The Big Idea:

How is a community defined? How can art represent the values and identity of a community?

Activity Overview

Everyone searches for and finds his or her own identity through a wide variety of experiences and expressions. Artists, writers, and historians often explore questions of identity through their work. In this activity you will investigate the art of Romare Bearden to discover how he visually described the African American community.

Look closely

Click on each artist button at right to view detailed screens about the artist and his or her works. Be sure to click on all images, view all videos, read all documents, and use the zoom tool to look closely at the works of art.

In this activity you will:

1. analyze a work of art by Romare Bearden
2. create a poem in response to what you see in the work
3. present your responses to the class and reflect on them
4. discover where you can find scenes similar to those Bearden depicts
5. create a collage that shows the character of your own community

You will be graded on:

1. analysis of an artwork by Romare Bearden
2. structure and character of your poem
3. effort in producing a collage
4. quality of class presentation

New terms:

Harlem Renaissance