galerie Intemporel to a round table discussion entitled "Multiculturalism in Today's Art World" at Columbia Global Centers | Paris at Reid Hall. Freeman and Delpuech were panelists and Choko served as moderator.
The Panel
© Discover Paris!
Laurence Choko, Galerie Intemporel - moderator
© Discover Paris!
Nigel Freeman, Swann Auction Galleries - panelist
© Discover Paris!
André Delpuech, Musée du quai Branly - panelist
© Discover Paris!
I sat in for Dr. Catherine St. John, Doctor of Arts and expert on Beauford Delaney's oeuvre, who was unexpectedly unable to attend.
Monique Y. Wells, Wells International Foundation and
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney filling in for Dr. Catherine St. John
© Discover Paris!
Attendees listened attentively as Freeman and Delpuech presented their positions on "The Rise of the African-American Artist" and "'We' and 'The Others' in Art: Leaving Colonial Ideology Behind", respectively, and I read a statement by Dr. St. John on "The Importance of Context and Collective History."
The audience
© J Rêve International
Rapt attention
© J Rêve International
Panelists posed questions to each other
Nigel Freeman and André Delpuech discuss a point of interest
© Discover Paris!
and the audience was then encouraged to pose questions to the panelists.
Richard Allen asks a question
© J Rêve International
Cinnamon Nolley makes a comment
© J Rêve International
The conversation was lively, thoughtful, and sometimes humorous.
André Delpuech ponders a comment
© Discover Paris!
Nigel Freeman having a chuckle
© Discover Paris!
Several members of the audience had traveled from the U.S. to attend this and other events organized for the exhibition. They included Anne Denise Stills of Smashing Daily and Jim Levis of Levis Fine Art. Both businesses sponsored the exhibition, along with Swann Auction Galleries.
After the formal discussion was over, participants and panelists lingered and enjoyed conversation over wine, water, and nibbles.
From left to right: Margaret Sergent and Malikka Karteron of J Rêve International's
Global Educator Program; Jim Levis of Levis Fine Art
© J Rêve International
Attendees posing next to refreshment table
© J Rêve International
A good time was had by all!
© Discover Paris!
© Discover Paris!
© Discover Paris!
© Discover Paris!
I sat in for Dr. Catherine St. John, Doctor of Arts and expert on Beauford Delaney's oeuvre, who was unexpectedly unable to attend.
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney
© Discover Paris!
Her travel had been funded by the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Attendees listened attentively as Freeman and Delpuech presented their positions on "The Rise of the African-American Artist" and "'We' and 'The Others' in Art: Leaving Colonial Ideology Behind", respectively, and I read a statement by Dr. St. John on "The Importance of Context and Collective History."
© J Rêve International
© J Rêve International
Panelists posed questions to each other
© Discover Paris!
and the audience was then encouraged to pose questions to the panelists.
© J Rêve International
© J Rêve International
The conversation was lively, thoughtful, and sometimes humorous.
© Discover Paris!
© Discover Paris!
Several members of the audience had traveled from the U.S. to attend this and other events organized for the exhibition. They included Anne Denise Stills of Smashing Daily and Jim Levis of Levis Fine Art. Both businesses sponsored the exhibition, along with Swann Auction Galleries.
After the formal discussion was over, participants and panelists lingered and enjoyed conversation over wine, water, and nibbles.
Global Educator Program; Jim Levis of Levis Fine Art
© J Rêve International
© J Rêve International
A good time was had by all!
Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color: The Catalog
When I realized that Beauford Delaney: Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color was going to be a reality, I recognized that it was essential to produce a catalog to document it. Without one, the exhibition would not be taken seriously by the professional art world.
Consequently, we set out to publish a work that is worthy of Beauford's artistic genius.
Catalog cover
The Beauford Delaney: Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color catalog is a 48-page, glossy color publication containing an introduction by curator Laurence Choko and four essays, in English and in French, that speak to various aspects of Beauford's life and oeuvre:
The French version of the essays appears in the front of the catalog, followed by color images of all the works.
Catalog - page 12
The English version of the essays appears after the images. Beauford's biography, in French and English, is presented on the last two pages of the publication.
Included at the beginning of the catalog is a page that acknowledges the unique emphasis on education that the Wells International Foundation has built into the exhibition as a reflection of Beauford's passion for helping young people. Descriptions of the University of Arizona Augmented Reality study abroad project and the Global Educator Program for U. S. K-12 teachers are presented here.
Instructions on how to use the Blippar AR application created by the University of Arizona students are presented here, in French and in English. The Blippar logo:
appears beneath the images of the works that are scannable by the application.
The front and back covers of the catalog are also scannable.
Catalogs are available for purchase. For information on how to obtain one, write to .
Consequently, we set out to publish a work that is worthy of Beauford's artistic genius.
The Beauford Delaney: Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color catalog is a 48-page, glossy color publication containing an introduction by curator Laurence Choko and four essays, in English and in French, that speak to various aspects of Beauford's life and oeuvre:
- Beauford Delaney and Paris, Evolution of an Exhibition by Monique Y. Wells
- Reading Beauford Delaney's Words and Letters : Three Thoughts by Levi Prombaum
- Beauford Delaney: An American Artist in Paris by Catherine St. John
- Beauford Delaney: Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color by Yolanda Wood
The French version of the essays appears in the front of the catalog, followed by color images of all the works.
The English version of the essays appears after the images. Beauford's biography, in French and English, is presented on the last two pages of the publication.
Included at the beginning of the catalog is a page that acknowledges the unique emphasis on education that the Wells International Foundation has built into the exhibition as a reflection of Beauford's passion for helping young people. Descriptions of the University of Arizona Augmented Reality study abroad project and the Global Educator Program for U. S. K-12 teachers are presented here.
Instructions on how to use the Blippar AR application created by the University of Arizona students are presented here, in French and in English. The Blippar logo:
appears beneath the images of the works that are scannable by the application.
The front and back covers of the catalog are also scannable.
Catalogs are available for purchase. For information on how to obtain one, write to .
Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color: The Vernissage (Opening Reception)
Simply spectacular!
That sums up the vernissage (opening reception) for the Beauford Delaney: Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color exhibition that took place at Columbia Global Centers | Paris at Reid Hall on February 3, 2016.
Over 300 people came out for the event over the course of the evening. Art aficionados enjoyed refreshments in the Salle de Conferences, where many works are displayed. They flowed back and forth between this room and the Grande Salle, where more paintings and works on paper punctuate the rich wood paneling found there.
(1966) Oil on canvas
Private collection
Among the notables in attendance were sculptor, poet, and novelist Barbara Chase-Riboud, photographer Florence Gruère, documentary filmmaker Louis Messiah, and author Jake Lamar.
Brune Biebuyck, administrative director of Reid Hall, opened the evening by welcoming attendees to the exhibition and introducing me. She spoke warmly about the collaboration between Columbia Global Center Paris, the Wells International Foundation, and Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, and expressed her pleasure at being able to host the exhibition in the magical place that is Reid Hall.
For my part, I told the story behind Les Amis de Beauford Delaney and shared how the idea for the exhibition was born. I welcomed a contingent of eleven (11) persons from Knoxville, TN — Beauford's hometown — who were among the crowd to honor Knoxville's native son. Several of them were from the Knoxville Museum of Art.
Then the Wells International Foundation's two strategic partners for education / study abroad came to the podium to explain the projects that they had conceived in conjunction with the exhibition.
Jacqueline Cofield, founder of J Rêve International, spoke passionately about STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) and the Global Educator Program that she has organized for February 15-20. Eight teachers will explore ways to incorporate the arts into their teaching practices for their respective disciplines with a focus on Beauford's life and art.
Professor Bryan Carter and six students from the University of Arizona introduced themselves and their Augmented Reality project. One of the students, Tripp Twyman, demonstrated the process of downloading the Blippar application from the App store onto smart devices and then scanning paintings to activate the app so that attendees could view the video augments and access Web links associated with roughly half of the paintings in the exhibition.
Watch the video of the presentation here.
Once the demonstration was over, attendees went around the exhibition rooms to test the app for themselves.
The atmosphere was exceptionally convivial and attendees were present until closing time.
The Blippar app also works for images in the exhibition catalog, which sold "like hotcakes" in the vestibule outside the Grande Salle. Come back next week to learn why this publication is the first of its kind!
Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color: Before the Opening
The February 3rd opening of the Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color exhibition was a huge success! Photos and a full report on the evening's happenings will come next week.
To whet your appetite for them, I'm sharing behind-the-scenes images of the preparation of the show.
It took three days to hang the exhibition.
Paintings ready for hanging
© Discover Paris!
Thierry hangs La Nativité
© Discover Paris!
Thierry hangs The Eye
© Discover Paris!
Tom Reeves photographs Thierry preparing a painting for hanging
© Discover Paris!
The Grande Salle
© Discover Paris!
Co-curators Monique Wells and Laurence Choko
© Discover Paris!
Monique showing the donor list
© Discover Paris!
Professor Bryan Carter and students from the University of Arizona spent the morning of February 1 video-ing spoken word artist Mike Ladd and me to create Blippar video augments for 20 of the 40+ paintings that are being displayed at the exhibition.
Professor Bryan Carter (far right), University of Arizona students, and Monique (front left)
© Discover Paris!
Professor Carter hangs green screen for video session
© Discover Paris!
Chatting during video session
© Discover Paris!
Mike Ladd
© Discover Paris!
Talking with Professor Carter in the Salle de Conferences
© Discover Paris!
In the meantime, J Rêve International founder, Jacqueline Cofield, was checking out the hotel where the teachers participating in her Global Educator Program will stay during the week of February 15.
Hôtel Le M is one of the two sites in Montparnasse that bears a Beauford Delaney commemorative plaque on the façade.
Hôtel Le M - Beauford Delaney commemorative plaque
J Rêve International is bringing eight U.S. teachers to Paris for a workshop on incorporating the arts into teaching practices for multiple disciplines. Beauford's life and art are the focal point for the workshop.
Among the activities planned are an educator meet-and-greet that will permit teachers in the French and U.S. systems to exchange information and ideas:
and a panel discussion on STEAM and Multiple Intelligences that is open to the public:
Next week - the opening!
To whet your appetite for them, I'm sharing behind-the-scenes images of the preparation of the show.
It took three days to hang the exhibition.
© Discover Paris!
© Discover Paris!
© Discover Paris!
© Discover Paris!
© Discover Paris!
© Discover Paris!
© Discover Paris!
Professor Bryan Carter and students from the University of Arizona spent the morning of February 1 video-ing spoken word artist Mike Ladd and me to create Blippar video augments for 20 of the 40+ paintings that are being displayed at the exhibition.
© Discover Paris!
© Discover Paris!
© Discover Paris!
© Discover Paris!
© Discover Paris!
In the meantime, J Rêve International founder, Jacqueline Cofield, was checking out the hotel where the teachers participating in her Global Educator Program will stay during the week of February 15.
Jacqueline Cofield, founder of J Rêve International
© Discover Paris!
© Discover Paris!
Hôtel Le M is one of the two sites in Montparnasse that bears a Beauford Delaney commemorative plaque on the façade.
© Discover Paris!
J Rêve International is bringing eight U.S. teachers to Paris for a workshop on incorporating the arts into teaching practices for multiple disciplines. Beauford's life and art are the focal point for the workshop.
Among the activities planned are an educator meet-and-greet that will permit teachers in the French and U.S. systems to exchange information and ideas:
and a panel discussion on STEAM and Multiple Intelligences that is open to the public:
Next week - the opening!
Beauford: News from the Net
We are five days away from the opening of
Beauford Delaney: Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color!
While I concentrate on the final organizational details for the exhibition, I want to share a couple of news bytes about Beauford from the Internet.
Art of Jazz: Form/Performance/Notes is a three-part exhibition at The Ethelbert Cooper Gallery of African & African American Art held in collaboration with the Harvard Art Museums. Consisting of three exhibits at two venues, its mission is to explore the interaction between jazz music and the visual arts. "Performance" will be located in Cooper Gallery's lobby and front galleries. Works by Beauford will be displayed alongside photographs by Hugh Bell and Van Vechten. There will also be a sound installation accompanying an exhibition of album covers. The exhibition will run from February 3 through May 8.
Norfolk, Virginia's Chrysler Museum of Art has acquired a Beauford Delaney portrait of James Baldwin:
Portrait of James Baldwin
(1965) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The museum's Board of Trustees voted unanimously on December 10, 2015 to purchase this work. It goes on public view this month in Gallery 221 of the Chrysler’s Roberts Wing for American and European Art.
************
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Reid Hall, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are partnering to bring an exhibition of original Beauford Delaney works to Reid Hall in Paris in February 2016! WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT!
To contribute to the show, click HERE.
To sign-up to receive the latest behind-the-scenes news about the show, click HERE.
Beauford Delaney: Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color!
While I concentrate on the final organizational details for the exhibition, I want to share a couple of news bytes about Beauford from the Internet.
Art of Jazz: Form/Performance/Notes is a three-part exhibition at The Ethelbert Cooper Gallery of African & African American Art held in collaboration with the Harvard Art Museums. Consisting of three exhibits at two venues, its mission is to explore the interaction between jazz music and the visual arts. "Performance" will be located in Cooper Gallery's lobby and front galleries. Works by Beauford will be displayed alongside photographs by Hugh Bell and Van Vechten. There will also be a sound installation accompanying an exhibition of album covers. The exhibition will run from February 3 through May 8.
Norfolk, Virginia's Chrysler Museum of Art has acquired a Beauford Delaney portrait of James Baldwin:
(1965) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The museum's Board of Trustees voted unanimously on December 10, 2015 to purchase this work. It goes on public view this month in Gallery 221 of the Chrysler’s Roberts Wing for American and European Art.
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Reid Hall, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are partnering to bring an exhibition of original Beauford Delaney works to Reid Hall in Paris in February 2016! WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT!
To contribute to the show, click HERE.
To sign-up to receive the latest behind-the-scenes news about the show, click HERE.
You're Invited! Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color
It's official! We have opened registration for attendance at the vernissage (opening) for the Beauford Delaney: Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color exhibition!
It is scheduled for
Wednesday, February 3 at 6 PM.
The venue is:
La Grande Salle
Columbia Global Centers | Paris
Reid Hall, 4, rue de Chevreuse
75006 Paris
Metro: Vavin (Line 4)
You must register to attend this event. Columbia Global Centers | Paris has provided links to English and French sign-up pages:
English registration page
French registration page
Even if you cannot attend the opening, sign up so that Columbia Global Centers can send you invitations for events associated with the exhibition that will take place subsequent to the opening. You will need to register for each event that you wish to attend.
I'm looking forward to welcoming you to the show!
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Reid Hall, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are partnering to bring an exhibition of original Beauford Delaney works to Reid Hall in Paris in February 2016! WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT!
To contribute to the show, click HERE.
To sign-up to receive the latest behind-the-scenes news about the show, click HERE.
Beauford Delaney: Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color - Event Schedule
We're only 18 days away from the opening for Beauford Delaney: Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color!
If you haven't already done so, mark your calendar for February 3, 2016.
Here's the schedule of events:
3 February - 6 PM: Vernissage
8 February - 7 PM: Textes & Voix - spoken word artist Mike Ladd talks about jazz and the works presented in the exhibition
16 February - 6:30 PM: Private presentation of exhibition for AARO
17 February - 4 PM: Global Educator Program round table
18 February - 6 PM: Round table discussion - "Multiculturalism in Today's Art World"
20 February - 2 PM: Panel discussion on STEAM Education and Multiple Intelligences
21 February - 3 PM: Celebration of Beauford's life in Paris
25 February - 6:30 PM: Screening of Paris Noir - African Americans in the City of Light by Joanne Burke
To access a superb article on the exhibition and its back story, visit the following link:
Experience the Brilliant Art of Beauford Delaney in Paris
Paris Window
(1953) Pastel on paper
Whitney Museum of American Art
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
You must sign up through Columbia Global Centers' Web site to attend each of these events.
For the English-language sign-up page, click HERE.
For the French-language sign-up page, click HERE.
Your contribution will help make the exhibition a success!
Make your tax-deductible donation here: Wells International Foundation - Private Donor
Les Amis and our partners — Wells International Foundation and Columbia Global Centers | Paris — look forward to welcoming you to Paris and to Columbia University's facility at Reid Hall!
************
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Reid Hall, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are partnering to bring an exhibition of original Beauford Delaney works to Reid Hall in Paris in February 2016! WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT!
To contribute to the show, click HERE.
To sign-up to receive the latest behind-the-scenes news about the show, click HERE.
If you haven't already done so, mark your calendar for February 3, 2016.
Here's the schedule of events:
3 February - 6 PM: Vernissage
8 February - 7 PM: Textes & Voix - spoken word artist Mike Ladd talks about jazz and the works presented in the exhibition
16 February - 6:30 PM: Private presentation of exhibition for AARO
17 February - 4 PM: Global Educator Program round table
18 February - 6 PM: Round table discussion - "Multiculturalism in Today's Art World"
20 February - 2 PM: Panel discussion on STEAM Education and Multiple Intelligences
21 February - 3 PM: Celebration of Beauford's life in Paris
25 February - 6:30 PM: Screening of Paris Noir - African Americans in the City of Light by Joanne Burke
To access a superb article on the exhibition and its back story, visit the following link:
Experience the Brilliant Art of Beauford Delaney in Paris
(1953) Pastel on paper
Whitney Museum of American Art
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
You must sign up through Columbia Global Centers' Web site to attend each of these events.
For the English-language sign-up page, click HERE.
For the French-language sign-up page, click HERE.
Your contribution will help make the exhibition a success!
Make your tax-deductible donation here: Wells International Foundation - Private Donor
Les Amis and our partners — Wells International Foundation and Columbia Global Centers | Paris — look forward to welcoming you to Paris and to Columbia University's facility at Reid Hall!
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Reid Hall, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are partnering to bring an exhibition of original Beauford Delaney works to Reid Hall in Paris in February 2016! WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT!
To contribute to the show, click HERE.
To sign-up to receive the latest behind-the-scenes news about the show, click HERE.
Beauford and Howard Swanson
The Museum of Modern Art in New York holds two works by Beauford, one of which is a portrait of his dear friend, Howard Swanson:
Portrait of Howard Swanson
(1967) Oil on canvas
Image courtesy of Levis Fine Art
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Howard Swanson was an acclaimed composer who received grants and fellowships that allowed him to travel to Europe before and after the Second World War. In 1952, awards from the National Academy of Arts and Letters and a Guggenheim Fellowship enabled him to settle in Paris a year before Beauford's arrival. He remained in Europe until 1966, when he returned to New York.
Swanson is mentioned nine times in Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney
. Biographer David Leeming describes him as a "source of good counsel and friendship" and says that Beauford frequently shared meals with him and could talk with him more freely than with most people. Swanson was present at the gathering organized by Beauford at the Hôtel des Ecoles in December 1955, which resulted in a conflict with the hotel's owners that caused Beauford to move to the Paris suburb of Clamart.
Beauford's Portrait of Howard Swanson was shown in the 1973 solo exhibition of Beauford's work at the Galerie Darthea Speyer in Paris. More recently, it was shown in the Internal Light exhibition at Levis Fine Arts in 2013 and was acquired by MoMA in 2013.
************
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Reid Hall, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are partnering to bring an exhibition of original Beauford Delaney works to Reid Hall in Paris in February 2016! WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT!
To contribute to the show, click HERE.
To sign-up to receive the latest behind-the-scenes news about the show, click HERE.
(1967) Oil on canvas
Image courtesy of Levis Fine Art
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Howard Swanson was an acclaimed composer who received grants and fellowships that allowed him to travel to Europe before and after the Second World War. In 1952, awards from the National Academy of Arts and Letters and a Guggenheim Fellowship enabled him to settle in Paris a year before Beauford's arrival. He remained in Europe until 1966, when he returned to New York.
Swanson is mentioned nine times in Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney
. Biographer David Leeming describes him as a "source of good counsel and friendship" and says that Beauford frequently shared meals with him and could talk with him more freely than with most people. Swanson was present at the gathering organized by Beauford at the Hôtel des Ecoles in December 1955, which resulted in a conflict with the hotel's owners that caused Beauford to move to the Paris suburb of Clamart.Beauford's Portrait of Howard Swanson was shown in the 1973 solo exhibition of Beauford's work at the Galerie Darthea Speyer in Paris. More recently, it was shown in the Internal Light exhibition at Levis Fine Arts in 2013 and was acquired by MoMA in 2013.
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Reid Hall, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are partnering to bring an exhibition of original Beauford Delaney works to Reid Hall in Paris in February 2016! WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT!
To contribute to the show, click HERE.
To sign-up to receive the latest behind-the-scenes news about the show, click HERE.
32 days until the opening!
Along with our partners — Wells International Foundation and Columbia Global Centers | Europe Paris — Les Amis is excited to begin the countdown to the vernissage of the Beauford Delaney exhibition in Paris, which is only 32 days away!
Mark your calendar for February 3, 2016.
We've christened the exhibition with an official name - Beauford Delaney: Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color.
As a brief reminder of what we have in store for you, we'll be displaying over 40 paintings and works on paper from Beauford's Paris period. All are being loaned by private collectors in the Paris area and most have never been seen by the general public before.
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Collage © Discover Paris!
In addition to the vernissage, we are co-hosting a round table discussion on "Multiculturalism in Today's Art World" on February 18 and a celebration of Beauford's life in Paris on February 21.
Visit the following link for additional details about the show: Beauford Delaney Exhibition in Paris
Want to contribute to the success of the exhibition?
Make your tax-deductible donation here: Wells International Foundation - Private Donor
We look forward to welcoming you to Paris and to Columbia Global Centers | Europe at Reid Hall!
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Reid Hall, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are partnering to bring an exhibition of original Beauford Delaney works to Reid Hall in Paris in February 2016! WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT!
To contribute to the show, click HERE.
To sign-up to receive the latest behind-the-scenes news about the show, click HERE.
Christmas Wishes from Les Amis de Beauford Delaney
The Christmas season is upon us once again! This year, I've selected a carol by one of Beauford's favorite singers - Marian Anderson - to wish you all a joyous holiday. It's "Silent Night."
Silent Night
Marian Anderson
(1965) Oil on canvas
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
J. Harwood and Louise B. Cochrane Fund for American Art
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Click on the link above the image and enjoy.
************
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Reid Hall, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are partnering to bring an exhibition of original Beauford Delaney works to Reid Hall in Paris in February 2016! WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT!
To contribute to the show, click HERE.
To sign-up to receive the latest behind-the-scenes news about the show, click HERE.
(1965) Oil on canvas
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
J. Harwood and Louise B. Cochrane Fund for American Art
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Reid Hall, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are partnering to bring an exhibition of original Beauford Delaney works to Reid Hall in Paris in February 2016! WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT!
To contribute to the show, click HERE.
To sign-up to receive the latest behind-the-scenes news about the show, click HERE.
Beauford at Swann Auction Galleries: December 2015 Sale Results
The results of Swann Auction Galleries' African-American Fine Art winter sale are in.
Three of the four Beauford Delaney paintings offered at auction were sold.
The watercolor entitled Untitled (Abstraction in Pink) (Lot 72) sold for $8,750.
Untitled (Abstraction in Pink)
(1964) Watercolor on Arches paper
572 x 394 mm; 22 1/2 x 15 1/2 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The gouache entitled Untitled (Yellow Field) (Lot 73) sold for $6,250.
Untitled (Yellow Field)
(1966) Gouache on thin wove paper
336 x 222 mm; 13 1/4 x 8 3/4 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The oil monotype entitled Untitled (Woman in an Abstract Field) (Lot 74) sold for $7,000.
Untitled (Woman in an Abstract Field)
(1966) Oil monotype, with hand-painted additions in oil,
on cream wove paper
616 x 483 mm; 24 x 19 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
All sale prices mentioned above include Swann's buyer's premium.*
Lot 71, a watercolor abstraction in green and blue, remains unsold.
*At auction, there are two prices--the hammer price, or the price at which the item sells during the auction, and the price with the buyer's premium. All auction houses have a buyer's premium that the buyer pays to the auction house on top of the hammer price. The buyer’s premium for items purchased directly through Swann is 25%. Swann Auction Galleries now reports the "hammer price" and the price that include the buyer's premium in its online catalog.
************
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Reid Hall, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are partnering to bring an exhibition of original Beauford Delaney works to Reid Hall in Paris in February 2016! WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT!
To contribute to the show, click HERE.
To sign-up to receive the latest behind-the-scenes news about the show, click HERE.
Three of the four Beauford Delaney paintings offered at auction were sold.
The watercolor entitled Untitled (Abstraction in Pink) (Lot 72) sold for $8,750.
(1964) Watercolor on Arches paper
572 x 394 mm; 22 1/2 x 15 1/2 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The gouache entitled Untitled (Yellow Field) (Lot 73) sold for $6,250.
(1966) Gouache on thin wove paper
336 x 222 mm; 13 1/4 x 8 3/4 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The oil monotype entitled Untitled (Woman in an Abstract Field) (Lot 74) sold for $7,000.
(1966) Oil monotype, with hand-painted additions in oil,
on cream wove paper
616 x 483 mm; 24 x 19 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
All sale prices mentioned above include Swann's buyer's premium.*
Lot 71, a watercolor abstraction in green and blue, remains unsold.
*At auction, there are two prices--the hammer price, or the price at which the item sells during the auction, and the price with the buyer's premium. All auction houses have a buyer's premium that the buyer pays to the auction house on top of the hammer price. The buyer’s premium for items purchased directly through Swann is 25%. Swann Auction Galleries now reports the "hammer price" and the price that include the buyer's premium in its online catalog.
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Reid Hall, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are partnering to bring an exhibition of original Beauford Delaney works to Reid Hall in Paris in February 2016! WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT!
To contribute to the show, click HERE.
To sign-up to receive the latest behind-the-scenes news about the show, click HERE.
Beauford at Swann Auction Galleries: December 2015 Sale
Swann Auction Galleries is having a winter sale of African-American Fine Art this year. It will take place at 2:30 PM on Tuesday, December 15, 2015.
Four Beauford Delaney paintings will be auctioned at the event. All are untitled.
Lot 71 is an abstraction in green and blue.
Untitled (Abstraction in Green and Blue)
(1963) Watercolor on thick wove paper
660 x 508 mm; 26 x 20 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
It is signed, dated and inscribed "Clermont Seine" in blue ink at the lower left.
Beauford gave this work on paper to James and Gloria Jones in Paris. It was exhibited at the Studio Museum in Harlem and is currently part of a private collection in New York. Its estimated value is $7,000 - 10,000.
Lot 72 is an abstraction in pink that was owned by Beauford's friend Al Hirschfeld prior to being held by Philippe Briet and two subsequent private collectors.
Untitled (Abstraction in Pink)
(1964) Watercolor on Arches paper
572 x 394 mm; 22 1/2 x 15 1/2 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
This work is signed, inscribed "Paris" and dated "July 1964" in blue ink at the lower right. Its estimated value is $8000 - $12000.
Lot 73 is a gouache on thin wove paper.
Untitled (Yellow Field)
(1966) Gouache on thin wove paper
336 x 222 mm; 13 1/4 x 8 3/4 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Signed and dated in ink at the lower right, it is currently held by a private collector in New York. Its estimated worth is $4000 - $6000.
Lot 74 is a portrait.
Untitled (Woman in an Abstract Field)
(1966) Oil monotype, with hand-painted additions in oil,
on cream wove paper
616 x 483 mm; 24 x 19 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
This oil monotype is signed and dated in ink at the lower corners. With an estimated value of $10000 - $15000, it is part of a private collection in New York.
Preview dates for the show are as follows: Saturday, December 12 from 12 PM - 5 PM; Monday, December 14 from 10 AM - 6 PM; and Tuesday, December 15 from 10 AM - noon.
For more information, contact Nigel Freeman at
.
************
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Reid Hall, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are partnering to bring an exhibition of original Beauford Delaney works to Reid Hall in Paris in February 2016! WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT!
To contribute to the show, click HERE.
To sign-up to receive the latest behind-the-scenes news about the show, click HERE.
Four Beauford Delaney paintings will be auctioned at the event. All are untitled.
Lot 71 is an abstraction in green and blue.
(1963) Watercolor on thick wove paper
660 x 508 mm; 26 x 20 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
It is signed, dated and inscribed "Clermont Seine" in blue ink at the lower left.
Beauford gave this work on paper to James and Gloria Jones in Paris. It was exhibited at the Studio Museum in Harlem and is currently part of a private collection in New York. Its estimated value is $7,000 - 10,000.
Lot 72 is an abstraction in pink that was owned by Beauford's friend Al Hirschfeld prior to being held by Philippe Briet and two subsequent private collectors.
(1964) Watercolor on Arches paper
572 x 394 mm; 22 1/2 x 15 1/2 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
This work is signed, inscribed "Paris" and dated "July 1964" in blue ink at the lower right. Its estimated value is $8000 - $12000.
Lot 73 is a gouache on thin wove paper.
(1966) Gouache on thin wove paper
336 x 222 mm; 13 1/4 x 8 3/4 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Signed and dated in ink at the lower right, it is currently held by a private collector in New York. Its estimated worth is $4000 - $6000.
Lot 74 is a portrait.
(1966) Oil monotype, with hand-painted additions in oil,
on cream wove paper
616 x 483 mm; 24 x 19 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
This oil monotype is signed and dated in ink at the lower corners. With an estimated value of $10000 - $15000, it is part of a private collection in New York.
Preview dates for the show are as follows: Saturday, December 12 from 12 PM - 5 PM; Monday, December 14 from 10 AM - 6 PM; and Tuesday, December 15 from 10 AM - noon.
For more information, contact Nigel Freeman at
.
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Reid Hall, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are partnering to bring an exhibition of original Beauford Delaney works to Reid Hall in Paris in February 2016! WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT!
To contribute to the show, click HERE.
To sign-up to receive the latest behind-the-scenes news about the show, click HERE.
Where to Find Beauford's Art: Art Basel Miami Beach and Treadway Toomey Auctions
Beauford's art is being featured in two major events this week.
The art world is abuzz over the annual Art Basel Miami Beach art fair, North America's "foremost international modern and contemporary art fair". It takes place from December 3-6 this year.
Michael Rosenfeld Gallery (Booth K4 at the fair) is displaying the Beauford Delaney work below:
Untitled
(c.1958), Oil on canvas
30" x 25" / 76.2 x 63.5 cm
signed and dated
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY
and has included nine additional Beauford Delaney works in its MRG Art Basel 2015 checklist (see pages 15-17).
Meanwhile:
In the Chicago area, Beauford’s portrait of his dear friend, Larry Calcagno, is up for sale in the 20th Century Art & Design Auction by Treadway Toomey Gallery.
Portrait of a Young Man (Larry Calcagno)
(1953) Oil on canvas
Signed and dated, 31.75" x 25.5"
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
This painting was shown in the Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris exhibition organized by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. It hung there from November 21, 2004 – February 20, 2005 and was subsequently presented by the Knoxville Museum of Art (April 8 – June 25, 2005), the Greenville County Museum of Art (August 3 – October 2, 2005), and the Philadelphia Museum of Art (November 12, 2005 – January 28, 2006).
Its estimated value for the current sale, which takes place today (December 5, 2015), is between $15,000 and $20,000.
Treadway Toomey, which represents an affiliation between the John Toomey Gallery in Oak Park, IL and the Treadway Gallery in Cincinnati, OH, has sold art by African Americans since the 1990s. The organization began formally offering a collective African-American art sale in June 2014. During that first event, one of Beauford’s abstract paintings from his Paris years sold for $54,900*.
Untitled
(c. 1968-1973) Oil on canvas
Signed, 8.66" x 12.99"
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Thom Pegg is the African-American art specialist for the auction house. He has been working with museums and important private collectors for many years to help them develop their collections of African-American art.
*Including Buyer's Premium - an additional service charge for which the buyer is responsible, to be added to the price of the item.
************
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Reid Hall, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are partnering to bring an exhibition of original Beauford Delaney works to Reid Hall in Paris in February 2016! WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT!
To contribute to the show, click HERE.
To sign-up to receive the latest behind-the-scenes news about the show, click HERE.
The art world is abuzz over the annual Art Basel Miami Beach art fair, North America's "foremost international modern and contemporary art fair". It takes place from December 3-6 this year.
Michael Rosenfeld Gallery (Booth K4 at the fair) is displaying the Beauford Delaney work below:
(c.1958), Oil on canvas
30" x 25" / 76.2 x 63.5 cm
signed and dated
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY
and has included nine additional Beauford Delaney works in its MRG Art Basel 2015 checklist (see pages 15-17).
Meanwhile:
In the Chicago area, Beauford’s portrait of his dear friend, Larry Calcagno, is up for sale in the 20th Century Art & Design Auction by Treadway Toomey Gallery.
(1953) Oil on canvas
Signed and dated, 31.75" x 25.5"
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
This painting was shown in the Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris exhibition organized by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. It hung there from November 21, 2004 – February 20, 2005 and was subsequently presented by the Knoxville Museum of Art (April 8 – June 25, 2005), the Greenville County Museum of Art (August 3 – October 2, 2005), and the Philadelphia Museum of Art (November 12, 2005 – January 28, 2006).
Its estimated value for the current sale, which takes place today (December 5, 2015), is between $15,000 and $20,000.
Treadway Toomey, which represents an affiliation between the John Toomey Gallery in Oak Park, IL and the Treadway Gallery in Cincinnati, OH, has sold art by African Americans since the 1990s. The organization began formally offering a collective African-American art sale in June 2014. During that first event, one of Beauford’s abstract paintings from his Paris years sold for $54,900*.
(c. 1968-1973) Oil on canvas
Signed, 8.66" x 12.99"
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Thom Pegg is the African-American art specialist for the auction house. He has been working with museums and important private collectors for many years to help them develop their collections of African-American art.
*Including Buyer's Premium - an additional service charge for which the buyer is responsible, to be added to the price of the item.
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Reid Hall, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are partnering to bring an exhibition of original Beauford Delaney works to Reid Hall in Paris in February 2016! WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT!
To contribute to the show, click HERE.
To sign-up to receive the latest behind-the-scenes news about the show, click HERE.
Beauford's Art: Reminiscence of the Painting "Portrait of a Young Man (Burton D. Reinfrank)"
I recently had the pleasure of viewing Burt Reinfrank's private collection of Beauford Delaney paintings and was surprised to find this portrait:
Portrait of Burt Reinfrank
(1971) Charcoal on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
© Discover Paris!
hanging next to the color portrait of Burt that I know so well:
Portrait of Burt Reinfrank
(1968) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Photo: © Discover Paris!
Here's the "back story" as told by Burt Reinfrank:
Photo of Beauford and Burt Reinfrank
holding his second charcoal portrait
Image courtesy of Burton Reinfrank
************
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Reid Hall, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are partnering to bring an exhibition of original Beauford Delaney works to Reid Hall in Paris in February 2016! WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT!
To contribute to the show, click HERE.
To sign-up to receive the latest behind-the-scenes news about the show, click HERE.
(1971) Charcoal on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
© Discover Paris!
hanging next to the color portrait of Burt that I know so well:
(1968) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Photo: © Discover Paris!
Here's the "back story" as told by Burt Reinfrank:
One afternoon in September 1966 I called at Beauford's studio and saw an almost completed portrait on his easel. It was of James Speyer. In the portrait, Speyer wore a yellow turtleneck sweater against a brown background. I passed by the studio a week later and was surprised to see the color of the sweater and that of the background had been reversed. Beauford explained that when Speyer saw the painting, he asked him to reverse the colors.
Portrait of James Speyer
(1966) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
I liked the portrait and asked Beauford if he would paint one of me that same size (60 francs). He said yes, if I would bring him the canvas.
In December, I went by an art supply shop in Montparnasse, picked up a canvas, and brought it to Beauford's studio. He immediately put it on his easel, sat me in his "sitters" chair facing the back of the easel, sat down in front, and started drawing in charcoal. He drew for more than an hour, recounting different episodes in his life.
Suddenly he stopped and said, "It's finished. Come have a look."
Photo of Beauford Delaney drawing of Burton Reinfrank
Photo courtesy of Burton Reinfrank
When I saw the drawing, I said: "It's great, keep if for me just as it is. I will bring you another canvas for the painting." But when I came by the studio a week later, the drawing had disappeared under paint.
I said: "Beauford, I wanted the drawing as it was." He replied: "I'll do you another."
He did, a smaller charcoal drawing on canvas in 1971.
holding his second charcoal portrait
Image courtesy of Burton Reinfrank
At the outset I had told Beauford that what I wanted was a great painting, not necessarily a likeness. Beauford proceeded to paint Portrait of a Young Man (Burton Reinfrank) with no further sitting.
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Reid Hall, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are partnering to bring an exhibition of original Beauford Delaney works to Reid Hall in Paris in February 2016! WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT!
To contribute to the show, click HERE.
To sign-up to receive the latest behind-the-scenes news about the show, click HERE.
University of Arizona to Augment "Beauford Delaney and Paris" Exhibition
Imagine yourself in the Grande Salle at Reid Hall, Columbia Global Centers | Europe in Paris. You are standing in front of this painting:
Nativity Scene
(1961) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
You hold up your smart phone, point the lens at the painting, and scan it. Within seconds, an overlay appears at the corner of your screen and a 30-second video gives you the "back story" about this work. You are then given the option to click through to a Web site that provides additional information.
This is what the University of Arizona Augmented Reality project will allow attendees of the Beauford Delaney and Paris: A Breathtaking Evolution to experience!
Dr. Bryan Carter, Associate Professor of the University of Arizona's Department of Africana Studies, conceived this project. He specializes in African-American literature of the 20th century with a primary focus on the Harlem Renaissance and digital culture. He has been bringing University of Arizona students to Paris since 2013.
Honors students enrolled in Dr. Carter's Harlem Renaissance course can apply to participate in this project as fulfillment of an "honors contract," while others can apply to participate as independent study students. Those accepted will come to Paris a week prior to the opening of the exhibition to video short segments of a docent explaining some aspect of the 20 paintings selected for the project. They will take high resolution images of these paintings, upload them to a digital platform, and upload the videos and other files as overlays.
The exhibition vernissage (opening) is scheduled for February 3, 2016 and the show will run from February 4-29, 2016. Those who are unable to attend will be able to use the Augmented Reality digital application to scan images in the catalog to access the overlays.
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are pleased that the technology of Augmented Reality will expand the reach and scope of this groundbreaking exhibition. We are currently accepting donations to fund this study abroad experience.
************
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Reid Hall, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are partnering to bring an exhibition of original Beauford Delaney works to Reid Hall in Paris in February 2016! WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT!
To contribute to the show, click HERE.
To sign-up to receive the latest behind-the-scenes news about the show, click HERE.
(1961) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
You hold up your smart phone, point the lens at the painting, and scan it. Within seconds, an overlay appears at the corner of your screen and a 30-second video gives you the "back story" about this work. You are then given the option to click through to a Web site that provides additional information.
This is what the University of Arizona Augmented Reality project will allow attendees of the Beauford Delaney and Paris: A Breathtaking Evolution to experience!
Dr. Bryan Carter, Associate Professor of the University of Arizona's Department of Africana Studies, conceived this project. He specializes in African-American literature of the 20th century with a primary focus on the Harlem Renaissance and digital culture. He has been bringing University of Arizona students to Paris since 2013.
Honors students enrolled in Dr. Carter's Harlem Renaissance course can apply to participate in this project as fulfillment of an "honors contract," while others can apply to participate as independent study students. Those accepted will come to Paris a week prior to the opening of the exhibition to video short segments of a docent explaining some aspect of the 20 paintings selected for the project. They will take high resolution images of these paintings, upload them to a digital platform, and upload the videos and other files as overlays.
The exhibition vernissage (opening) is scheduled for February 3, 2016 and the show will run from February 4-29, 2016. Those who are unable to attend will be able to use the Augmented Reality digital application to scan images in the catalog to access the overlays.
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are pleased that the technology of Augmented Reality will expand the reach and scope of this groundbreaking exhibition. We are currently accepting donations to fund this study abroad experience.
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Reid Hall, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are partnering to bring an exhibition of original Beauford Delaney works to Reid Hall in Paris in February 2016! WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT!
To contribute to the show, click HERE.
To sign-up to receive the latest behind-the-scenes news about the show, click HERE.
Beauford Delaney Paints Marian Anderson: A Play
Beauford's portrait of Marian Anderson is undeniably an exquisite work. Award-winning screenwriter, playwright, and two-time Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Fellow Arden Kass* was so inspired by the portrait that she wrote a play about Beauford and Anderson entitled Beauford Delaney Paints Marian Anderson.
Marian Anderson
(1965) Oil on canvas
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
J. Harwood and Louise B. Cochrane Fund for American Art
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
I found the play on the Indie Theater Now Web site, purchased it for a mere $1.29, and read it avidly. As the story unfolded, I discovered that Beauford is observing episodes in Anderson's life as he paints her.
Ms. Kass granted Les Amis an interview, which you can read below.
Les Amis: When did you first learn about Beauford Delaney and his work?
Arden Kass: I had been invited to contribute a play about an American woman for a project called "365 Women, 365 plays," and I chose to write about Marian Anderson. I knew that she had lived and worked literally around the corner from my house in Philadelphia, that I walked my dog past her former home frequently -- but I had not taken the time to educate myself about her life and work.
In the course of researching Miss Anderson, I came across a mention of Beauford's portrait and was immediately fascinated by him as an artist and by his unique perspective as a person. I read as much as I could find about him, and realized that his portrait of her, while somewhat abstract, captured her more accurately than so many of the photos, interviews and articles I had come across.
Les Amis: Without giving the story away, what is it about?
Arden Kass: Miss Anderson was a notoriously private person and gave away very little of her personal feelings in interviews. The most insight into her personal passions or feelings seems to come through her music. But in my play everything she does not say in words is visible in Beauford's portrait.
Les Amis: Is Beauford a character in the play? Or are you using his name in the title for some other reason?
Arden Kass: Beauford is a full-fledged character in the play -- everything that happens is filtered through his consciousness and his artistic connection with Anderson's music.
Les Amis: Tell us more about the play.
Arden Kass: I wrote Beauford Delaney Paints Marian Anderson in 2014. It is a one act play that lasts about 25 minutes, maybe 1/2 hour if I incorporate recorded music. It has been published by Indie Theater Now, but due to my busy schedule I have not sought a production of it. However, I may be presenting a staged reading in New York at the NY History Society Library.
For a short play, it's a complex script (like Beauford's portrait, that says everything at once.) It requires several actors but isn't very long, so I am not sure how we would achieve a production unless it was part of a festival, for example. I may revisit it and try to double some of the 7 roles.
A composer recently asked me to work with her to expand the play into a musical, but I'm not certain how we'd create a musical about Marian Anderson without using her own music...
Les Amis: How can people stay abreast of developments about the play?
Arden Kass: I have a website, ardenkass.com -- When something happens, I'll announce it there.
*Arden is a member of the Dramatists Guild and BMI Musical Theatre Workshop in New York. Her most recent theatrical venture, School Play, based entirely on interviews with 100
Pennsylvania residents, has just completed a 15-venue statewide tour. Additional projects include book and lyrics for a musical comedy about the marketing genius who first sold
sexy lingerie to American women in the 1940s (at BMI) and a new one-act about classical singer Marian Anderson slated for a New York reading in 2016.
************
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Reid Hall, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are partnering to bring an exhibition of original Beauford Delaney works to Reid Hall in Paris in February 2016! WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT!
To contribute to the show, click HERE.
To sign-up to receive the latest behind-the-scenes news about the show, click HERE.
(1965) Oil on canvas
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
J. Harwood and Louise B. Cochrane Fund for American Art
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
I found the play on the Indie Theater Now Web site, purchased it for a mere $1.29, and read it avidly. As the story unfolded, I discovered that Beauford is observing episodes in Anderson's life as he paints her.
Ms. Kass granted Les Amis an interview, which you can read below.
Les Amis: When did you first learn about Beauford Delaney and his work?
Arden Kass: I had been invited to contribute a play about an American woman for a project called "365 Women, 365 plays," and I chose to write about Marian Anderson. I knew that she had lived and worked literally around the corner from my house in Philadelphia, that I walked my dog past her former home frequently -- but I had not taken the time to educate myself about her life and work.
In the course of researching Miss Anderson, I came across a mention of Beauford's portrait and was immediately fascinated by him as an artist and by his unique perspective as a person. I read as much as I could find about him, and realized that his portrait of her, while somewhat abstract, captured her more accurately than so many of the photos, interviews and articles I had come across.
Les Amis: Without giving the story away, what is it about?
Arden Kass: Miss Anderson was a notoriously private person and gave away very little of her personal feelings in interviews. The most insight into her personal passions or feelings seems to come through her music. But in my play everything she does not say in words is visible in Beauford's portrait.
Les Amis: Is Beauford a character in the play? Or are you using his name in the title for some other reason?
Arden Kass: Beauford is a full-fledged character in the play -- everything that happens is filtered through his consciousness and his artistic connection with Anderson's music.
Les Amis: Tell us more about the play.
Arden Kass: I wrote Beauford Delaney Paints Marian Anderson in 2014. It is a one act play that lasts about 25 minutes, maybe 1/2 hour if I incorporate recorded music. It has been published by Indie Theater Now, but due to my busy schedule I have not sought a production of it. However, I may be presenting a staged reading in New York at the NY History Society Library.
For a short play, it's a complex script (like Beauford's portrait, that says everything at once.) It requires several actors but isn't very long, so I am not sure how we would achieve a production unless it was part of a festival, for example. I may revisit it and try to double some of the 7 roles.
A composer recently asked me to work with her to expand the play into a musical, but I'm not certain how we'd create a musical about Marian Anderson without using her own music...
Les Amis: How can people stay abreast of developments about the play?
Arden Kass: I have a website, ardenkass.com -- When something happens, I'll announce it there.
*Arden is a member of the Dramatists Guild and BMI Musical Theatre Workshop in New York. Her most recent theatrical venture, School Play, based entirely on interviews with 100
Pennsylvania residents, has just completed a 15-venue statewide tour. Additional projects include book and lyrics for a musical comedy about the marketing genius who first sold
sexy lingerie to American women in the 1940s (at BMI) and a new one-act about classical singer Marian Anderson slated for a New York reading in 2016.
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, Reid Hall, and the Wells International Foundation (WIF) are partnering to bring an exhibition of original Beauford Delaney works to Reid Hall in Paris in February 2016! WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT!
To contribute to the show, click HERE.
To sign-up to receive the latest behind-the-scenes news about the show, click HERE.