Georgia Mills Jessup facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Georgia Mills Jessup
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| Born | March 19, 1926 Washington, D.C.
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| Died | December 24, 2016 (aged 90) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Howard University, Catholic University of America |
| Known for | painting |
Georgia Mills Jessup (March 19, 1926 – December 24, 2016) was a talented American artist. She created many different types of art. She was a painter, sculptor, and even made collages.
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Early Life and Art Training
Georgia Mills Jessup was born in Washington, D.C.. Her family had roots from African-American, Native American, and European backgrounds. Her father, Joseph Mills, was from the Pamunkey Native American tribe. Her mother, Margaret Hall Mills, was a hairdresser who dreamed of working in theater.
Georgia was one of 18 children in her family. A surprising 29 family members became artists! She showed artistic talent very early. When she was just 13, two of her paintings were shown at the 1939 World's Fair. She also learned from an artist named Herman L. Walker.
She finished Dunbar High School in 1943. Later, she earned a college degree in art from Howard University in 1959. There, she studied with the famous artist Loïs Mailou Jones. She then got an advanced art degree from the Catholic University of America in 1969.
Art Career and Teaching
Jessup taught art in public schools in Washington, D.C., for 13 years. She even became the supervisor for art education in the school system. She also taught at a well-known private school called Sidwell Friends.
She started an organization called "The World is Your Museum." This later became the Capital Children's Museum. She was also the first artist to work at the Smithsonian Institution's Anacostia Community Museum.
In 1979, Georgia Jessup had an art show with her two daughters and son-in-law. It was called "Family Re-Union." A reporter from The Washington Post wrote about her paintings. The reporter said Jessup's art showed her worries about her sons' struggles. It also showed her frustration about poor people losing their homes.
Jessup told the reporter that Black artists had a hard time getting noticed back then. She said, "For the mainstream galleries it's been mainly tokenism." This means they only showed a few Black artists to seem fair.
Exhibitions and Recognition
Georgia Jessup's art was shown in many places during her life. These included the Castelli Gallery in New York City and the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Her work was also displayed at Catholic University and other museums.
In 2016, the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame honored her. They recognized her for her "outstanding contributions and leadership in the Arts."
One of her famous paintings is Rainy Night, Downtown from 1967. This painting is now part of the National Museum of Women in the Arts. She got the idea for this painting while sitting in her car. She was at an intersection in Washington, D.C. The painting shows the busy, exciting feeling of a big city at night. Other works by Jessup are at the Anacostia Community Museum. Many are also in private collections.
She also received awards from groups like the Urban League and the American Red Cross.
Family and Legacy
Georgia Jessup had two sons and two daughters. All of them became involved in the arts. Her daughter, Rose Powhatan, is a mixed-media artist. She also started the Powhatan Museum of Indigenous Arts and Culture. Her other daughter, Marsha Jessup, is a medical illustrator. Her sons, Juaquin and Miklos Jessup, are both musicians. Juaquin played with the funk band Mandrill. Her nephew, David Mills, was a journalist and a television writer who won an Emmy Award.
Georgia Mills Jessup passed away at her home in Columbia, Maryland, on December 24, 2016. She was 90 years old. She left behind her four children, five grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren.
