Henry Bannarn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henry Bannarn
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| Born | 1910 |
| Nationality | American |
Henry Wilmer "Mike" Bannarn (born July 17, 1910 – died September 20, 1965) was an important African-American artist. He is most famous for his art created during the Harlem Renaissance. This was a special time when African-American art, music, and literature became very popular. Henry Bannarn was skilled in making sculptures and drawing people. He used different art materials like paint, Conté crayons, and pastels.
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A Young Artist's Journey
Henry Bannarn was born in Wetumka, Oklahoma, on July 17, 1910. When he was a child, his family moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota. There, he discovered his talent for art. He studied at the Minneapolis School of Arts. Today, this school is known as the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
Art and Community Work
Henry Bannarn worked as an artist for the Works Progress Administration. This was a government program that helped people find jobs during the Great Depression. He was part of the Federal Art Project, which supported artists. He also taught art at the Harlem Community Art Center in New York City.
In New York, he became good friends with another famous African-American artist, Charles Alston. They even ran their own art workshop together. It was called the Alston-Bannarn Harlem Art Workshop. Henry Bannarn was a key artist in the "Harlem Renaissance" of the 1930s. He was seen as one of the most important artists of this movement.
Awards and Recognition
Even though he is best known for his sculptures, Henry Bannarn was also very good at drawing and painting people. He used many different art supplies. These included paints, Conté crayons, pastels, and free-form sketches.
In 1941, he went back to Minnesota. He entered a sculpture in the Minnesota State Fair competition. He won first prize for his work. Ten years earlier, he had also won a painting prize at the fair. This was one of the first times an African-American artist achieved such success in Minnesota.
Henry Bannarn passed away on September 20, 1965, in Brooklyn, New York.
Henry Bannarn's Lasting Legacy
Henry Bannarn's artwork is kept in many important collections across the United States. These include famous places like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian Institution. His art can also be found at Dartmouth College's Hood Museum of Art and the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Not many of his works are owned by private collectors.
His art has become very valuable over time. For example, in 2007, one of his oil paintings sold for $24,000. This was much more than people expected it to sell for. Another painting sold for $5,750 in 2008, also far exceeding its estimated price. This shows how much his art is appreciated.
Exhibitions and Shows
Henry Bannarn's art was shown in many exhibitions and won several awards:
- Minnesota State Fair 1928 (Award)
- Minneapolis Institute of Art 1932 (Prize)
- Harmon Foundation 1933
- Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) 1934/36
- American Negro Exhibition 1940
- Minnesota Artists Association Annual 1940 (Award)
- Minnesota State Fair 1941 (Award)
- Atlanta University 1943 (Award)
- Hanley Gallery St. Paul, Minnesota 1945
- Newton Gallery 1945
Selected Collections
- Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN
See also
- Charles Alston - his partner at the Alston-Bannarn Workshop and Harlem Community Art Center
- Bror Julius Olsson Nordfeldt - one of his instructors
- George Oberteuffer - one of his teachers
- Samuel Chatwood Burton - one of his teachers
- Jacob Lawrence - a student of Bannarn at the Harlem Art Workshop
