James Little (painter) facts for kids

James Little (born in 1952) is an American painter and a person who organizes art shows (a curator). He is famous for his art that uses geometric shapes and bright, exciting colors. He has lived and worked in New York City for a long time.

Early Life and School

James Little was born in 1952 in Memphis, Tennessee. He grew up in the American South during a time when Black and White people were kept separate. His family is African-American.

He went to the Memphis Academy of Art, which is now called Memphis College of Art. Even when he was a student, his artwork was noticed. In 1973, his art was chosen for a special show at the Arkansas Arts Center. He earned his first degree (BFA) from Memphis Academy of Art in 1974. Later, in 1976, he got his master's degree (MFA) from Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York.

His Art Career

James Little looks up to many famous artists like Joan Mitchell, Barnett Newman, and Alma Thomas. He once said that abstract art, which uses shapes and colors instead of real-life pictures, gave him "self-determination and free will." He felt it was very freeing. He believes that abstract art lets people experience something new without needing to know the "answer" beforehand.

A critic named Karen Wilkin described Little's art as having a "ravishing physicality." She also said his art uses "geometry and chroma" (shapes and colors) to make us happy and stir our feelings and thoughts. Even though some people call his style "hard-edge," he says it's not quite that.

In 1976, James Little had his first solo art show called Paintings by James Little. It was held at the Everson Museum in Syracuse. In 1980, his art was part of a big show called "Afro-American Abstraction" at MoMA PS1 in New York.

A very cool project by Little was finished in 2002 for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York. If you ride the train at Jamaica Station, you can see his amazing artwork. It's an 85-foot-long display made of 33 colorful glass panels. Each panel is 17 feet tall and 5 feet wide, creating a beautiful, colorful design.

In 2020, some of Little's large black paintings were shown alongside sculptures by Louise Nevelson. This show, called Louise Nevelson + James Little, was at Rosenbaum Contemporary in Boca Raton, Florida.

James Little's work was also chosen for the 2022 Whitney Biennial. This is a very important art show that happens every two years at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.

Today, James Little teaches art at the Art Students League of New York. His art is shown by several galleries, including Petzel in New York City, Louis Stern Fine Arts in West Hollywood, and the Kavi Gupta Gallery in Chicago.

A book about his art, James Little: Reaching for the Sky, was published in 2005. It has pictures of his paintings and essays about his work.

Awards He Has Won

James Little has received some important awards for his art. In 2009, he won an award from the Joan Mitchell Foundation. He also received a grant from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation. These awards help artists continue their work.

Organizing Art Shows

In 2019, James Little organized an art show called New York Centric at the American Fine Arts Society gallery. He chose artworks by many abstract artists who have lived or worked in New York City. Some of these artists included Alma Thomas, Larry Poons, and Ed Clark.

Some of His Solo Exhibitions

James Little has had many art shows where only his work was displayed. Here are a few:

• 2021: Chromatic Rhythm - James Little: Paintings on Paper, shown at the Sarah Moody Gallery of Art in Alabama and the Ewing Gallery of Art + Architecture in Tennessee.
• 2020: James Little: Dots and Slants, at Louis Stern Fine Arts in West Hollywood, California.
• 2013: "Never Say Never", at June Kelly Gallery in New York.
• 2007: James Little: Untold Stories, at the Station Museum of Contemporary Art in Houston, Texas.
• 1976: Paintings by James Little, at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, New York.

Some Group Exhibitions

James Little's art has also been part of many shows with other artists. Here are a few:

• 2022: Whitney Biennial 2022: Quiet as It's Kept, at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.
• 2019: New York Centric, at the Art Students League of New York.
• 2016–2017: Circa 1970, at the Studio Museum in Harlem in New York.
• 2014: Black in the Abstract, Part 2: Hard Edges, Soft Curves, at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston in Texas.
• 2004: Seeds and Roots: Selections from the Permanent Collection, at The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York.
• 1998: Postcards from Black America, shown in the Netherlands.