Cliff Joseph facts for kids

Clifford Ricardo Joseph (born June 23, 1922 – died November 8, 2020) was an American artist, art therapist, and activist. He was born in Panama and later moved to the United States. Joseph used his art to speak out about important social issues. He also helped people through art therapy.

Early Life and Education

Cliff Joseph was born in 1922 in Panama City. His father was working on the Panama Canal at that time. The next year, his family moved to the United States. They settled in Harlem, New York.

Joseph joined the army and served overseas during World War II. After the war, he studied at the Pratt Institute in New York. He earned a degree in illustration in 1952. Later, he even taught art therapy at Pratt. He also attended the Turtle Bay School of Therapy.

Art and Activism for Change

In 1968, Cliff Joseph helped start a group called the Black Emergency Cultural Coalition (BECC). He co-founded it with other artists like Benny Andrews. The BECC wanted to show that Black artists were not being fairly represented. Many New York City art galleries and museums did not show enough of their work.

Protesting for Fair Representation

The BECC was formed because of an exhibition called Harlem on My Mind. This show was at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Even though it was about Harlem, it did not include any Black artists. The BECC protested this. This led to the mayor of New York City criticizing the museum. The Metropolitan Museum even apologized publicly.

Joseph and the BECC also protested at the Whitney Museum of American Art. The Whitney had an exhibition called Contemporary Black Artists in America. But they hired a White person to organize it. Many Black artists felt this was wrong. On the day the show was supposed to open, 15 Black artists pulled their artwork from it.

Cliff Joseph believed that Black art should be chosen by someone. This person should understand Black experiences deeply. He and Benny Andrews then organized their own show. It was called Rebuttal to Whitney Museum Exhibition. It was held at the Acts of Art Gallery in Manhattan.

Art Against Injustice

Joseph's art often focused on big problems in the world. He painted about unfairness, war, and inequality. He was strongly against the Vietnam War. His paintings like Isaiah II:4 (1964) and The Playpen (1967) showed his dislike for war.

In 1971, there was a major event at Attica Prison. Joseph and Andrews wrote a letter to Governor Nelson Rockefeller. They suggested using art and cultural activities to help the prisoners.

Pioneering Art Therapy

Cliff Joseph was one of the first African Americans to become a professional art therapist. He made important contributions to this field. He was also the first African American to join the American Art Therapy Association.

By 1982, he was working as an art therapist at Lincoln Hospital. He was also on staff at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He used art to help people deal with their feelings and experiences.