Willie Birch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Willie Birch
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| Born | 1942 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
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| Education | Southern University New Orleans, Maryland Institute College of Art |
| Known for | Drawing, Painting, Sculpture |
Willie Birch is an American artist who creates amazing art. He uses different ways to make his art, like drawing, painting, and sculpture.
Willie Birch was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1942. He still lives and works there today. He studied art at Southern University and later earned a special degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland.
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Willie Birch's Art and Style
After finishing his studies, Willie Birch lived in New York City. There, he became known for his cool papier-mâché sculptures. Papier-mâché is a fun way to make sculptures using paper and glue.
In the 1990s, Birch's art was described as "storytelling art." This means his artworks told stories, and he was very skilled at making them.
Returning to New Orleans
Willie Birch moved back to New Orleans in 1994. In 1997, he started a special project. He began drawing portraits of people in his neighborhood.
He wanted to show the real people of New Orleans. He felt that some pictures of African-Americans in the French Quarter were not fair. They showed people in a way that was not true to life.
Birch explained that the rest of the city was very different. He wanted to show how people are seen and how we sometimes judge others. His art helped people think about these ideas.
Black and White Drawings
After the year 2000, Willie Birch started working only in black and white. He made very large drawings using charcoal and acrylic paint on paper.
His drawings often show everyday life in New Orleans. They also feature parts of the city's special culture. This includes things like lively brass bands, "second lines" (which are parades with music and dancing), and famous musicians like Trombone Shorty.
Art After Hurricane Katrina
In 2015, Willie Birch was part of an art show called "Ten Years Gone." This show was at the New Orleans Museum of Art. It marked ten years since Hurricane Katrina, a big storm that hit New Orleans.
His artwork in this show included pictures of plants that grew wild in his yard after the storm. He also made bronze casts of crawfish mounds. These are little mud homes built by crawfish that had moved into his yard because of the storm.
Where Willie Birch's Art Has Been Shown
Willie Birch's art has been shown in many places across the United States. Some of these include:
- Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art
- The McKinney Avenue Contemporary Museum in Dallas
- Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts in Wilmington, Delaware
- Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- SculptureCenter in New York City
Artist Programs and Awards
Willie Birch has been an artist in residence at several places. This means he spent time working and creating art there. Some of these places include:
- RedLine Milwaukee
- New Orleans Center for Creative Arts
- Ecole superieure des beaux-arts de Nantes, France
- New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation
- Tamarind Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Henry Street Settlement in New York
- Studio Museum in Harlem in New York
He has also received many important awards and grants for his art. These include:
- The James Baldwin Fellow for the United States Artists
- The Life Time Achievement Award from the National Conference of Artists
- Fellowships from foundations like The Pollock-Krasner Foundation, The Joan Mitchell Foundation, and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
- Awards from the state of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans.
Where You Can Find His Art
Willie Birch's artwork is part of many important art collections. You can find his pieces in places like:
- Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee
- Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts in Wilmington, Delaware
- Harlem Hospital Center in New York, New York
- Miami-Dade Public Library System in Miami, Florida
- Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, New York
- Microsoft Corporation in Seattle, Washington
- New Orleans Museum of Art in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
His art is also held in many private collections.
