Pauline Powell Burns facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pauline Powell Burns
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Pauline Powell
1872 Oakland, California, U.S.
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| Died | 1912 (aged 39–40) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | artist, musician |
Pauline Powell Burns (1872–1912) was an American artist and musician. She was a talented painter and pianist. In 1890, she became the first African-American artist to show her paintings in California. Pauline also gave piano concerts around the San Francisco Bay Area.
Her Family Story
Pauline Powell was born in 1872 in Oakland, California. Her parents were Josephine Turner and William W. Powell. Her father worked as a train porter.
Pauline's great-grandfather, Joseph Fossett, was a blacksmith. He was one of Thomas Jefferson's slaves. He became free in 1826. Her grandmother, Isabella Fossett, was also enslaved. As a child, she was sold away from Monticello in 1827. She later escaped to Boston. Pauline's parents moved to Oakland, where Pauline was born in 1872.
On October 11, 1893, Pauline married Edward E. Burns. They did not have any children.
Her Amazing Talents
Pauline showed great talent in music and art from a young age. She studied both piano and painting. Even though African-Americans could attend the California School of Design at that time, Pauline mostly taught herself.
She gave public piano concerts in her local area. She also sang in a group in Los Angeles at least once. A writer from the Bay Area called her "the bright musical star of her state."
Pauline is thought to be the first African-American artist to show her work in California. She may have started showing paintings at age 14. Her first known public art show was at the Mechanics' Institute Fair in San Francisco in 1890. Her paintings at the fair received "great praise." However, she was better known as a pianist. A 1919 book about African-Americans in California listed her only as a piano teacher.
Where to See Her Art
Pauline's artwork is rare today. This is partly because of when she lived. Also, she died at a young age. She passed away at 40 years old in 1912 from tuberculosis.
She painted landscapes and still life pictures. Some of her surviving works include Champagne and Oysters (around 1890) and Still Life With Fruit (1890). She also painted Violets (oil on card, 1890). This painting is now in the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC.
Two of her watercolor paintings, one of nasturtiums and one of tulips, are at the Dunsmuir House in Oakland, California.
Some papers about Pauline's life are kept in the Archives of California Art.
Public Collections
- National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington DC
See also
