Harlem Renaissance artist Romare Bearden celebrated with local SUMA exhibition

Jazz vibes are ringing through the Southern University Museum of Art from its latest exhibition featuring artist Romare Bearden. Bearden was known for his work depicting life experiences, music, and religion through paints, collages, oils, and cartoons.

Bearden was born in 1911 in North Carolina and grew up in New York and Pittsburgh. He graduated from New York University in 1935. Beyond being an artist, he co-wrote the jazz classic "Sea Breeze," which was recorded by Billy Eckstine and Dizzy Gillespie. His work was an inspiration to a number of jazz musicians, including New Orleans jazzman Branford Marsalis, who released a tribute in 2003 to the Harlem Renaissance artists entitled “Romare Bearden Revealed.”

The Bearden exhibit features 18 serigraphs covering three of the artist's series: "Jazz," "Prevalence of Ritual," and "Odysseus." The exhibit will run until April 30.

For more information on the exhibit and to schedule tours, please contact Vivian Kerr, director of the Southern University Museum of Art, at vivian_kerr@sus.edu and 225-235-7217.